Science activity

Science activity #52381, updated 8 May 2024

Examining the relationship between Longfin Smelt and flow in the San Francisco Bay Delta

Description / purpose

The overarching goal of this study is to investigate the time-varying effects of flow variation and food availability on longfin smelt population dynamics, via advanced modeling of a diverse set of environmental and ecological monitoring time series. Specifically, this project will:(1) Assess how key environmental drivers (flow, salinity, temperature) have changed over the past 5 decades (1967 to present) across the San Francisco Estuary (SFE); (2) Examine how longfin smelt population dynamics have changed over that time period, and whether/when breakpoints in abundance and trends exist (e.g., periods of 'decline' vs' stability'); (3) Quantify the effects of environmental on driving observed fluctuations in longfin smelt dynamics; (4) Determine whether/how environment-smelt relationships have changed in magnitude or sign over time; and if they changed, whether such changes have been spatially consistent across the SFE. These goals will inform ongoing conservation efforts of longfin smelt by determining the combinations of flow, habitat, and prey availability conditions that lead to stable population dynamics for the species.

Linked science activities

None specified

Activity status

  • 1 Awarded / Initiating (2022)
  • 2 In progress / Ongoing (2022 - 2024)
  • 3 Complete

Funding summary

Total allocated funding: $223,407

Label Value
Contract # or labor code None
Implementing organization University of California - Berkeley [UC Berkeley]
Funding organization State Water Contractors [SWC]
Funding Source Not provided
Date of award 2022-08-01
Date of fiscal year-end Not provided
Total award amount $223,407
State type of obligation Not provided
Federal type of obligation Not provided
Reimbursability Not provided
Procurement mechanism Contracted competitive or direct award

Location

Subbasins
Delta regions

Geographic tags

None specified

Products and outputs

None provided