ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
19.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2016
Meeting Date:			January 25, 2017	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:  Early releases from Los Padres Reservoir and several storm events in December increased flows and pushed the river front all the way to the lagoon. Habitat conditions in the lower Carmel River that started the month poorly, quickly improved to “good” for migration and rearing for all steelhead life stages.  Rearing conditions in the upper watershed were good to excellent.  

Mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 18 to 172 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 52.6 cfs) resulting in 3,240 acre-feet (AF) of runoff. The Highway 1 gage was rewetted on December 9 and monthly flow ranged from 0 to 131 cfs (monthly mean 35.2 cfs), resulting in 2,160 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.

December had 3.31 inches of rainfall as recorded at Cal-Am’s San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2017 (which started on October 1, 2016) is 7.35 inches, or 108% of the long-term year-to-date average of 6.79 inches. 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:   The lagoon began filling December 9^th and spilled naturally (without mechanical breeching) to the south on December 19^th after reaching ~14.2 feet water surface elevation (WSE) above mean-sea-level (NAVD 1988 datum). The mouth opened and closed a number of times the remainder of the month as the inflow and tides changed (see graph below).

Water-quality profiles were conducted at five lagoon sites twice in December, on the 6^th and 21^st, before and after the lagoon filled and spilled. Conditions in the early part of the month were “fair” with generally low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. After filling, the water quality conditions in the main body, north, and south arms were “good to excellent” for steelhead rearing in the upper 1-meter of the water column. Deeper areas had higher salinity and lower dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. Lagoon water temperatures were excellent ranging from 47-52 degrees Fahrenheit, DO from 1-13 mg/L, while salinity levels were between 3-28 parts per thousand (ppt).  

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY:  The first rescued fish were brought to the Facility on June 13, 2016.  On August 24^th, District and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) staff PIT tagged (Passive Integrated Transponder) and transferred 361 fish from holding tanks to the rearing channel. PIT tagged fish are individually numbered and can be tracked as they migrate past fixed electrical arrays placed in the river. An additional 15 fish were tagged on September 19 and placed in the rearing channel September 22.

Releases of rescue-reared steelhead began November 28 and continued through December 2.  All fish were in excellent condition and released below the Narrows into the lower river where they originated. This year’s excellent survival rate is attributed to a combination of factors including: low stocking density, high concentration salt bath treatments to control disease outbreaks, a krill based diet, and cooler summer water temperatures (possibly related to the removal of San Clemente Dam and reservoir).

Season Totals (preliminary results):

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