ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
22.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JUNE 2022
Meeting Date:			July 18, 2022	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:  Portions of the lower Carmel River began drying in early June, especially near the production wells. Releases from Los Padres Reservoir were reduced to 5.0 cfs by mid-June and the reservoir’s water surface elevation (WSE) dropped to 1,037.1 feet by the end of the month (full is ~1,040’). Steelhead rearing conditions downstream of Rosie’s Bridge in the Village were “fair to poor”.

June’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir dropped from 8.8 to 4.1 cfs (monthly mean 6.0 cfs) resulting in 357 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while the streamflow at the Highway 1 gage dropped from 2.6 to 0.3 cfs (monthly mean 0.93 cfs) resulting in 55 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.  

There was no rainfall in June as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2022 (which started on October 1, 2021) is 12.81 inches, or 61% of the long-term year-to-date average of 20.86 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  During June, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) dropped from ~ 10.3 to 7.9 feet. The lagoon mouth closed for the summer on May 4th (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on June 20, 2022, while the lagoon mouth was closed, water surface elevation was 9.00 feet, and river inflow was 0.46 cfs. Steelhead rearing conditions were “fair to good” in the main body of the lagoon down to two-meters depth. Salinity was generally low, ranging from 1 - 19 ppt, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were variable, ranging from 4 - 15 mg/l, and water temperatures ranged from 67 - 76 degrees F.

CARMEL RIVER STEELHEAD RESCUES:  Mainstem rescues began on June 1, 2022. In June, Staff completed 22 days of fish rescues in the lower river between Rancho Canada and the Valley Greens Bridge area, plus short reaches near the Carmel Valley Trail and Saddle Club and DeDampierre Park. By the end of the month, a total of 6,383 steelhead had been rescued including: 5,919 young-of-the-year (YOY), 432 age 1+ fish, one kelt, with 31 mortalities (0.5%). Most juvenile fish were transported to the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (5,626). The adult kelt and approximately 727 juveniles were released in the Village area.

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY:  The first rescued fish were brought to the facility June 1, 2022.  Due to the very small size of many of the fish, fry/YOY are being quarantined and held in the rectangular “rearing troughs” until they are large and healthy enough to be transferred to the rearing channel.

By the end of June, a total of 2,958 fish had been stocked in the rearing channel including: 2,590 (small/medium size YOY) and 368 age 1+ fish. There were 29 mortalities (1%).

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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