ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
17.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR AUGUST 2010
Meeting Date:			September 20, 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 Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS: During August 2010, Carmel River streamflow conditions for fish migration were inadequate for adults and smolts, but remained adequate for juveniles. The mainstem Carmel River provided sufficient habitat conditions for juveniles down to approximately the vicinity of Rancho San Carlos Bridge (River Mile 3.86). From the Rancho San Carlos Bridge to the Lagoon, habitat conditions degraded as flows continued to decrease and flow in stretches of the river in the Rancho Canada Golf Course area became intermittent.

During August 2010, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 15.2 cubic-feet per second (cfs) and ranged from 12 to 19 cfs. Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month of August 2010 was 982 AF. Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2010 to date, which started the first of October, has totaled 97,759 AF or about 143% of the long-term average to date for this site, and 142% of the long-term annual average of 68,630 AF. During August 2010, no rainfall was recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) SCD. The rainfall total for WY 2010 is 27.45 inches, which is 129% of the long-term annual average of 21.34 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During August 2010, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 5.16 to 7.23 feet above mean sea level (see graph below). California State Parks closed the lagoon’s connection to the ocean with bulldozers in mid-July. The lagoon’s water level has remained fairly stable with continuous surface inflow throughout August.

FISH RESCUE: On July 28, 2010, staff began fish rescues, starting at Highway 1 Bridge and working up to CAW’s Rancho San Carlos well by the end of August. Through August, a total of 3,457 fish were rescued, 3,231 young-of-year, 211 yearlings and 15 mortalities. Staff brought 1,583 fish to the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility, 1,825 were released into the Lagoon and 34 were released at Garland Park.

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY: All fish brought into the facility go through a quarantine process, after which they are recounted and stocked into the rearing channel. During this process there are some numerical differences between what is brought in for quarantine from the field and what is stocked into the channel. These differences represent fish that are consumed by other fish during transport and while in the quarantine tank or numerical counting errors in the field during rescue. As of August 31, 2010 staff has stocked a total of 1,250 fish into the rearing channel, 1,125 young-of-year, 55 yearlings and 70 mortalities. The survival rate in the rearing channel through the end of August was 94.4%. There are also 344 fish being held in the quarantine tanks, for a total of 1,594 fish at the facility.

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