ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
23.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2022
Meeting Date:			January 23, 2023	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:  Several large storms in December filled and spilled Los Padres Reservoir on December 10, 2022. One day later, the river reached the lagoon causing some flooding before the lagoon naturally breeched the sand berm.

Steelhead rearing and migration conditions were generally “good” throughout the watershed. The first adult steelhead was observed at the Los Padres trap on December 29^th.

December’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 5.8 to 1,210 cfs (monthly mean 159 cfs) resulting in 9,800 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while the Highway 1 gage was rewetted on December 11, 2022, reaching 1,190 cfs that day. Technical problems with the lower river gages prevented data collection after December 19.

There were 9.06 inches of rain in December as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2023 (which started October 1, 2022) through December is 11.10 inches, or 164% of the long-term year-to-date average of 6.75 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  During December, the lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) reached near record levels at ~ 14.8 feet on December 11 before naturally breaching the sand berm (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

RESISTANCE BOARD WEIR:  As part of the District’s steelhead life-cycle monitoring program, a fish weir was installed in the lower river to temporarily trap upstream migrating adult steelhead for tagging and measurement. The weir was installed mid-December 2022, but not fully deployed due to the high river flows.

SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY:  In anticipation of the wet weather and rewetting of the lower Carmel River to the lagoon, Fisheries staff began PIT tagging and holding some of the larger fish from the rearing channel in early December. Smaller young-of-the-year fish (YOY) were captured and released back into the river in the mid-valley reach. Once the river flow reached the ocean, staff began releasing more of the rearing channel fish between mid-valley and Rancho San Carlos.

Through the end of December 5,453 (4,993 YOY, 460 age 1+) steelhead had been recaptured from the rearing channel and released back into the river (preliminary numbers). Over 1,500 of these were PIT tagged.

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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