ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
19.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT
Meeting Date:			July 16, 2007	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David A. Berger,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Beverly Chaney	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS: During June 2007, Carmel River streamflow conditions were poor for juvenile steelhead rearing with low flow to Schulte Road Bridge (RM 6.5), and discontinuous flow and isolated pools between Schulte and CAW’s Rancho San Carlos Well (RM 3.7). During June 2007, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 7.45 cubic feet per second (cfs) and ranged from 4.3 to 12 cfs. For additional Water Year 2007 flow information, see http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/wrd/riverflows/2007/2007.htm. The San Clemente Reservoir drawdown added approximately 2 cfs to the river the first three weeks of June. There were 0.00 inches of rainfall recorded at San Clemente Dam in June 2007 by CAW, compared to the long-term June average of 0.12 inches at this site. The rainfall total for Water Year 2007 to date (October – June) is 11.37 inches, 54% of the long-term average of 21.29 inches through May.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During June 2007, the lagoon’s water surface elevation (WSE) dropped nearly 2.5 feet from 6.0 feet to 3.5 feet (see chart below). This follows a three-foot drop in May. The outlet channel closed off on April 9, 2007, due to low river inflow and wave action moving the beach sand into the channel. 19

WSE at the Carmel River Lagoon, June 2007

JUVENILE STEELHEAD RESCUES: Staff began its annual summer juvenile steelhead rescues on May 7, 2007. As of June 30, 2007, approximately 10,038 steelhead have been rescued from the lower seven miles of the Carmel River between the Highway 1 Bridge and the Begonia reach at mid-valley (RM 7.8).  Most of the fish rescued are "young-of-the-year" (YOY) steelhead fry that were born this year and are now between 1 and 2 inches long.  Most of these rescued steelhead were transported to the District's Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (Facility) in the Upper Carmel Valley for rearing. However, of this total, 828 steelhead were released in Garland Park or near Garzas Creek in the upper river, before the Facility came on-line for the year.

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY: The first rescued fish were brought to the Facility on May 14, 2007. As of June 30, 2007 a total of 8,868 fish have been stocked in eleven tanks and troughs at the Facility. Survival rates for both the older juvenile fish and the larger YOY fish have been excellent at approximately 96%. Most of the rescued YOY fish are quite small and represent a unique rearing challenge at the Facility. These small fish are not fairing quite as well and have a survival rate of 74%. As of June 30, 2007, 6,783 fish (6,594 YOY fry and 189 age 1+ juveniles) have survived. So far, 58 fish have been lost during their initial quarantine periods and 2,085 fish have died during rearing, for a total survival rate to date at the Facility of 76%.

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