ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
18.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR AUGUST 2023
Meeting Date:			September 18, 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:   River flow from Los Padres Dam was reduced to 11.1 cubic-feet-per-second (CFS) while the reservoir stopped spilling on August 1. Juvenile steelhead rearing conditions were “good to fair” in the mainstem, and no fish rescues were required.

August’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station dropped from 15 to 12 cfs (monthly mean 12.8 cfs), resulting in 789 acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while flows at the Highway 1 gage dropped from 11 to 6.3 cfs (monthly mean 8.4 cfs), resulting in 515 acre-feet (AF).

There was no rainfall in August as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for Water Year (WY) 2023 (which started October 1, 2022) is 35.19 inches, or 167% of the long-term year-to-date average of 21.05 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  The lagoon water surface elevation (WSE) was steady from approximately 8 to 8.4 feet in August (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on August 30, 2023, while the lagoon mouth was closed to the north, water surface elevation was 8.0 feet, and river inflow was 6.3 cfs. Steelhead rearing conditions were fair. Salinity levels were generally low (<10 ppt), water temperatures ranged from 60-73 degrees Fahrenheit in the mainstem, and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were variable, ranging from 0-11 mg/l.

JUVENILE STEELHEAD RESCUES – TRIBUTARIES:  Staff started juvenile steelhead rescues in the tributaries on June 30, 2023, as the lower portions of the creeks started to dry. By the end of August, a total of 6,114 fish were rescued and released into the Carmel River including:  4,975 from Cachagua Creek, 216 from Hitchcock Creek, 755 from Robinson Creek, and 163 from Garza Creek. There were 18 mortalities, and 275 fish were tagged before release.

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

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