ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
22.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JUNE 2021
Meeting Date:			July 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:  Dry conditions continued in June, marking the fifth dry month in a row. By month’s end, river flows were less than 4 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) in the lower valley resulting in poor rearing conditions.

June’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir fell from 8.2 to 5.1 cfs (monthly mean 6.05 cfs) resulting in 360 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while flow at the Highway 1 gage fell from 2.9 to .33 cfs (monthly mean 1.08 cfs) resulting in 64 AF of runoff.

There were 0.00 inches of rainfall in June as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. Since January there have only been 1.41 inches of rain. The rainfall total for WY 2021 (which started on October 1, 2020) is 10.85 inches, or 52% of the long-term year-to-date average of 20.94 inches. 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  During June, the lagoon mouth remained closed. The water surface elevation (WSE) fell from approximately 10.3 to 8.2 feet (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on June 30, 2021, while the lagoon mouth was closed, water surface elevation was ~8.2 feet, and river inflow was <1 cfs. Steelhead rearing conditions were generally “fair to good”, especially in the upper two meters of the water column. Salinity was generally low, ranging from 1 - 13 ppt, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were good, ranging from 3 – 11 mg/l, while water temperatures were higher than last month, ranging from 67 - 75 degrees F.

CARMEL RIVER MAINSTEM STEELHEAD RESCUES:  Mainstem rescues began on May 27, 2021. In June, Staff completed 22 days of fish rescues in the lower river between Rancho Canada and Schulte well, plus a short reach near the Carmel Valley Trail and Saddle Club. By the end of June, a total of 4,079 steelhead had been rescued including: 3,468 young-of-the-year (yoy), 594 age 1+ fish, nine kelts, with 8 mortalities (0.2%). Most juvenile fish were transported to the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility while the adult kelts were released in the ocean at Stewart’s Cove.

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY:  The first rescued fish were brought to the facility on May 27, 2021.  Due to the very small size of many of the fish, fry/yoy are being quarantined and held in the rectangular “rearing troughs” until they are large and healthy enough to be transferred to the rearing channel. By the end of June 1,536 yoy fish (small/medium size) and 547 age 1+ fish had been stocked in the rearing channel. There were six mortalities (0.3%).

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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