ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
23.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2020
Meeting Date:			October 19, 2020	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 held relatively steady in September, providing fair rearing conditions for steelhead young-of-the-year (YOY) in the mid to upper watershed and poor conditions in the lower valley. 

September’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 6.6 to 8.6 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 7.8 cfs) resulting in 449 acre-feet (AF) of runoff. Mean daily streamflow at the Highway 1 gage is still trickling at 0.07 to 0.35 cfs (monthly mean 0.16 cfs) resulting in 9 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.

There were 0.00 inches of rainfall in September as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2020 (which started on October 1, 2019) is 17.57 inches, or 82.8% of the long-term year-to-date average of 21.22 inches. 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  The lagoon mouth closed for the summer on June 16, 2020. During September, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 6 to 8 feet as seawater overtopped the sand berm late in the month (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on September 28, 2020 while the lagoon mouth was closed, water surface elevation was 7.75 feet, and river inflow was <0.1 cfs. Steelhead rearing conditions were generally “fair”. Salinity ranged from 8 - 27 ppt, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were variable ranging from 0.6 – 13 mg/l, and water temperatures were slightly cooler, ranging from 59 - 70 degrees F. 

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY:  Facility upgrades were completed in mid-July and the first rescued fish were brought to the facility on July 27, 2020. By the end of September, 5,098 fish had been placed in the rearing channel including: 123 large fish (age 1+ years [1+]), 669 medium sized 1+ fish, and 4,306 young-of-the-year (YOY) fish. Overall facility survival is currently 68%. Very hot weather and warm river water contributed to the mortalities.

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

U:\staff\Boardpacket\2020\20201019\InformationalItems\23\Item-23.docx