ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

23.

QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT

 

Meeting Date:

January 28, 2015

Budgeted:

N/A

 

From:

Dave Stoldt,

Program/

N/A

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

Prepared By:

Thomas Christensen and

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

Larry Hampson

 

 

                            

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

IRRIGATION OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: The supplemental watering of riparian restoration plantings has resumed for the summer season in 2014 at nine Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) riparian habitat restoration sites.  The following irrigation systems were in use April through December: deDampierre, Trail and Saddle Club, Begonia, Schulte, Schulte Bridge, All Saints’, Valley Hills, San Carlos, and the Dow property.

 

            Water Use in Acre-Feet (AF)

            (preliminary values subject to revision)

           

            January - March 2014             1.21 AF

            April - June 2014                   1.68

            July – September 2014            10.22

            October – December 2014      1.73

 

            Year-to-date                            14.84 AF

 

MONITORING OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION:   During May through October 2014, staff recorded bi-monthly observations of canopy vigor on target willow and cottonwood trees to provide an indication of plant water stress and corresponding soil moisture levels.  Four locations (Rancho Cañada, San Carlos, Valley Hills, and Schulte) are monitored bi-monthly for canopy ratings based on a scale from one to ten. This scale evaluates characteristics such as yellowing leaves and percentages of defoliation (see scale on Exhibit 23-A).  A total of 12 willows and 12 cottonwoods at these locations provide a data set of established and planted sample trees that are representative of trees in the Carmel River riparian corridor.  Soil moisture values are measured at all four sites using 18-inch and 36-inch tensiometers in the soil column.  Combined with monthly readings from the District’s array of monitoring wells and pumping records for large-capacity Carmel Valley wells in the California American Water service area, the District’s monitoring provides insight into the status of soil moisture through the riparian corridor.

 

Monitoring results for the 2014 monitoring season show that riparian vegetation experienced increased stress levels associated with groundwater pumping and the drought. Stress is exhibited in areas showing yellowing leaves and defoliation. It is anticipated that many trees will sprout back next spring with some dieback on their outer most branches.  However, it should be noted that the District is irrigating in the vicinity of Cal-Am’s major municipal production wells to help offset the impacts to riparian vegetation in the critical drawdown areas. The graph in Exhibit 23-A shows average canopy ratings for willows and cottonwoods in selected restoration sites in the lower Carmel Valley.  The graph in Exhibit 23-B shows impacts to water table elevations.

 

The types of monitoring measurements made during May through October 2014 are as follows:

            Monitoring Measurement                                        

            Canopy ratings                                                (See Exhibit 23-A for trends.)          

            Soil moisture (tensiometers)                                       

            Groundwater levels (monitoring wells)          (See Exhibit 23-B for trends.)           

            Groundwater pumping (production wells)

 

OTHER TASKS PERFORMED SINCE THE OCTOBER 2014 QUARTERLY REPORT:

 

1.                  Public Outreach: The District’s Riparian Projects Coordinator gave a presentation to Forest Grove’s fifth grade class on the Carmel River Watershed and our current water supply status. Highlights included information on the Monterey Peninsula Water Resource System, water supply projects, steelhead, and the removal of San Clemente Dam.

 

2.                  Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility Intake Upgrade: Staff completed a Request for Proposals (RFP) and posted the RFP to the District web site.  Proposals are due February 27, 2015.  The budget for the project is expected to be in the range of $325,000 to $375,000 for environmental compliance documents, permit acquisition, a design to relocate and improve the Carmel River intake, and a design to incorporate a recirculating aquaculture system to work through a range of river flows and conditions.  District expenses for the project are reimbursable through a grant administered by the State Coastal Conservancy and funded by Cal-Am.

 

3.                  State Proposition 84 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Grant Program:  Staff is continuing to work with Department of Water Resources (DWR) staff to wrap up the final report and invoice for the $995,000 IRWM Planning Grant received in 2012.

 

EXHIBITS

23-A    Average Willow and Cottonwood Canopy Rating

23-B    Depth to Groundwater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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