ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
22.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR MARCH 2021
Meeting Date:			April 19, 2021	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Beverly Chaney	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS:  Following a dry February, dry conditions continued in March. By month’s end, river flows were slightly higher than at the end of February at 38 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs), but most of the lower tributaries were dry. Migration conditions for both upstream steelhead adults and downstream adults and juveniles were fair.

March’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 25 to 57 cfs (monthly mean 39 cfs) resulting in 2,380 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while the Highway 1 gage similarly ranged from 24 to 57 cfs (monthly mean 39 cfs) resulting in 2,410 AF of runoff.

There were 0.96 inches of rainfall in March as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2021 (which started on October 1, 2020) is 10.81 inches, or 58% of the long-term year-to-date average of 18.77 inches. 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  The lagoon first opened January 26, 2021. During March, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) rose and fell numerous times as the low river inflow was insufficient to keep the sandbar open. The WSE ranged from approximately 3.8 to 13.1 feet (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on March 22, 2021 while the lagoon mouth was closed, water surface elevation was 7.2 feet, and river inflow was 55 cfs. Steelhead rearing conditions were generally “good”, especially in the upper water column. Salinity ranged from 1 - 26 ppt, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were variable ranging from 1 – 13 mg/l, and water temperatures were slightly warmer, ranging from 54 - 60 degrees F.

RESISTANCE BOARD WEIR:  As part of the District’s steelhead life cycle monitoring program, FishBio Consulting was hired to design and install a fish weir in the lower river to temporarily trap upstream migrating adult steelhead for tagging and measurement.

The weir started operating February 2, 2021 and the first fish were captured on February 3rd.

As of March 31, 112 adult, sea-run steelhead had been captured, with 92 of those being PIT tagged. There were also four recaptured fish.

LOS PADRES DAM ADULT COUNTS:  Cal-Am maintains a fish ladder and trap at the Los Padres Dam site. All adult steelhead captured in the trap are trucked to the reservoir and released.

The first sea-run adult steelhead arrived at the trap on February 4, 2021. As of March 31, 44 adults (21 males/22 females/1 unknown) have been captured and translocated above the dam.

The downstream smolt bypass facility was activated February 3rd.

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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