ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

19.

CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 2009

 

Meeting Date:
March 26, 2009

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

Darby Fuerst,

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 the second half of February 2009, Carmel River streamflow conditions were good to excellent for all life stages of fish migration, and good for juvenile fish rearing.  A series of large storms in early to mid-February filled San Clemente Reservoir and advanced the river front to the lagoon on February 16, 2009.

 

During February 2009, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 230 cfs and ranged from 21 to 952 cfs.  During February 2009, 7.07 inches of rainfall (160% of the long term February average) were recorded at California American Water’s San Clemente Dam (SCD).  The rainfall total for Water Year 2009 through February is 13.35 inches, which is 85% of the long-term average of 15.68 inches for the water year to date.

 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  The lagoon sand bar was breached by Monterey County Public Works crews on February 16, 2009 after the lagoon’s water surface elevation (WSE) rose to approximately 10.5 feet above mean sea level.  The breach was accomplished by having the County’s bulldozers dig a short channel in a north-westerly direction across the south-central portion of the beach and allowing the rising lagoon to spill into it.  The outlet channel quickly down cut and shifted to the center within eight hours, eventually re-establishing an exit to the south-west. During the remainder of the month, the lagoon’s WSE ranged from approximately 2.5 to 5.5 feet above mean sea level (see 1st graph below). 

 

ADULT STEELHEAD COUNT AT SCD:  The fish counter and video camera were installed at the ladder in January 2009.  The first fish passed over the counter on February 15, 2009 and through the end of February only 37 adults had been counted (see 2nd graph below).  It is likely that the first three fish were adult fish that over-summered in the river, as they passed the counter the day before and the day of the lagoon opening.  By comparison, 249 fish had been counted by the end of February 2008.

 

ADULT STEELHEAD COUNT AT LOS PADRES DAM:   Through the end of February 2009, no adult fish had been captured and transported above Los Padres Dam (LPD). By comparison, 36 fish had been counted at LPD by the end of February 2008.

 

TOTAL THRU
02/28/09

37

MONTH

NUMBER OF ADULTS

DEC 2008

0

JAN 2009

0

FEB 2009

37

MAR 2009

 

APR 2009

 

MAY 2009

 

 

 

 

Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility:   On February 20, 2009, District staff released the remaining 3,612 large steelhead from the Facility into the south arm of the Carmel Lagoon.  These large young-of-the-year and older juvenile fish had been held in the Facility’s rearing channel since early summer 2008, then transferred to Tank 3 in December 2008 and held over until the river flowed to the lagoon.  At release, the fish averaged 8-inches (200 mm) in fork length, were in excellent physical condition and many were smolting.

 

The Facility is now shut down for the season.

 

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