This study focuses on understanding how restored tidal wetlands with different physical configurations function as refuge and rearing habitat for fishes, including native and imperiled species such as delta smelt and juvenile Chinook salmon. This research will assess the spatial distribution of predation risk as it varies within and across tidal wetlands. The proposed research will generate a statistical model that helps predict predation outcomes from various restored tidal wetland designs and channel configurations. This will be a powerful tool for managers to forecast how proposed habitat restoration or water management actions may impact native fish populations.
Decisions over how water is allocated consider a limited range of climate and operational scenarios, privilege Western knowledge, and are generally inaccessible to the public, including communities most affected by water decision-making. We will follow a participatory and iterative co-production process to understand and integrate the diverse values and uses of Delta waterways and floodplains in an accessible knowledge platform designed to promote public engagement, learning, and equitable stewardship.
The overarching goal of the proposed project is to build and integrate knowledge of the social-ecological uses of Delta waterways and floodplains to inform equitable solutions to Delta management challenges. Specific objectives are to (1) understand the diverse public beneficial uses Delta waterways and floodplains; (2) incorporate functional flows and riparian floodplain processes in Delta water operations models; (3) share diverse community knowledge through a web-based platform; and (4) critically evaluate our collaborative research approach to assess its efficacy in building trust, enhancing public engagement, and guiding equitable stewardship actions.
