ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
22.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR APRIL 2023
Meeting Date:			May 15, 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:  April was dry but cool, keeping river flows above normal for the month. The upper tributaries continued to flow to their confluence with the river and Los Padres Dam was spilling at 100 cubic-feet-per-second (CFS). Adult and smolt migration conditions were excellent and rearing conditions were excellent throughout the watershed.

April’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station dropped from 838 to 188 cfs (monthly mean 395 cfs) resulting in 23,500 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while flows at the Highway 1 gage dropped from 826 to 205 cfs (monthly mean 409 cfs), resulting in 24,340 acre-feet (AF).

There were 0.15 inches of rain in April as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2023 (which started October 1, 2022) is 34.61 inches, or 168% of the long-term year-to-date average of 20.47 inches.

LOS PADRES DAM ADULT STEELHEAD COUNT: Los Padres Reservoir filled and spilled on December 10, 2022, reaching a peak daily mean outflow of over 800 cfs on December 11, 2022. The fish ladder and trap began operating on December 15, 2022, and two adult steelhead were counted before the ladder was damaged in January’s large storms. The ladder was repaired and reinstalled in April and two additional adults were trapped and moved up to the reservoir.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  The lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 4.2 to 9.8 feet in April, largely due to tidal and wave action (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below). The lagoon was open to the ocean the entire month.

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on April 28, 2023, while the lagoon mouth was open to the north, water surface elevation was 5.75 feet, and river inflow was 217 cfs. Steelhead passage conditions were excellent, but rearing conditions were not ideal as the north arm was largely filled with sand and the mouth of the south arm was partially blocked with sand, limiting the amount of freshwater exchange. Salinity levels were generally low, water temperatures ranged from 58 - 64 degrees F, and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were variable, ranging from 1 – 10 mg/l.

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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