ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
12.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2012
Meeting Date:			November 19, 2012	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	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 October 2012, Carmel River streamflow conditions for fish migration in the lower river were inadequate for both adults and smolts. Habitat conditions for juveniles below the Narrows started to stabilize, although flows continued to become intermittent from the Schulte Road (RM 6.7) area down to the lagoon. Juvenile fish rearing was adequate above the Narrows, with the exception of the DeDampierre area (RM 13.5) where flows became intermittent for approximately a quarter mile of river.

During October 2012, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 5.04 cubic-feet per second (cfs) and ranged from 4.3 to 6.1 cfs. Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month of October 2012 was 177 AF (draft data, subject to change). Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2013, which starts on October 1^st, has totaled 177 AF or about 0.26% of the long-term annual average of 68,756 AF.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During October 2012, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 4.58 to 5.3 feet above mean sea level (see graph below). Flows into the lagoon ranged from 0 cfs to 1.2 cfs, with a mean of 0.15 cfs, as measured at the MPWMD Highway One gage. The Lagoon remained closed to the ocean the entire month.

Water-quality sampling was conducted on October 31, 2012. During this sampling survey, the WSE was 4.9 feet. Water clarity was poor at all sites with visibilities of approximately 0.5 meters. Salinity levels throughout the lagoon ranged from 3.6 ppt at the surface to 22.3 ppt at the bottom. The increase in salinity is due to the addition of seawater from the waves topping over the sandbar in October. Dissolved oxygen levels were adequate in the main body and north arm areas of the lagoon and considered stressful in the South Arm site. The South Arm site had dissolved oxygen readings at or less than 5 mg/L which is considered stressful and inadequate for steelhead rearing. Water temperatures throughout the water column ranged from 60 degrees Fahrenheit (F) to 67 F.

FISH RESCUES: On June 15, 2012, staff began fish rescues, starting at Highway 1 Bridge and working up to the Schulte Bridge (RM 6.70) by the end of October. Flows became critical (<1 cfs) at the lower end of the DeDampierre project (RM 13.5) during October. Staff responded by performing rescues through this reach. Through October, a total of 8,156 fish were rescued, 7,689 young-of-year, 438 yearlings and 29 mortalities. Staff brought all the lower river rescued fish (7,632) to the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility and released the DeDampierre reach rescued fish (524) in river habitat upstream of that reach.

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 October 30, 2012, staff has stocked a total of 7,417 fish into the rearing channel and rearing troughs, 6,958 young-of-year and 459 yearlings. There have been 1,458 mortalities. The survival rate at the facility through the end of October was 80%.