ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
18.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 2025
Meeting Date:			March 17, 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: Significant flows returned to the Carmel River Basin during the month of February. A series of storms hit the watershed in the beginning of February and continued through the middle of the month. This represents the first flush of the river, which reached a peak of 2,636 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) at the Highway One gaging station on February 13^th. During this time migration for fish was optimum in the river as well as the Lagoon, as the mouth stayed open most of the time and only closed briefly from tidal closure, then opened back up during low tide (see graphic below). Los Padres Reservoir ended the month at a water surface elevation of 1040.21 feet and peaked at 1042.95 ft. Flow out of the reservoir at the end of the month was 47 cfs, while the incoming flow into the reservoir was 48 cfs.

February’s streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station ranged from 14 to 1490 cfs (mean 250 cfs), while flows at the Highway 1 gage ranged from 17 to 1770 cfs (mean 272 cfs).

There was 6.61 inches of rainfall in February as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The total rainfall for Water Year (WY) 2025 (which started October 1, 2024) is 12.03 inches., which is 78% of normal.

ADULT MONITORING: District staff installed the resistance board weir on February 20th, which is used to enumerate adult steelhead entering the Carmel River. At the end of February, 14 fish were counted at the weir. The Los Padres fish trap first picked up fish on February 5^th, and through February has trapped 19 fish. Staff also initiated its critical riffle monitoring surveys this month for the ASR diversion season. Five riffles have been selected and are being monitored while conditions are met for diversion.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: In February, the lagoon’s Water Surface Elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 3.5 to 9.9 feet (NGVD 1988) (see graph below). Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on February 10, 2025, while the lagoon mouth was opened, water surface elevation was 4.0 feet at the time of sampling, and river inflow was approximately 126 cfs. There is a salinity stratification layer at between 0.5 and 1.75 meter depth, below this depth salinity increases sharply. Salinity levels ranged from 0.3-16.4 parts per thousand (ppt), water temperatures ranged from 48-52 degrees Fahrenheit, and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels ranged from 2.8 -12.1 mg/l.

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