ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
37.	QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER EROSION PROTECTION AND RESTORATION PROJECTS REPORT
Meeting Date:			April 21, 2008	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			Darby Fuerst,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Andrew M. Bell	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

Carmel River Advisory Committee Meeting: The Carmel River Advisory Committee held a Regular Meeting on March 6, 2008. After the Committee reviews and approves the minutes of the meeting, they will be provided to the MPWMD Board of Directors in a future meeting packet.

State Proposition 50/84/1E Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Grant Program: At their November 19, 2007 meeting, the MPWMD Board of Directors adopted the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) for the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Bay and South Monterey Bay. District Engineer Andrew Bell gave a presentation on the District’s water supply planning efforts to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) at their meeting held in Monterey on April 1, 2008. Since water supply augmentation is a component of the IRWMP, and the grant program is co-sponsored by the SWRCB, Mr. Bell also provided information to the SWRCB members regarding the plan. The state has yet to issue the guidelines that will be used to consider applications for Propositions 80, 80, and 1E grant funds.

Carmel River Lagoon and State Beach Management: District staff continued in its role as facilitator of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) formed to help mange the lagoon and barrier beach at Carmel River State Beach. During this three-month period, the TAC met on January 1 and March 13, 2008. MPWMD staff continue to search for opportunities to fund the study plan and integrate management of the lagoon with other projects proposed in the Carmel River watershed (see the related item on Integrated Regional Water Management in this packet).

With input from the TAC, California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Carmel Area Wastewater District (CAWD) staff members are developing protocols for testing lagoon water quality as part of an investigation into the potential to use excess treated water from the CAWD plant at the Carmel River lagoon.

San Clemente Dam Seismic Safety Project: MPWMD staff members Larry Hampson and Kevan Urquhart have participated in several meetings of the Technical Review Team formed to advise the California Coastal Conservancy (CCC) and its consultants about investigations of the bypass alternative. The Advance Basis of Design Report for the San Clemente Dam Reroute and Removal Option was released for review to the Technical Review Team in early January 2008.

MPWMD staff members Kevan Urquhart, Thomas Christensen and Larry Hampson attended a February 6, 2008 Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Technical Advisory Committee meeting that focused on an update on the San Clemente Dam Seismic Safety Project Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement. The group was also given an update on the proposed Carmel River Reroute and Dam Removal Project, which is an alternative to the buttressing project that California American Water (CAW) has proposed for the existing San Clemente Dam.

During a presentation on the reroute alternative, the CCC stated that CAW has agreed to provide approximately $49 million of the estimated $83 million cost for the reroute project.  The CCC would fund the additional approximately $34 million through State, Federal and private grants.  CCC will contract for design and permit work.  CAW would contract for construction, with CCC hiring a third party for construction oversight.  Construction would begin in spring 2009 and continue each spring/summer, with completion of work in the fall of 2011. The current project cost estimate includes funds for mitigation and monitoring through the end of project construction.  To date, however, no funds have been committed for long–term mitigation and monitoring.  The CCC indicated that they intend to fund long-term activities at a later date. 

On March 26, 2008, the Carmel Watershed Conservancy and the Carmel Point & Lagoon Preservation Association sponsored two local community meetings on the San Clemente Dam project, with support from the Planning & Conservation League Foundation. These meetings were focused on educating the public about the Re-Route Alternative for Dam Removal, whereby the sediment behind the dam will be secured in place by re-routing the river around it, while the dam is removed.  Several District staff and Board members attended these meetings.

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