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  • Title

    Delta Historical Ecology

    Lead San Francisco Estuary Institute [SFEI]
    Description The San Francisco Estuary Institute-Aquatic Science Center, in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Game, completed a historical ecology study of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The project improves understanding of what the Delta looked like and how it functioned prior to the significant modification that has occurred over the last 160 years.
    Science topics Historical ecology, Landscape change
    Updated July 29, 2024
  • Title

    Analysis of Delta Salinity during Extended Drought – Pilot Project

    Lead California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
    Description Managing California water operations for multiple priorities under long term drought conditions is becoming an increasing challenge which is compounded by potential sea level rise. This project is a pilot exercise to demonstrate the utility of hydrodynamic and salinity transport models in to understand options for salinity management under extended drought combined with climate change and sea level rise. The project will also consider how to make model outputs available and relevant to other modeling and environmental management decision making efforts. The full range of potential sea level rise, restoration and operational actions is extensive, involving many potential combinations of individual actions. Therefore, it is difficult to fully explore potential actions with high resolution multi-dimensional models. The proposed approach is to use high resolution multi-dimensional flow and transport models to evaluate changes in transport in the Delta under sea level rise, restoration, and operational scenarios. The predicted changes to salinity for a given scenario will inform operations modeling in CALSIM through re-calibration of an ANN to approximately account for the changed salinity response of the estuary. Operations modeling incorporating the revised ANN will then estimate Delta inflows and overall water cost to meet Delta standards for the scenario. “Round-trip” modeling will be performed using the detailed Delta models to verify that the predicted hydrologic inputs allow appropriate compliance with water quality standards and will provide other metrics related to Delta transport.
    Science topics Conductivity, Drought, Landscape change, Restoration planning, Sea level rise, Water operations and exports
    Updated June 14, 2024
  • Title

    Defining the architecture and recurrence interval for faults in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: Assessing Potential Geohazards

    Lead San Diego State University
    Description This project aimed to create a detailed fault map for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by mapping the faults throughout the Delta waterways. The project began with a review of existing data and reports, then a high-resolution seismic reflection and sidescan sonar survey, and finally, collection/analysis, including radiocarbon dating, of sediment cores to create the first detailed fault maps for the Delta waterways. The project worked to constrain the significant rupture histories of the Kirby Hills and Midland Faults, which is important for understanding the potential of future earthquakes.
    Science topics Landscape change, Seismicity
    Updated March 7, 2024
  • Title

    High-Frequency Monitoring of Delta Island Drainage Waters to inform carbon budgets and contaminant export

    Lead University of California - Santa Cruz [UCSC]
    Description This Proposition 1 funded study aims to use high-frequency measurements and paired grab samples to document water quality and carbon exports in relation to land use change on Delta Islands. The project involves monitoring one station on Twitchell Island and two on Staten Island.
    Science topics Landscape change
    Updated August 25, 2024
  • Title

    Suisun Landscapes: historical ecology, functional metrics, and community priorities for landscape planning

    Lead San Francisco Estuary Institute [SFEI]
    Description

    To support management planning in Suisun Marsh, this project is developing a body of science and tools to understand past, present, and potential future changes to the Marsh’s ecological patterns, processes, and functions. This project builds on SFEI’s prior work in the Delta, extending historical ecology mapping, landscape change studies, and the Landscape Scenario Planning Tool to cover Suisun's historical and present-day landscapes. Through spatially explicit representations of the historical function and condition of the marsh and analyses of landscape metrics, this project is evaluating changes over time in landscape support for ecosystem functions and services in Suisun. In order to incorporate diverse perspectives into planning resources, project activities include engagement with local tribes and community members to understand community interests, priorities, and uses of the Marsh. Findings will be shared through a report and article for both technical and general audiences, and spatial analyses and data layers will be made available through the Landscape Scenario Planning Tool.

     
    Science topics Habitat, Landscape change, Nature-based solutions, Wetlands
    Updated January 29, 2026
  • Title

    Ecosystem Engineering Impacts of Water Primrose in the Delta

    Lead University of California - Merced [UC Merced]
    Description

    Water primrose (Ludwigia spp.) is a highly invasive, non-native floating macrophyte in the Delta. In recent years, water primrose has extended its niche into marsh habitat, causing extensive mortality of marsh macrophytes including tules and cattails. The goal of this project is to determine whether the growth strategy of water primrose, its allelopathic properties, or factors related to plant community structure are the cause of marsh loss following water primrose invasion in the Delta. Part of this study will identify and map the marshes most vulnerable to loss and quantify the spatial trajectory of marsh loss during the past 15 years. The ultimate benefit will be an improved understanding of the water primrose invasion processes in the Delta, which can be used to prioritize herbicide treatment of this highly invasive plant in marshes most vulnerable to invasion and with the highest habitat value.

    Objectives:

    1. Determine which water primrose functional traits are the likely cause of marsh loss in the Delta.
    2. Determine the effect(s) of community structure on water primrose invasion success and occurrence of marsh loss.
    3. Quantify the amount and spatial trajectory of marsh loss due to primrose invasion from 2004 - 2019.
    4. Identify and map the marshes that are most vulnerable to loss due to water primrose invasion in the Delta.
    5. Disseminate findings to relevant state agencies and additional stakeholders to ensure habitat restoration success and sustainability, and to focus resources on controlling water primrose in marshes most vulnerable to loss and of highest habitat value.

     
    Science topics Aquatic vegetation, Emergent macrophytes, Environmental drivers, Floating aquatic vegetation, Habitat, Habitat restoration, Intertidal and transition zones, Invasive and non native species, Landscape change, Landscape metrics, Remote sensing, Residence time, Resilience, Restoration, SAV and FAV, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Tidal wetlands, Wetlands
    Updated December 11, 2025