ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
24.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2022
Meeting Date:			November 14, 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:  October remained dry with the river front in the Robinson Canyon Bridge reach in Mid-Valley. Releases from Los Padres Reservoir remained at 4.0 cfs and the reservoir’s water surface elevation (WSE) dropped to 1,012 feet (full is ~1,040’). Steelhead rearing conditions downstream of Rosie’s Bridge in the Village were generally “poor”.

October’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 2.4 to 2.9 cfs (monthly mean 2.66 cfs) resulting in 158 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while the Highway 1 gage was dry.

There were 0.00 inches of rain in October as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2023 (which started October 1, 2022) is 0.0 inches, or 0% of the long-term year-to-date average of 0.76 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During October, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) rose to ~ 6.9 feet (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on October 28, 2022, while the lagoon mouth was closed, water surface elevation was 6.4 feet, and river inflow was zero. Steelhead rearing conditions were generally “fair” as salinity levels were low, water temperatures were less than 60 degrees F, and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were variable.

MONITORING: Fisheries staff completed the annual juvenile steelhead population surveys and habitat embeddedness sampling. Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling will take place in early November. Results will be presented in the annual mitigation report in 2023.

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY: The first rescued fish were brought to the facility June 1, 2022. Through the end of October, a total of 10,645 fish have been stocked in the rearing channel including: 9,928 (small/medium size YOY) and 717 age 1+ fish. There have been 1,047 mortalities (10%).

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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