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Title	Impact of Climate Variability on Surface Water Quality: Cyanobacteria and Contaminants
Lead	University of California
Description
Science topics	Harmful algal blooms HAB
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Assessing Sediment Nutrient Storage and Release in the Delta: Linking Benthic Nutrient Cycling to Resotration, Aquatic Vegetation, Phytoplankton Productivity, and Harmful Algal Blooms
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	Nutrients in sediment play a large role in influencing food webs, harmful algal blooms, aquatic vegetation, and drinking water quality. This study will investigate the amount, types, and dynamics of nutrients in Delta sediments. It will also examine sediment microbial communities that mediate these processes. Results of this study will help determine how the planned reduction in nutrient inputs to the Delta will effect sediment nutrients and microbial communities following the upgrade of the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District’s wastewater treatment plant. Data will also inform how wetland restoration and invasive aquatic vegetation influence sediment nutrients and microbial communities. These data will contribute to improving computer models that inform large-scale nutrient management actions.
Science topics	Aquatic vegetation, Benthic, Cyanobacteria, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Nitrogen, Nitrogen / ammonia, Nutrients, Phytoplankton, Sediments
Updated	November 28, 2022

Title	The Role of Microcystis Blooms in the Delta Foodweb: A Functional Approach
Lead	San Francisco State University [SFSU]
Description	We propose a collaborative investigation of blooms of the toxic, cyanobacteria Microcystis in the San Francisco Estuary Delta including how blooms develop, identification of toxic species and strains, controls on toxin production, and foodweb effects. The research will address Delta Science Program Priority Research Topic 2 and Research Topic 5 in the CALFED-funded analysis of ammonium issues in the Estuary. The appearance of Microcystis in the Delta was coincident with the POD, suggesting a link. The spatial and temporal scales of Microcystis blooms was identified with their environmental covariates but a mechanistic analysis of the conditions that distinguish bloom periods and locations, which are critical for ecosystem modeling and management, are still lacking. Our objectives are to determine: 1- the biotic and abiotic factors controlling Microcystis bloom formation and toxin production;2- how Microcystis strains and microbial associations influence toxicity;3- the role of Microcystis in the Delta pelagic food web and its effect on the POD through zooplankton grazing. Our 3-year work plan comprises 2 years of laboratory and field work (contrasting bloom and non bloom locations). Experiments will be conducted to determine mechanisms driving observed in situ patterns. We will synthesize the results and clarify the environmental-bloom-food web effects in a useable format for management efforts aimed towards water supply, fisheries and recreational use of the Delta.
Science topics	Harmful algal blooms HAB
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Contra Costa Water District Source Water Monitoring
Lead	Contra Costa Water District [CCWD]
Description	CCWD source water monitoring provides information on Delta water prior to intake and treatment for water supply. Conduct monitoring at several water supply sites located near the intakes of (or inside) the California and North Bay aqueducts and Contra Costa Canal. Water supply programs monitor general water quality and a wide range of constituents of concern relevant to drinking water, including nutrients, OC, bromide, pathogens, and pesticides.
Science topics	Nitrogen / ammonia, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Salinity, pH, Turbidity, Lead, Copper, Other discharge contaminants, Conductivity, Fecal coliform / E. coli
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Perennial Streams Survey
Lead	Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition [SMC]
Description	The Perennial Streams Assessment (PSA) is an ongoing, long-term statewide survey of the ecological condition of wadeable perennial streams and rivers throughout California. The PSA collects samples for biological indicators (BMIs and algae) and chemical constituents (nutrients, major ions, etc.), and also conducts habitat assessments for both in-stream and riparian corridor conditions.
Science topics	Nitrogen / ammonia, Chlorophyll A / B, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Main channels, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Benthos, Insects, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Conductivity, Habitat, Invertebrates
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Water Quality in the Nation's Stream and Rivers
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	In 1991, Congress established the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project to address where, when, why, and how the Nation's water quality has changed, or is likely to change in the future, in response to human activities and natural factors. A prominent feature of NAWQA is the development of long-term consistent and comparable information on streams, rivers, ground water, and aquatic systems. The NAWQA Project is designed to answer these questions: 1. What is the current condition of our Nation's streams, rivers, and groundwater? 2. How are these conditions changing over time? 3. How do natural features and human activities affect these conditions, and where are those effects most pronounced? Under the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project, there are several surface water and ecology studies, including the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RQSA) (a baseline assessment of streams), and current conditions and long-term trends monitoring.
Science topics	Wastewater discharge, Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Carbon, Chlorophyll A / B, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Suspended sediment, Chemistry, Toxicity, Salinity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Hg and methyl mercury, Polychlorinated biphenyl PCB, Hydrocarbons / polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAH, Flame retardants, Endocrine disruptors, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Selenium, Constituent of emerging concern CEC, Insecticides, Rodenticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Microplastics, Other discharge contaminants, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Benthos, Insects, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Fish, Invertebrates
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	National Wetland Condition Assessment [NWCA]
Lead	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA]
Description	The National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) is a statistical survey that begins to address some of the gaps in our understanding of wetland health by providing information on the ecological condition of the nationâ€™s wetlands and stressors most commonly associated with poor condition. The NWCA is designed to answer basic questions about the extent to which our nationâ€™s wetlands support healthy ecological conditions and the prevalence of key stressors at the national and regional scale. It is intended to complement and build upon the achievements of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wetland Status and Trends Program, which characterizes changes in wetland acreage across the conterminous United States. Paired together, these two efforts provide government agencies, wetland scientists, and the public with comparable, scientifically-defensible information documenting the current status and, ultimately, trends in both wetland quantity (i.e., area) and quality (i.e., ecological condition).
