ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
23.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2013
Meeting Date:			November 18, 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 October 2013, Carmel River streamflow at the MPWMD Highway 1 gage (HW 1) was 0 cubic-feet per second (cfs).  Lower river flows during October were not adequate for migration or rearing for any life stage of steelhead.  The river is dry nearly to Robinson Canyon Bridge (RM 8.46) as well as an additional mile of stream between Boronda Bridge and DeDampierre Park (RM 14.1). 

In order to conserve water storage in Los Padres Reservoir to sustain in-stream flows through the ongoing drought, the Low Flow MOA minimum flow target in October was dropped in two stages from 3.8 to 2.5 cfs.  As a result, mean daily stream flow at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station varied from a high of 4.2 to a low of 2.0 cfs, which resulted in a mean monthly flow of 3.1 cfs.  Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month was 83 AF.  Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2014, which started on October 1, 2013, totaled 83 AF or about 20% of the long-term average.

During October 2013, 0.34 inches of rainfall were recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) SCD.  The rainfall total for WY 2014 (which started on October 1, 2013) is 0.34 inches, which is 43.6% of the long-term annual average of 0.78 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  In October 2013, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) dropped from approximately 4.1 feet to 3.5 feet above mean sea (see graph below).  Surface inflow to the lagoon ceased on May 24, 2013.

No lagoon water-quality profiles were conducted in October, but surface water-quality sampling indicated that water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels continued to improve, at 16.6 degrees Celsius and 11 milligrams per liter (mg/L) respectively, while the CO² concentration continued to rise to 35 mg/L.

LOWER RIVER STEELHEAD RESCUES:  No rescues were done in October.

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