Item-21

ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

21.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2019

Meeting Date:			November 18, 2019	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: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS: Carmel River flows dropped slightly in October as dry, warm weather moved into the area. Steelhead rearing conditions remained good to fair for all life-stages throughout much of the watershed as water temperatures cooled.

Dry conditions prompted a 2 cfs discharge reduction from Los Padres Reservoir in late October. October’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 17 to 13 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 15.1 cfs) resulting in 928 acre-feet (AF) of runoff. Mean daily streamflow at the Highway 1 gage ranged from 6.9 to 4.1 cfs (monthly mean 5.5 cfs) resulting in 335 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.

There were 0.00 inches of rainfall in October as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2020 (which started on October 1, 2019) is 0.0 inches, or 0% of the long-term year-to-date average of 0.77 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: The lagoon mouth was closed by Monterey County crews on July 10, 2019 by pushing beach sand across the western side of the lagoon. In October, the water surface elevation (WSE) increased to ~10.8 feet due to wave input and lower evapotranspiration of the riparian vegetation (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on October 30, 2019 while the lagoon mouth was closed, the water surface elevation was 10.5 feet, and river inflow was 4.1 cfs. Steelhead rearing conditions improved this month and were generally “good” throughout the lagoon: salinity was <1 ppt down to 2.0 m depth, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were higher this month ranging from 5 – 9 mg/l, and water temperatures were much cooler than last month, between 53 - 60 degrees F.

JUVENILE STEELHEAD POPULATION SURVEYS: Environmental Resources Division staff completed steelhead population surveys at 11 long-term monitoring sites between Los Padres Dam and mid-Carmel Valley (Red Rock). Additionally, District staff partnered with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) staff to complete another ~13 survey and tagging sites, including several sites in the Los Padres Wilderness above LPR.

Preliminary results indicate a successful spawning and rearing season, with most sites having the greatest steelhead population numbers since before the 2012-15 drought. Over 2,000 fish larger that 65mm were tagged with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags. Tagged fish will be tracked as they migrate up or down river, providing valuable information on their behavior and life history.

SPAWNING GRAVEL ENHANCEMENT PROJECT AT LOS PADRES DAM: Natural gravel is now trapped behind the dam causing the substrate downstream to become too coarse for adult steelhead to spawn in. The 1,500 tons of spawning gravel placed by the District in 2014 was very successful in providing crucial spawning habitat in the Cachagua area. As planned, that gravel moves downstream a little further each winter and additional material needs to be placed upstream to keep the entire reach seeded. With the addition of 1,000 tons of gravel in 2019 and another 1,000 tons planned in 2020, we hope to increase the available spawning habitat and continue the upward trend in steelhead spawning success in the upper Carmel River.

In 2019, the District partnered with Cal-Am Water to complete another round of spawning gravel enhancement below Los Padres Dam. Cal-Am funded the purchase and placement of 1,000 tons of 1.5 – 4 inch river-run gravel, while the District obtained the required permits, provided the project expertise, onsite project management and reporting, as well as the required Approved Biologist for the federal permits. Permitting was completed in July 2019 and gravel was delivered over two weeks in August by Assured Aggregates of Salinas. The gravel placement was successfully completed in mid-September by Grade Break Engineering of Salinas.

This year’s project continued the 26-year Spawning Gravel Enhancement Program started by the District in 1993. The District has now placed approximately 5,900 tons of gravel between Los Padres Dam and Sleepy Hollow, downstream of San Clemente Dam

While the placement of the gravel was obviously the primary goal of the project, an important side job was also completed. The 1970’s (60’s?) concrete fish ladder and trap located on the right bank side of the river below the LPD plunge pool was abandoned in 2005 after a new ladder was constructed on the other side of the river. Not only was it an eyesore, but the ladder blocked the natural flow of the river and partially blocked adult steelhead from reaching the newer ladder. Additional funds were pulled together for Grade Break to demolish and removed the ladder as well as some of the very large boulders that had been placed in 2003 to protect the structure. Once the new stockpiled spawning gravel moves out this winter the reach should start looking better and functioning more naturally. See the photos below of the ladder removal and gravel placement.

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

Spawning Gravel Enhancement Photos:

Removal of the old abandoned fish trap/ladder and boulders at Los Padres Dam as part of the spawning gravel augmentation project, September 2019.

Placing the gravel at the Los Padres Dam plunge pool. Winter river flows will move the gravel downstream into the preferred spawning habitat. September 2019.

Spawning gravel placed along the river bank below Los Padres Dam. Winter river flows will move the gravel downstream into the preferred spawning habitat. September 2019.

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