ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
29.	QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT
Meeting Date:			April 15, 2019	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: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378.

IRRIGATION OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: Supplemental watering of riparian mitigation plantings has been on hold because of sufficient rainfall.

Water Use in Acre-Feet (AF)
January - March 2019	0.00 AF
Year-to-date	0.00 AF

MONITORING OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: During the winter season, the District suspended the riparian vegetation monitoring program. The monitoring of soil moisture, groundwater levels, and canopy defoliation (a measure of vegetation moisture stress) will resume in June 2019. During the months of June through October, staff will take monthly measurements of depth to groundwater and canopy vigor in areas where willow and cottonwood trees may be impacted by lowered water levels caused by groundwater extraction. The areas monitored are in the vicinity of California American Water’s (Cal-Am) Cañada and San Carlos wells, and the District’s Valley Hills (next to Cal-Am’s Cypress Well) and Schulte (next to Cal-Am’s Schulte Well) Restoration Projects. The District’s monitoring provides insight into the status of soil moisture through the riparian corridor by collecting and analyzing monthly readings from the District’s array of monitoring wells and pumping records for large-capacity Carmel Valley wells in the Cal-Am system.

OTHER TASKS PERFORMED SINCE THE JANUARY 2019 QUARTERLY REPORT:

1. Carmel River Basin Hydrologic Model: District staff presented work to date on the Carmel River Basin Hydrologic Model to National Marine Fisheries Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Both agencies had questions on how the model was developed and how it could be used for specific water supply scenarios. Work is currently underway to run various model scenarios with regards to Los Padres Reservoir alternatives.

2. Public Outreach and Education: On March 12, 2019, District staff presented information

on the District’s Mitigation Program at Carmel High Career Day. Students had an

opportunity to ask questions about typical work tasks associated with Fisheries Biologists,

River Restoration Design, and Hydrologic Monitoring. Then on March 29, 2019, District

staff gave a presentation on the Monterey Peninsula Water Resource System and Carmel

River Lagoon Dynamics to seniors of Environmental Science classes from Robert Louis

Stevenson School.

3. Restoration Plantings at the San Carlos Bank Stabilization Project: District staff have been planting native plants in and around the San Carlos Bank Stabilization Project to help revegetate the area after last summer’s construction season.

U:\staff\Boardpacket\2019\20190415\InfoItems\29\Item-29.docx