ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
33.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR MAY 2010
Meeting Date:			June 21, 2010	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			Darby Fuerst,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Cory Hamilton	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS: Streamflow conditions for fish migration during May 2010 were optimal for adults, smolts and juvenile fish with continuous flow to the lagoon throughout the month.

During May 2010, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 127 cubic-feet per second (cfs) and ranged from 80 to 199 cfs. Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month of May 2010 was 7,870 AF. Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2010 to date, which started the first of October, has totaled 91,413 AF or about 138% of the long-term average to date for this site, and 133% of the long-term annual average of 68,627 AF. During May 2010, 0.50 inches of rainfall were recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) SCD. The rainfall total for the month of May was 114% of the normal mean of 0.44 inches at SCD. The rainfall total for WY 2010 is 27.45 inches, which is 128% of the long-term annual average of 21.4 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During May 2010, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 1.33 to 5.70 feet above mean sea level (see graph below). Water quality was sampled twice this month on the 14^th and the 28^th. Both sampling days the lagoon water level was very low and no water was located within three of the five sampling sites. Sites S2 and O1 which are the south arm and new south arm areas were sampled successfully. Water quality in the lagoon during sampling was adequate for all life stages of steelhead in the south arm area. There was a halocline observed at 1.5 meters which had salinity ranging up to 26 parts per thousand (ppt). This likely kept the distribution of juvenile fish to the top 1.5 meters of the water column, while smolts and adult steelhead could have used the entire water column. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 5-9 mg/L and temperature ranged between 15 and 16 degrees Celcius.

ADULT STEELHEAD AT SCD: The fish counter and video camera were installed at the ladder on October 17, 2009. The first fish recorded over the counter was on October 17^th. There have been a total of 170 fish recorded passing the counter, 2 in October, 5 in November, 3 in December, 25 in January, 55 in February, 65 in March, 12 in April and 3 in May (see graph below). This season’s counts have exceeded last year’s total count of 95 fish. This year’s to-date counts are well below the through May average count of 455 fish observed at the counter, since its installation in 1993. The end of May typically is the end of the steelhead migration on the Carmel River; no fish has passed the counter since May 20^th.

ADULT STEELHEAD AT LPD: By the end of May 2010, 55 fish were reported at Cal-Am’s Los Padres Dam Fish Trap (see graph below). This season’s counts have exceeded last year’s total count of 21 fish. No fish were reported in the trap for the entire month of May. This is likely the end of this year’s steelhead migration.

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