ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
23.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 2022
Meeting Date:			December 12, 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:  Early November rains helped push the river front past Mid-Valley. Releases from Los Padres Reservoir remained at 4.0 cfs and the reservoir’s water surface elevation (WSE) rose to 1,014.73’ feet on November 30th (full is ~1,040’). Steelhead rearing conditions downstream of Rosie’s Bridge in the Village were generally “poor”.

November’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 3.1 to 6.3 cfs (monthly mean 4.11 cfs) resulting in 244 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while the Highway 1 gage was dry.

There were 2.04 inches of rain in November as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2023 (which started October 1, 2022) as of November 30th is 2.04 inches, or 72% of the long-term year-to-date average of 2.82 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During November, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) ranged from 6.7 feet to 8.0 feet (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

MONITORING: Fisheries staff completed the annual juvenile steelhead population surveys and habitat embeddedness sampling. Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling was carried out in 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 1,057 mortalities (10%).

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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