ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
22.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR MARCH 2011
Meeting Date:			April 18, 2011	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 March 2011, Carmel River streamflow conditions for fish migration were adequate for all life stages of steelhead. The Carmel River Lagoon was open to the ocean the entire month allowing unimpeded upstream adult migration.

During March 2011, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 615 cubic-feet per second (cfs) and ranged from 159 to 2,190 cfs. Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month of March 2011 was 37,912 AF. Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2011, which starts on October 1^st, has totaled 72,344 AF or about 105% of the long-term annual average of 68,900 AF. During March 2011, 6.38 inches of rainfall were recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) gage at SCD. The rainfall total for WY 2011 is 22.1 inches, which is 103% of the long-term annual average of 21.41 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During March 2011, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 2.32 to 8.67 feet above mean sea level (see graph below). The lagoon mouth was open at the north end. A significant rain storm hit the central coast on March 20 increasing river flows to a mean daily flow of 1,770 cfs at the Highway 1 gage. Then another storm moved through on March 24 increasing river flows again, peaking on March 25 at a mean daily flow of 3,390 cfs as recorded at the Highway 1 gage. Flows remained above 1,000 cfs at the Highway 1 gage for six continuous days. These flows continued to move the mouth of the lagoon in a northerly direction, eroding away part of the State Parks parking lot and the sand bluffs that protect Scenic Road. The Monterey County Public Works Department (MCPWD) declared an emergency and started bulldozing a channel on the southern end of the lagoon in an attempt to redirect the flow and ease the damage caused by erosion. On March 28, the MCPWD started to build an artificial sand levee to ensure that river outflow was forced to the new southern opening they had cut. The artificial sand levee started to dewater the north arm and part of the main body of the lagoon. Water quality was sampled on March 29 during the dewatering. Conditions during sampling of the dewatered areas were poor for juvenile steelhead and marginal for smolts, with salinity running 11 to 15 parts per thousand (ppt) and dissolved oxygen either at poor levels (< 7 mg/L) or inadequate levels (<5 mg/L).   Conditions at all three sites in the south arm were good for steelhead, except for dissolved oxygen in the bottom half of the water column in the Odello arm, and below 2 meters depth at the south arm pipe. Water temperatures ranged from 57 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (ºF) throughout the vertical column, and are considered adequate for all life stages of steelhead.

ADULT STEELHEAD AT SAN CLEMENTE DAM: The fish counter and video camera were installed and tested at the ladder on December 6, 2010. The first fish recorded over the counter was on December 20. Through the end of March, there have been a total of 389 fish recorded passing the counter, 10 in December, 42 in January, 103 in February, and 234 in March.

ADULT STEELHEAD AT LOS PADRES DAM: The fish trap has been operational since December 2010. The first fish recorded at the trap was on January 14, 2011. Through the end of March, there have been a total of 130 fish recorded at the trap, 9 in January, 19 in February, and 102 in March.

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