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  • Title

    Aquatic Invasive Species Program [CDFW]

    Lead California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
    Description The mission of the Invasive Species Program is to reduce the negative effects of non-native invasive species on the wildlands and waterways of California. We are involved in efforts to prevent the introduction of these species into the state, detect and respond to introductions when they occur, and prevent the spread of invasive species that have become established. Our projects address problems with introduced animals and plants, both terrestrial and aquatic. More fundamentally, we try to identify and address the ways by which the species are introduced, typically inadvertently, by human activities. Studies show that preventing introductions is the most effective and cost-efficient way to manage invasive species. We conduct our work in coordination with other government agencies and non-governmental organizations.
    Science topics Habitat, Invasive / non native species, Main channels, Managed ponds, Mollusks, Other species, Recreation & tourism, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Sloughs, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Vessels and shipping channels
    Updated July 31, 2024
  • Title

    SJCDWQC Groundwater Quality Trend Monitoring

    Lead San Joaquin County and Delta Water Quality Coalition [SJCDWQC]
    Description

    The San Joaquin County & Delta Water Quality Coalition was established to help irrigated agriculture meet the requirements of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board's (RWQCB) Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) in San Joaquin County, Calaveras County and Contra Costa County. The Coalitions is operated and governed by the San Joaquin County Resource Conservation District. Under the ILRP that was originally adopted in July of 2003, farmers and ranchers that irrigate their land and have runoff from that irrigation or rainfall must belong to a coalition or apply for an individual discharge permit from the Regional Board directly.
    Science topics Agriculture, Conductivity, Constituent of emerging concern CEC, Dissolved oxygen, Groundwater, Nitrogen / ammonia, Non-forested vegetation, Other discharge contaminants, pH, Stormwater runoff / drainage, Turbidity, Wastewater discharge, Water temperature
    Updated November 14, 2024
  • Title

    FCCL Conservation Hatchery Operation for Delta Smelt Refuge Population Maintenance and Research Support

    Lead U.S. Bureau of Reclamation [USBR]
    Description This facility houses the Delta Smelt Refuge population and produces Delta Smelt for release into the Delta. It is also responsible for the genetic management of the captive population and support of studies on supplementation.
    Science topics Delta Smelt
    Updated April 29, 2022
  • Title

    Non-Invasive Environmental DNA Monitoring to Support Tidal Wetland Restoration

    Lead University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
    Description In this project we use single-species and multi-species environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches to monitor tidal wetland restoration sites and paired reference sites (existing, unrestored tidal wetlands located near restoration sites) in the San Francisco Bay Delta (SFBD). We are working in coordination with the CDFW Fish Restoration Program (FRP) and other collaborators so our eDNA detections can be paired with physical detections of fishes from their trawling efforts. Ultra-sensitive DNA single species detection methods are being used to identify restoration site use by listed species (Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, winter- and spring-run Chinook Salmon) while the DNA metabarcoding approach will evaluate entire fish communities (groups of different fish species) at restored and reference sites. Aside from revealing restored habitat use by other fishes, metabarcoding will reveal potential ecological interactions between Endangered Species Act listed and non-listed species, through concurrent detection in time and space. Sampling throughout the year will allow us to identify seasonal trends in fish use of restored and reference sites. This project will demonstrate the utility of eDNA detection as a non-invasive (no take), cost-effective monitoring tool that can complement conventional surveys of restored tidal wetlands in the SFBD. Our results can be incorporated into an adaptive monitoring framework for tidal wetland restoration, to increase success of future restoration projects.
    Science topics Chinook Salmon, Delta Smelt, Endangered species, Estuaries, Fish, Green sturgeon, Habitat, Habitat restoration, Invasive / non native species, Invertebrates, Longfin Smelt, Mollusks, Pelagic fish, Restoration, Restoration planning, Sacramento Splittail, Salmon migration, Salmon rearing, Steelhead Trout, Striped bass, Sturgeon, Tidal wetlands, Wetlands, White Sturgeon
    Updated May 24, 2024
  • 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

    Perceptions of risk and management of the Delta levee system

    Lead University of California - Santa Cruz [UCSC]
    Description This study of the perceptions of flood risk and management of the levee system in a deltaic region of California illuminates the social, cultural, and psychological complexities of risk assessment. In order to better understand risk tolerance, we included stakeholders from the following groups: agriculture, engineering, boating and recreation industry, local reclamation districts, conservation organizations, water exporters, county government, and state agencies. Methods employed are qualitative and quantitative and include interviews and media analysis. For decades the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has been ripe with political controversies stemming from conflicting interests for its natural resources. The results of this study reveal distinct views on the sustainability of the Delta’s levees, the resilience of local communities, and who is accountable for present conditions. The findings of this study also elucidate nuances in the conversations on the viability of mitigation and adaptation as conditions in the Delta change. We conducted this study in two parts. First, we used the Q methodology and found five distinct views that shape stakeholders’ perceptions of risk of flooding from levee failure: fatalistic, skeptical, free market, bio-centric, and human ingenuity. Second, we collected over 500 newspaper articles from 1986 to 2017 to analyze the framing of issue of flooding in the Delta. As opposed to our study with diverse stakeholders, our media analysis show that the issue of flood risk has been framed in the media mostly along the binary lines of unpreventable catastrophe and control through emergency management.
    Science topics Levees
    Updated January 23, 2024
  • 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

    Coastal Wetland Restoration a Nature Based Decarbonization Multi-Benefit Climate Mitigation Solution: Policy and Governance

    Lead University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
    Description 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.
    Science topics Restoration, Restoration planning
    Updated September 25, 2024
  • Title

    The value of information is context dependent: a demonstration of decision tools to address multi-species river temperature management under uncertainty

    Lead CALFED Bay-Delta Program
    Description

    Tradeoffs among objectives in natural resource management can be exacerbated in altered ecosystems and when there is uncertainty in predicted management outcomes. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) and value of information (VOI) are underutilized decision tools that can assist fisheries managers in handling tradeoffs and evaluating the importance of uncertainty. We demonstrate the use of these tools using a case study in the Sacramento River, California, U.S.A., where two imperiled species with different temperature requirements, winter-run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), spawn and rear in the artificially cold Shasta Dam tailwater. A temperature-control device installed on Shasta Dam maintains cool water for Chinook Salmon; however, uncertainties exist related to the effects of temperatures on the spawning and rearing of both species. We consider four alternative hypotheses in models of early life-stage dynamics to evaluate the effects of alternative temperature-management strategies on Chinook Salmon and Green Sturgeon management objectives. We used VOI to quantify the increase in management performance that can be expected by resolving hypothesis-based uncertainties as a function of the weight assigned to species-specific objectives. We found the decision was hindered by uncertainty; the best performing alternative depends on which hypothesis is true, with warmer or cooler alternative management strategies recommended when weights favor Green Sturgeon or Chinook Salmon objectives, respectively. The value of reducing uncertainty was highest when Green Sturgeon was slightly favored, highlighting the interaction between scientific uncertainty and decision makers’ values. Our demonstration features MCDA and VOI as transparent, deliberative tools that can assist fisheries managers in confronting value conflicts, prioritizing resolution of uncertainty, and optimally managing aquatic ecosystems.
    Science topics Chinook Salmon, Fish, Flows, Green sturgeon, Salmon rearing, Sturgeon, Temperature, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Water temperature
    Updated October 10, 2024