10. CONSIDER
AUTHORIZATION OF MITIGATION FUNDS TO CONTRACT FOR
TWO FISH
RESCUE WORKER POSITIONS
Meeting
Date: June 16, 2003 Budgeted: Yes
Program/Line Item No.:
Fisheries 2-4-2C
Staff
Contact: Cynthia
Schmidlin Cost Estimate: $14,000
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: Administrative Committee reviewed this item
on June 10, 2003 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance: N/A
SUMMARY: Low streamflow conditions will necessitate
intensive rescues of steelhead juveniles, smolts and adults in summer of 2004.
Two seasonal contract employees will be needed to supplement the District’s
current staff in order to handle the increased workload associated with conducting rescues in the
lower Carmel River. Funding for a total of 960 hours for
these positions is included in the budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003-2004. Authorization is requested to hire two
seasonal Fish Rescue Workers, with those individuals entering into agreements
with the District for up to 480 hours of work each, between July 1, 2003 and
October 31, 2003.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the expenditure
of funds to hire two contract fish rescue workers for
up to 960 hours of work assisting the fisheries biologists, river maintenance
specialists, and contract water resources assistant with fish rescues during
the summer of FY 2003-2004. These
employees would be paid from $11.22 to $12.90 per hour, based upon experience
in the position. This item was considered by the Administrative Committee on June 10,
2003, at
which
time the committee voted 2 to 0 and
recommended approval.
IMPACT ON STAFF AND RESOURCES: Funds totaling
$14,000 are included in the Fisheries Mitigation Program as line item 2-4-2C in
the Summary of Project Expenditures section of the FY 2003-2004 Budget. A
similar amount was budgeted during FY 2002-2003.
BACKGROUND: During the past ten years,
District staff has initiated rescues when streamflow receded below ten cubic
feet per second (cfs) at Highway One, which has occurred between April 1 and
September 3. Staff anticipates that
rescues of juvenile steelhead will begin in late June of 2003. The District may be rescuing and transporting
three groups of steelhead, including smolts, kelts (spawned-out adults) and
juveniles. The smolts and kelts will be transported downstream to the lagoon or
ocean, while juveniles will be transported upstream to the Sleepy Hollow
Steelhead Rearing Facility or permanent habitats above the Narrows. Given the increase in fish numbers and the
likelihood of dry weather, additional help will be needed to successfully
complete rescues under current conditions.
The Fish Rescue Workers work in the Water Resources Division and
will be supervised by the Senior Fisheries Biologist.
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