ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
27.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JUNE 2016
Meeting Date:			July 18, 2016	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:  June’s flow conditions in the lower Carmel River were generally poor for migration and fair to poor for rearing for all steelhead life stages.  Rearing conditions in the upper watershed were fair.

Mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir dropped from 18 to 8.7 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 11.8 cfs) resulting in 705 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while flows at the Highway 1 gage dropped from 12 to 1.2 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 4.1 cfs), resulting in 242 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.

No June rainfall was recorded at Cal-Am’s San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total to date for WY 2016 (which started on October 1, 2015) is 22.25 inches, or 106% of the long-term year-to-date average of 20.92 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:   June water surface elevations (WSE) dropped from approximately 8.6 to 7.7 feet above mean-sea-level (see graph below).

Water-quality profiles were conducted in mid-June at five lagoon sites. Water conditions in the main body, north, and lower south arms were generally “fair” for steelhead rearing with water temperatures between 66 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, dissolved oxygen (DO) ranging from 3 - 10 mg/L, and low salinity levels (down to 2.0 meters depth) ranging from 1 to 23 parts per thousand (ppt). Water quality in the upper south arm was generally “poor” with lower DO and higher temperatures.

STEELHEAD RESCUES:  Summer steelhead rescues started on June 13, 2016 in the main-stem.  By the end of June, 54 fish had been rescued, including 11 young-of-the-year (YOY), 16 age 1+ year juveniles (1+), 26 age 2+ year residents (2+). There was one mortality (1.84%).

Rescues were conducted on the lower sections of three tributaries in late May/early June. A total of 245 fish were captured and released into the Carmel River near the confluences. Hitchcock Creek – 175 fish (mostly YOY); Robinson Canyon Cr. – 0 fish; Garzas Cr. – 70 fish (mix of YOY and 1+ fish). There were also two mortalities (0.82%)

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY:  The first rescued fish were brought to the Facility on June 13, 2016. Through the end of June there were 53 steelhead including 11 YOY, 16 1+, and 26 2+ fish in the Facility.

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