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  • Title

    Monitoring and Assessment of Suisun Marsh Salinity Control Gates Action

    Lead California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
    Description The Suisun Marsh Salinity Control Gates (SMSCGs) have the potential to provide an increase in low-salinity-zone habitat for endangered Delta Smelt. Operation of the SMSCGs in summer and fall to improve Delta Smelt habitat are called for in the Biological Opinion and Incidental Take permit for the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. To support the adaptive management of the action, DWR is planning to monitor the change in water quality, phytoplankton, zooplankton, fishes, and clams resulting from the action.
    Science topics Delta Smelt, Phytoplankton, Salinity
    Updated September 3, 2024
  • Title

    Mapping the adaptation governance network of the Delta

    Lead University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
    Description Climate adaptation in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta involves multiple agencies, communities, venues, projects, and issues. Understanding how learning and cooperation occurs within this complex governance network is critical for carrying out effective and equitable adaptation. The main objective of this project is to understand how and why human communities (e.g., community organizations, local governments, and Tribal entities) are engaged in this governance system and the drivers of learning and cooperation for climate adaptation. To accomplish this, we will map the network of current adaptation actors, institutions, and actions, assess their engagement in the governance system, and conduct in-depth case studies on existing adaptation projects in the San Joaquin – Sacramento Delta.
    Science topics Climate change
    Updated February 27, 2025
  • Title

    Integrating social and ecological research to control invasive species: fostering collective action among private and public stakeholders

    Lead Suisun Resource Conservation District
    Description This project will establish an integrated pest management approach for Phragmites (Common reed), an aggressive invasive plant in Delta wetlands. Results will highlight social and cultural barriers to collective action for invasive species control, and include communication tools for developing a regional strategy for Common reed control.
    Science topics Invasive and non native species, Pesticides, Phragmites, Socio economic drivers
    Updated October 13, 2023
  • Title

    Developing a Delta Residents Survey: Understanding the Beliefs and Behaviors of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Residents on Natural Resource Management Challenges

    Lead California Sea Grant
    Description The Delta Residents Survey (DRS) was a household survey conducted in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Northern California in 2023 to better understand residents' attitudes on key social and environmental challenges in the region. The data were collected via a survey (available online through Qualtrics or as a print version), with survey invitations sent by mail to a random sample of 82,000 household addresses in the rural “Primary Zone” of the Delta (survey Zone 1), the suburban and urban “Secondary Zone” of the Delta (survey Zone 2) and Delta-adjacent “EJ Communities” in South Sacramento and South Stockton (survey Zone 3). Maps of the survey zones are available in project documentation and the Results Summary Report. The survey was available in English and Spanish. Over 2,300 responses were received, constituting a 2.9 percent response rate. The survey included 43 multiple choice and short response questions, broken up into five sections around key themes: Sense of place and way of life Regional priorities, concerns, and quality of life Environmental and climate change experiences, concerns, and policy preferences Civic engagement and good governance Demographics The research was conducted by a collaborative team of environmental social scientists across multiple research universities (UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Oregon State University, and Sacramento State University) and was funded by the Delta Stewardship Council's Delta Science Program (a California State Agency). Significant community engagement and partnership efforts were carried out to improve the relevancy of survey questions and interpretation of data. Additional resources, including summary report of results and other research products using the data, are posted on our project website as they become available: https://ktomari.github.io/DeltaResidentsSurvey/. We also have a GitHub repository, where R scripts (and accompanying plain-text descriptions of the functions used that can be translated into other programming languages) are posted, which provide the easiest way for reading in the data and ensuring variable types are set correctly. We highly recommend using or referencing these scripts for the easiest and most accurate use of the data: https://github.com/ktomari/DeltaResidentsSurvey.
    Science topics None specified
    Updated December 20, 2023
  • Title

    Managing Agricultural Soils for Carbon and Water Benefits in the California Delta: Understanding Influences on Decision-Making and Practice Adoption of in-Delta Farmers.

    Lead University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
    Description This project investigated and analyzed the major factors contributing to decision-making and adoption of soil management practices by farmers in the delta. In this project, Rudnick applied a mixed-methods approach to better understand what drives farmers’ decisions. To collect these data, the fellow used semi-structured interviews with farmers and relevant agricultural stakeholders, and participant observations at a number of public meetings and grower outreach events, including water coalition meetings, farmer field demo days, UC Davis outreach days, industry group conferences.
    Science topics Agriculture, Urban development
    Updated February 26, 2024
  • Title

    Bridging Science and Community: Engaging Youth in Delta Conservation through the Spinning Salmon Program

    Lead University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
    Description

    Bridging Science and Community: Engaging Youth in Delta Conservation through the Spinning Salmon Program is designed to enhance scientific understanding and engagement among underrepresented youth in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Leveraging the Youth-Focused Community and Citizen Science (YCCS) framework, the program connects youth to local ecosystems while addressing ecological challenges such as the Thiamine Deficiency Complex affecting Central Valley Chinook Salmon. The objectives focus on enhancing students' understanding of scientific concepts and processes, fostering science identity, self-efficacy, and environmental science agency, and cultivating a sense of environmental stewardship. Additionally, the program emphasizes the active involvement of community members in co-creating and refining educational strategies, ensuring these approaches are tailored to the diverse cultural and educational needs of the Delta community. This aligns with Science Action C under Management Need 4 in the 2022-2026 Science Action Agenda (SAA), contributing to a broader understanding of community-engaged research methodologies. 
    Science topics None specified
    Updated March 11, 2025
  • Title

    Leveraging Citizen Science to Study Sturgeon Mortality in the San Francisco Estuary

    Lead University of California - Santa Cruz [UCSC]
    Description

    Little is known about sturgeon mortality sources outside management of the White Sturgeon recreational fishery. Mortality has been observed throughout the SFBDE with increased reporting over the past several years. Much of which is concentrated (but not exclusively) in the Carquinez Strait; a narrow strait linking known sturgeon feeding grounds and vital corridor which all SFBDE sturgeon must pass to access spawning grounds. Adult sturgeon populations in the SFBDE are difficult to estimate in part due to unknown rates of mortality, outside the recreational fishery. Specific, non-angling mortality data and sources are needed to develop management strategies that that lead to robust abundance estimates ensuring persistence of these public resources. 
    This project aims to dentify and enumerate non-fisheries sturgeon mortality in the San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary (SFBDE), specifically the Carquinez Strait. We plan to determine population characteristics of observed mortality, age structure and migration patterns/habitat use of collected sturgeon. We will also engage the local community through outreach efforts to investigate the public perception of sturgeon mortality in SFBDE and increase participation in our study.
    Science topics Monitoring methods and techniques, White Sturgeon
    Updated July 16, 2025