ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
16.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JULY 2022
Meeting Date:			August 15, 2022	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:  By the end of July, much of the lower Carmel River below Cal-Am’s Berwick Wells in Mid-Valley was dry or isolated pools. Releases from Los Padres Reservoir remained at 5.0 cfs and the reservoir’s water surface elevation (WSE) dropped to 1,032 feet (full is ~1,040’). Steelhead rearing conditions downstream of Rosie’s Bridge in the Village were “fair to poor”.

July’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 3.8 to 5.0 cfs (monthly mean 4.3 cfs) resulting in 262 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while the Highway 1 gage remained wet at 0.15 to 0.31cfs (monthly mean 0.21 cfs) resulting in 13 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.  

There were 0.01 inches of rainfall in July as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2022 (which started on October 1, 2021) is 12.82 inches, or 61% of the long-term year-to-date average of 20.89 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During July, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) dropped from ~ 8.1 to 6.3 feet. The lagoon mouth closed for the summer on May 4th (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

CARMEL RIVER STEELHEAD RESCUES:  Mainstem rescues began on June 1, 2022. In July, Staff completed 15 days of fish rescues between Rancho Canada and DeDampierre Park. By the end of the month, a total of 12,408 steelhead had been rescued including: 11,662 young-of-the-year (YOY), 658 age 1+ fish, one kelt, with 87 mortalities (0.7%). Most of the fish were transported to the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (10,606).

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY: The first rescued fish were brought to the facility June 1, 2022.  Due to the very small size of many of the fish, the 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 July, a total of 8,906 fish had been stocked in the rearing channel including: 7,992 (small/medium size YOY) and 584 age 1+ fish. There were 330 mortalities (3.7%).

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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