Science topics	Fishing, Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Tides, Flood, Drought, Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Chlorophyll A / B, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Phytoplankton, Other zooplankton, Suspended sediment, Chemistry, Toxicity, Salinity, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Hg and methyl mercury, Other discharge contaminants, Mudflats, Intertidal / transition zones, Above-highwater refugia, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Floating aquatic vegetation, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Managed ponds, Riparian wildlife, Forests, Pelagic fish, Benthos, Insects, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Conductivity, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Habitat, Other species, Fish, Invertebrates, Fecal coliform / E. coli
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on International Space Station [ECOSTRESS]
Lead	National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]
Description	NASA JPL monitors water availability by measuring the temperatures of plants.
Science topics	Agriculture, Urban development, Sea level rise, Wildfire, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Phytoplankton, Suspended sediment, Turbidity, Mudflats, Intertidal / transition zones, Above-highwater refugia, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Floating aquatic vegetation, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Managed ponds, Riparian wildlife, Forests, Non-forested vegetation, Delta islands, Pacific flyway, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Habitat, Snowpack / snow water equivalent SWE
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Landsat Science Program
Lead	Goddard Space Flight Center
Description	Multispectral earth imaging satellite acquires data for earth observation. Numerous applications and extensive history of success with environmental and land use programs.
Science topics	Levees, Dredging, Forest harvesting, Agriculture, Urban development, Roads and bridges, Rail lines, Docks and ports, Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Stage, Direction, Tides, Residence time, Waves, Flood, Drought, Wildfire, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Phytoplankton, Suspended sediment, Turbidity, Mudflats, Intertidal / transition zones, Above-highwater refugia, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Floating aquatic vegetation, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Managed ponds, Riparian wildlife, Forests, Non-forested vegetation, Delta islands, Pacific flyway, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Habitat, Energy and mines, Snowpack / snow water equivalent SWE
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Municipal Water Quality Investigation Program [MWQI]
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	DWR's municipal water quality monitoring program studies the effect the Delta has on quality, treatability, and reliability of source waters for municipal use. Discrete water quality samples are collected monthly and biweekly throughout the Delta. The Real Time Data and Forecasting-Comprehensive Program (RTDF-CP) collects continuous data at 5 key locations in the Delta, State Water Project and Central Valley Project, coalesces the data into graphs, and provides model-based water quality forecasts. Together, these resources are essential tools for drinking water purveyors in efficiently managing water treatment operations. MWQI monitoring data are used in drinking water supply studies, to identify long-term trends in drinking water quality, and to help DWR and other agencies research and mitigate drinking water issues in Delta waters and the SWP. Additionally, in collaboration with the BDO, O&M EAB, and OCO, monitoring data are used to further develop the "early warning" system that provides advance notice to Delta water users of possible drinking water quality problems. Monitoring data are collected by two different monitoring strategies;1) discrete grab samples, and 2) continuous real-time monitoring via remotely located instrumentation. Municipal water quality monitoring parameters include: Organic carbon, Anions, Cations, Salinity, Nutrients, Chlorophyll, Metals, and Total dissolved solids
Science topics	Water conveyance / infrastructure, Agriculture, Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Carbon, Chlorophyll A / B, Detritus, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Phytoplankton, Other zooplankton, Salinity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Hg and methyl mercury, Polychlorinated biphenyl PCB, Hydrocarbons / polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAH, Flame retardants, Endocrine disruptors, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Selenium, Constituent of emerging concern CEC, Insecticides, Rodenticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Microplastics, Other discharge contaminants, Main channels, Sloughs, Fecal coliform / E. coli
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Identification of environmental conditions driving cyanobacterial multi-species blooms and their toxicity using genome resolved metagenomics
Lead	University of California - Berkeley [UC Berkeley]
Description	In recent years the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has seen an increase in toxigenic cyanobacterial diversity and abundance during harmful cyanobacterial bloom events (cyanoHABs). This increased cyanobacterial diversity parallels an increase in the number of detected toxins during cyanoHABs outside of the typical microcystins that have been previously identified. Currently there are critical knowledge gaps around the full toxigenic potential of rising diversity of cyanobacterial species, and how the total microbial community of cyanoHABs interacts within itself and with external abiotic factors in ways that may promote the expansion of new and diverse cyanoHABs. The goal of this study is to use genome-resolved metagenomics to study the genetic diversity and metabolic and toxigenic potential of cyanoHABs to i) identify cyanobacterial taxa composition and their potential for toxins biosynthesis ii) characterize species succession dynamics and metabolic processes of the full microbial community during cyanobacterial bloom phases, iii) correlate environmental factors and toxin titers with biological components of diverse bloom phases to explain the development of cyanobacterial multi-species dominated bloom.
Science topics	Cyanobacteria, Harmful algal blooms HAB
Updated	November 30, 2022

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