ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
20.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JANUARY 2025
Meeting Date:			February 24, 2025	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Cory Hamilton	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: Less than 0.1 inches of rainfall occurred in the Carmel River watershed in January. Flows at the Highway gage were low for this time of year, remaining around 20 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) for the month. These flows create critical riffles throughout the lower river that are barriers to upstream adult migration. Low flows like these are not big enough to sustain the lagoon opening, and hence the lagoon was closed for approximately 60 percent of the time during January, in which adult steelhead cannot migrate into the river. The lagoon naturally breached on January 3^rd and on the 29^th, but Monterey County Public Works artificially breached the mouth of the lagoon to prevent homes from flooding on January 18^th (see graphic). On January 2^nd, Los Padres Reservoir increased to a water surface elevation of 1040.17 feet and began to spill. Flow release out of the reservoir at the end of the month was 16 cfs, while the incoming flow into the reservoir was 12 cfs.

January’s streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station ranged from 14 to 30 cfs (mean 19.9 cfs), while flows at the Highway 1 gage ranged from 18 to 29 cfs (mean 22.2 cfs).

There was 0.09 inches of rainfall in January as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The total rainfall for Water Year (WY) 2025 (which started October 1, 2024) is 5.42 inches., which is 48% of normal.

ADULT MONITORING: District staff are monitoring conditions to install the resistance board weir, which is used to enumerate adult steelhead entering the Carmel River. Staff also initiated its critical riffle monitoring surveys this month in preparation for ASR diversion season. Five riffles have been selected for monitoring once conditions are met for diversion. No fish have entered the Los Padres Fish trap through January.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: In January, the lagoon’s Water Surface Elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 3.1 to 12.75 feet (NGVD 1988) (see graph below). Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on January 23, 2025, while the lagoon mouth was closed, water surface elevation was 10.5 feet at the time of sampling, and river inflow was approximately 19 cfs. There is a salinity stratification layer at about 1.0 meter depth, below this depth salinity increases sharply. High salinity observations reduce the amount of suitable habitat for juvenile fish. Salinity levels ranged from 0.6-25.9 parts per thousand (ppt), water temperatures ranged from 46-57 degrees Fahrenheit, and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels ranged from 2.7 -12.8 mg/l.

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