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ITEM: |
INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS |
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24. |
QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT |
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Meeting Date: |
April 21, 2014 |
Budgeted: |
N/A |
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From: |
Dave Stoldt, |
Program/ |
N/A |
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General Manager |
Line Item No.: |
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Prepared By: |
Thomas Christensen and |
Cost Estimate: |
N/A |
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Larry Hampson |
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General Counsel Review: N/A |
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Committee Recommendation: N/A |
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CEQA
Compliance: N/A |
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IRRIGATION
OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: Supplemental
watering of riparian restoration plantings occurred January through March 2014
because of low rainfall. Seven Monterey Peninsula Water Management District
(District) riparian habitat restoration sites (DeDampierre, Trail and Saddle
Club, Red Rock, Schulte, Schulte Bridge, Valley Hills, and San Carlos) all
needed supplemental irrigation to help establish young seedlings.
Water Use in Acre-Feet (AF)
January - March 2014 1.21 AF
Year-to-date 1.21
AF
MONITORING
OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: During the
winter season, the District suspended the riparian vegetation monitoring
program. The monitoring of soil
moisture, groundwater levels, and canopy defoliation (a measure of vegetation
moisture stress) will resume in May 2014.
During the months of May through October, staff will take bi-monthly
measurements of depth to groundwater and canopy vigor in areas where willow and
cottonwood trees may be impacted by lowered water levels caused by groundwater
extraction. The areas monitored are in
the vicinity of California American Water’s (Cal-Am) Cañada and San Carlos
wells and the District’s Valley Hills (next to Cal-Am’s Cypress Well) and
Schulte (next to Cal-Am’s Schulte Well) Restoration Projects. The District’s monitoring provides insight
into the status of soil moisture through the riparian corridor by collecting
and analyzing bi-monthly readings from the District’s array of monitoring wells
and pumping records for large-capacity Carmel Valley wells in the Cal-Am
system.
OTHER
TASKS PERFORMED SINCE THE JANUARY 2014 QUARTERLY REPORT:
1.
Carmel
River Clean Up: District staff
removed plastic bags, metal, tires, and trash from long reaches of the Carmel
River starting at Esquiline Bridge and extending downstream to the Highway One
Bridge.
2.
French
Broom (Genista) Eradication in District Restoration Projects: District staff
(Mark Bekker and Matt Lyons) have been removing an invasive weed
(French broom, or genista) from the riparian
corridor along the Carmel River in the mid-valley area.
French broom competes with native plants and can become
problematic if left unchecked.
3.
Public
Outreach and Education: On February
20, 2014, District staff presented information on the Monterey Peninsula Water
Resource System and Mitigation Program to fifth graders of the International
School of Monterey. Then on March 18, 2014, District staff gave a presentation
on the Monterey Peninsula Water Resource System and Carmel River Lagoon
Dynamics to seniors of Environmental Science classes from Robert Louis
Stevenson School.
4.
State
Proposition 84 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Grant Program: Several planning projects were completed in
the first quarter of 2014. MPWMD asked
for and received an extension to June 30, 2014 of the planning grant agreement
with the Department of Water Resources.
In addition, the District requested a budget adjustment to transfer
unused grant funds to cover a portion of the District’s costs for administering
the grant.
Detailed quarterly reports about these projects and
the IRWM Plan update can be viewed at www.mpirwm.org.
5.
Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility Intake
Upgrade: The District is waiting for
the National Marine Fisheries Service to complete an amendment to the Cal-Am
Settlement Agreement to transfer funds to the State Coastal Conservancy
(SCC). Both MPWMD and the SCC are ready
to execute an agreement for funding the intake upgrade design.
6.
Schulte Road Bridge Replacement: Monterey County Public Works Department completed the bridge
replacement project and held a ribbon cutting ceremony on February 24,
2014.
7.
Carmel River Lagoon Ecosystem Protective Barrier and
Scenic Road Protection: District
staff attended a public meeting on March 25 to announce proposed alternatives
for installing a barrier on the north side of the lagoon and protection along
Scenic Road. The feasibility analysis if
partly funded through the IRWM grant program.
District staff have also provided technical support to Monterey County
and their consultants on the project.