ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT

 

19.

QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT

 

Meeting Date:

July 15, 2024

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: The supplemental watering of riparian restoration plantings has resumed for the summer season at four Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) riparian habitat restoration sites.  The following irrigation systems were in use during June: DeDampierre, Trail and Saddle Club, Begonia, and San Carlos. The other sites had sufficient soil moisture because of the cool weather during the spring months.

 

            Water Use in Acre-Feet (AF)

            (preliminary values subject to revision)

           

            January - March 2024     0.00 AF

            April - June 2024            0.24

            Year-to-date                    0.24 AF

 

MONITORING OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION:   During the spring season, the District suspended the riparian vegetation monitoring program because of cool weather and sufficient soil moisture.  The monitoring of soil moisture, groundwater levels, and canopy defoliation (a measure of vegetation moisture stress) will resume in July 2024.  During the months of July 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 APRIL QUARTERLY REPORT:

 

1.                  Carmel River Vegetation Management Project Notification: On June 7, 2024, District staff notified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the Regional Water Quality Control Board of eleven reaches that are scheduled for vegetation management activities this fall. The goal of the vegetation management activities is to reduce the risk of streambank erosion along riverfront properties where vegetation encroachment could potentially divert river flows into streambanks during high flow periods.

 

2.                  Renewal of Regional General Permit: District staff have been working with regulatory agencies to renew the RGP with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This permit allows the District to carry out the Vegetation Management Program.

 

3.                  Riparian Irrigation Tune-up:  District staff (Daniel Atkins and Eric Lumas) have been tuning up multiple irrigation systems along the Carmel River that are designed to water new restoration plantings. Tune-ups include replacement of clogged emitters, leak repair, and trouble shooting well pumps and pressure tanks.

 

                       

 

 

 

 

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