ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
16.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JULY 2013
Meeting Date:			August 19, 2013	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Beverly Chaney	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS: During July 2013, Carmel River streamflow at the MPWMD Highway 1 gage (HW 1) was 0 cubic-feet per second (cfs). Lower river flows during July were not adequate for migration for any life stage of steelhead.

During July 2013, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station dropped significantly from 7.1 to 3.8 cfs, with a monthly mean of 4.7 cfs. Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month was 72 AF. Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2013, which starts on October 1^st, has totaled 27,303 AF or about 40% of the long-term annual average of 68,756 AF.

During July 2013, 0.0 inches of rainfall were recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) SCD. The rainfall total for WY 2013 is 14.47 inches, which is 68% of the long-term Year-To-Date average of 21.19 inches and 68% of the long-term annual average of 21.37 inches. WY 2013 is the seventh hydrologic drought since 1902, with two consecutive “dry” or “critically dry” years. The January to July 2013 flow conditions categorize well within “CRITICALLY DRY” and are similar to conditions in 1994 and 2007.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During July 2013, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) declined from 3.9 to 2.8 feet above mean sea level (see graph below). Surface inflow to the lagoon ceased on May 24, 2013.

Water quality profiles were completed at five lagoon sites on July 31, 2013. During sampling the lagoon’s WSE was 2.85 feet above mean-sea-level and the mouth was closed. The water had a greenish-blue tint with visibility to 1.5 meter. Salinity levels remained fairly low, with concentrations of less than 2.5 part-per-thousand (ppt) at all sites. Dissolved oxygen levels ranged from approximately 1.7 to 13.5 mg/L. Water temperatures throughout the lagoon were cooler than last month, ranging from 66 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

LOWER RIVER STEELHEAD RESCUES: District staff began fish rescues on April 19, 2013 as flow at the HW 1 gage declined to 10 cfs. Through the end of July, 40,040 steelhead had been captured and released upstream in permanent habitat or taken to the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (SHSRF) including: 39,220 young-of-the-year (YOY), 570 age 1+ juveniles, 5 kelts (released in ocean), and 245 mortalities (0.61%).

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY: The SHSRF began accepting rescued fish on May 28, 2013.  Through the end of July, a total of 22,517 fish had been stocked in the rearing troughs (RT) or rearing channel (RC) including: 12,284 YOY, 121 age 1+ juveniles, and 10,112 mortalities. Survival at the facility through July was 55%.

An atypical heat wave the last two days of June through the middle of July elevated water temperatures at the facility to over 69^oF, which is stressful for steelhead trout.  This high heat event coupled with the low river flow and poor water quality being released from San Clemente Reservoir during the annual drawdown, resulted in an acute disease outbreak at the facility.  Staff contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) fish pathologists, who immediately came out to diagnosis the disease agents and recommend proper treatments. Two primary contagions were found: the bacterial infection Columnaris (Flexibacter columnaris) and the ectoparasite Ich (Ichthyophthirius). Despite following the recommended rigorous treatment protocol, these two disease agents caused significant morality during the three-week period. The hardest hit was the small (1 - 2 inch) fish in the RT tanks where the mortality rate reached 75%. Total mortality at the facility during this period was approximately 30%.

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