County of Monterey - File #: WRARO 25-021

• File #: WRARO 25-021
• Name: Storage Schedule/Resops March
• Type: WRA ResOps Item
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 3/19/2025
• In control: Water Resources Agency Reservoir Operations Advisory Committee
• On agenda: 3/27/2025
• Title: Reservoir Storage & Release Update.

Date	Action By	Action	Result
3/27/2025	Water Resources Agency Reservoir Operations Advisory Committee

  Title

Reservoir Storage & Release Update.

Report

SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:

The Board of Directors receives monthly updates on the status of Agency reservoirs.

RESERVOIR ELEVATION / STORAGE:  As of March 21, 2025, San Antonio Reservoir has a water surface elevation of approximately 761.05 feet (NGVD 29), with 240,720 acre-feet of water in storage. Nacimiento Reservoir has a water surface elevation of approximately 777.2 feet, with 259,730 acre-feet of water in storage. San Antonio Reservoir is currently at 72% of storage capacity and Nacimiento Reservoir is at 69% of capacity.

RAINFALL: Precipitation events in early February brought significant inflow to both reservoirs, with sustained smaller amounts of inflow through the month. Rainfall in early and mid-march brought lesser, but still measurable, inflow.  Relative to February 1^st, storage volumes at San Antonio and Nacimiento reservoirs are approximately 8,100 and 63,600 acre-feet higher, respectively.

SALINAS RIVER LAGOON: Following February winter storms that generated connected flow along the entire mainstem Salinas River, the Agency facilitated a breach of the lagoon to alleviate localized flooding in accordance with the Agency’s Sandbar Management Plan on Saturday, February 15th, 2025. The lagoon and remains open to the ocean at the time of this report.

RESERVOIR RELEASES: Minimum fisheries releases have continued to be made from both reservoirs since the end last year’s conservation releases in October. Additional releases from San Antonio Reservoir were made from February 17^th through March 3^rd in accordance with Flow Prescription requirements contained in Agency water rights licenses and permits, to support adult steelhead migration in the Salinas River. Additional required releases were again made from both reservoirs starting Sunday, March 16, 2025, to support downstream migration of steelhead smolt. Approximate releases as of the morning of February 21, 2025:

•                     Nacimiento Reservoir:                                                 255 cfs

•                     San Antonio Reservoir:                                                  50 cfs

Total releases from both reservoirs to the Salinas River are approximately 305 cfs.  The following “provisional” flows have been recorded by the USGS:

•                     Nacimiento River below Nacimiento Dam                                              253 cfs

•                     Salinas River near Bradley:                                         407 cfs

•                     Salinas River at Soledad:                                             271 cfs

•                     Salinas River near Chualar:                                         223 cfs

•                     Salinas River near Spreckels:                                                    166 cfs

Prepared by:                      Joseph Klein, Hydrologist (831) 755-4860

                           Peter Kwiek, Associate Hydrologist (831) 755-4860