ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
31.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 2015
Meeting Date:			December 21, 2015	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 November 2015, flow conditions in the lower Carmel River were inadequate for migration of all steelhead life stages. Two small storms led to brief localized streamflow at the MPWMD Highway 1 (HW 1) gage but the river was never connected to the lagoon. Mean daily streamflow was 0.0 – 1.4 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) with 3.0 total acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while flow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 2.3 to 4.8 cfs (mean 3.3 cfs) and 194 AF of runoff. 

By the end of November, the lower Carmel River remained mostly dry to California American Water’s (Cal-Am) Berwick Wells in mid-valley, at river mile (RM) 8.2. The 1.1 mile reach between Boronda Road Bridge (RM 12.7) and DeDampierre Park is still dry, but the river has rewetted the reach between upper DeDampierre Park and Rosie’s Bridge (Esquiline Road, RM 14.45). All major tributaries below San Clemente Dam (SCD) remained dry at their confluences with the Carmel River.

During November, 3.10 inches of rainfall were recorded at Cal-Am’s SCD gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2016 (which started on October 1, 2015) is 3.99 inches, or 140% of the long-term year-to-date average of 2.86 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: On December 12, 2014, the lagoon filled and opened to the sea for the first time since May 24, 2013. After a final breaching in late March 2015, the beach berm built up and the lagoon started slowly filling. The lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) in November ranged from 4.4 to 5.3 feet above mean sea level (see graph below).  

Water-quality profiles were conducted in mid-November at five lagoon sites. Overall, conditions remained “fair” for steelhead rearing with water temperatures dropping to the low 50s degrees Fahrenheit, dissolved oxygen (DO) ranging from 0.1 - 11 mg/L, and salinity levels ranging from 3 - 19 parts per thousand (ppt).

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