ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
23.	QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT
Meeting Date:			April 17, 2023	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			Dave Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Thomas Christensen	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.

IRRIGATION OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: Irrigation of riparian vegetation has been on hold because of sufficient rainfall.

Water Use in Acre-Feet (AF)
January - March 2023	0.00 AF
Year-to-date	0.00 AF

MONITORING OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: During the winter season, the District suspended the riparian vegetation monitoring program. The monitoring of soil moisture, groundwater levels, and canopy defoliation (a measure of vegetation moisture stress) will resume in June 2023. During the months of June through October, staff will take monthly measurements of depth to groundwater and canopy vigor in areas where willow and cottonwood trees may be impacted by lowered water levels caused by groundwater extraction. The areas monitored are in the vicinity of California American Water’s (Cal-Am) Cañada and San Carlos wells, and the District’s Valley Hills (next to Cal-Am’s Cypress Well) and Schulte (next to Cal-Am’s Schulte Well) Restoration Projects. The District’s monitoring provides insight into the status of soil moisture through the riparian corridor by collecting and analyzing monthly readings from the District’s array of monitoring wells and pumping records for large-capacity Carmel Valley wells in the Cal-Am system.

OTHER TASKS PERFORMED SINCE THE JANUARY 2023 QUARTERLY REPORT:

1. Los Padres Alternatives Study: District staff have participated in multiple Technical Review Committee (TRC) meetings with Cal-Am, AECOM, National Marine Fisheries Service, and California Department of Wildlife with regards to the Los Padres Reservoir Alternatives Study. This study is evaluating Los Padres Reservoir including alternatives such as: reservoir dredging, dam removal, and volitional fish passage. AECOM has recently circulated the revised Draft Final Report (Los Padres Dam and Reservoir Alternatives and Sediment Management Study) for the TRC to review. The final report is scheduled to be released in April 2023.

2. Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (SHSRF): District staff have been inspecting recent construction activities at the SHSRF. Tyman Construction is currently putting the finishing touches on repairs to the rearing channel including concrete work, liner replacement, and drainage improvements.

3. Steelhead Permit Reporting Requirements: The District has been uploading steelhead rescue data from last year’s steelhead rescue season to state and federal databases. This reporting is required to keep the District’s Scientific Collecting Permit valid as well as help regulators understand the current state of steelhead on the Carmel River.

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