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.
A team at UC Davis (Dr. Mark Lubell, Dr. Gwen Arnold, PhD Candidate Kyra Gmoser-Daskalakis) is conducting social science research on wetland restoration in the California Bay-Delta as part of a larger, interdisciplinary project on wetland restoration across multiple University of California campuses and national labs ("Coastal Wetland Restoration a Nature Based Decarbonization Multi-Benefit Climate Mitigation Solution"). First, the project is conducting social network and spatial analysis using the EcoAtlas project database to examine drivers of wetland restoration investment in the Bay-Delta from the 1980s to now. Second, case studies of individual restoration projects and interviews with 40+ restoration project partners examines barriers to the restoration implementation and perceptions and goals of multi-benefits among interested parties. Preliminary results have been shared at the State of the Estuary and Bay-Delta Science Conferences in 2024. See https://wetlands.ucsc.edu/index.html for more information.
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.
