ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
17.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JULY 2016
Meeting Date:			August 15, 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:  July’s flow conditions in the lower Carmel River were poor for migration and generally 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 9.5 to 6.2 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 7.3 cfs) resulting in 221 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while flows at the Highway 1 gage dropped from 1.1 to 0.0 cfs (dry on July 14) (monthly mean 0.3 cfs), resulting in 17 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.

No July 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 20.94 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  July water surface elevations (WSE) dropped from approximately 7.6 to 6.3 feet above mean-sea-level (see graph below).

Water-quality profiles were conducted in mid-July at five lagoon sites. Water conditions in the main body, north, and lower south arms were generally “fair” for steelhead rearing, down to two meters depth, with water temperatures between 66 and 69 degrees Fahrenheit, dissolved oxygen (DO) ranging from 1 - 14 mg/L, and low salinity levels between 1 - 2 parts per thousand (ppt). Water quality below 2.0 m was generally “poor” at all locations with lower DO and higher temperatures.

STEELHEAD RESCUES:  Summer steelhead rescues started on June 13, 2016 in the main-stem.  By the end of July, 628 fish had been rescued, including 408 young-of-the-year (YOY), 107 age 1+ year juveniles (1+), 107 age 2+ year residents (2+).  There were six mortalities (0.95%). Of the 628 rescued fish, 239 were from the drying and isolated plunge pool below Los Padres Dam. They were released back into the river ~100m downstream.

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 July there were 380 steelhead at the Facility including 6 small YOY, 258 medium YOY/1+, and 116 large 2+ fish in the Facility. There were also three mortalities (0.78%).

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