ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORT
29.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR AUGUST 2022
Meeting Date:			September 19, 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:  By the end of August, most of the lower Carmel River below Cal-Am’s Berwick Wells in Mid-Valley was dry or isolated pools. Releases from Los Padres Reservoir were reduced to 4.5 cfs and the reservoir’s water surface elevation (WSE) dropped to 1,024 feet (full is ~1,040’). Steelhead rearing conditions downstream of Rosie’s Bridge in the Village were generally “poor”.

August’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 3.1 to 4.0 cfs (monthly mean 3.7 cfs) resulting in 226 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while the Highway 1 gage went dry at 0.0 to 0.14 cfs (monthly mean 0.1 cfs) resulting in 3.6 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.  

There was no rainfall in August as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2022 (which started on October 1, 2021) is 12.82 inches, or 61% of the long-term year-to-date average of 20.91 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During August, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) ranged from ~ 6.4 to 5.9 feet (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88). The lagoon mouth closed for the summer on May 4th (See graph below).

CARMEL RIVER STEELHEAD RESCUES:  Mainstem rescues began on June 1, 2022. In August, Staff completed 7 days of fish rescues in the mid-valley reach. By the end of the month, a total of 13,494 steelhead had been rescued including: 12,646 young-of-the-year (YOY), 753 age 1+ fish, two kelts, with 93 mortalities (0.7%). Most of the fish were transported to the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility.

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, the 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 August, a total of 10,221 fish had been stocked in the rearing channel including: 8,717 (small/medium size YOY) and 624 age 1+ fish. There were 880 mortalities (8.6%).

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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