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Title	Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	The Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration Project works to reconnect the floodplain for fish during the winter season and improve connectivity within the bypass and to the Sacramento River. The project provides seasonal inundation that mimics the natural process of the Yolo Bypass floodplain and improves connectivity within the bypass and to the Sacramento River.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Endangered species, Green sturgeon, Habitat restoration, Salmon migration, Salmon rearing, Steelhead Trout, Sturgeon, White Sturgeon
Updated	July 22, 2024

Title	Impact of Urbanization on Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, and Their Prey: a Case Study of the American River
Lead	University of California - Berkeley [UC Berkeley]
Description	The American River provides spawning/rearing habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead, yet passes through 30 miles of dense urban development. Urban runoff contains pyrethroid insecticides that cause the river to become toxic to standard testing species with every storm event. This study will go beyond observed toxicity, and address toxicity to chironomids, caddisflies, and mayflies, key diet components of juvenile fish in the river. A bioenergetic model will be used to evaluate effects of food web changes on young salmonids. Our key approach is the use of river-side systems with flowing river water that allow us to replicate realistic pesticide exposures, while controlling other variables. We will determine sensitivity to pyrethroids and fipronil of salmonid prey taxa, and expose them, as well as standard testing species, in the flow-through systems through six storm events. We will maintain experimental streams containing riverine benthic invertebrate communities, and measure response to the pyrethroid pulses. To supplement analyses of the indirect, food web-mediated effects, we will measure endocrine effects through vitellogenin induction in salmon and steelhead. Finally, one treatment includes river water from which organic contaminants have been removed by activated charcoal, to help establish cause of toxicity. The goal is to determine if known toxicity in the American River is a threat to benthic invertebrates and, through the food web, to salmon and steelhead.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Above-highwater refugia, Other discharge contaminants, Food webs
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Habitat Values of Native SAV [Submerged Aquatic Vegetation] in the Low Salinity Zone of San Francisco Estuary
Lead	San Francisco State University [SFSU]
Description	We will investigate the importance of native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in providing food web support for native fish species in the low salinity zone of the San Francisco Bay-Delta. These SAV beds, composed primarily of Stuckenia pectinata (sago pondweed), are an extensive feature along many of the islands in Suisun Bay and the west Delta, yet almost nothing is known of their seasonal or interannual patterns, their invertebrate communities, or how their physical structure or food resources influence use by native fishes. We hypothesize that the position of these beds in the shallow subtidal zone along the islands increases habitat options adjacent to wetlands and channels for numerous fish species, including species of concern such as delta smelt and chinook salmon. The objectives of this project are to: 1) characterize patterns in habitat structure, community composition, and productivity of SAV beds in four locations in Suisun Bay and the western Delta over a three year period (with comparisons to non-native Egeria densa beds), 2) document the epifaunal invertebrate community composition and abundance in the Stuckenia beds, 3) assess fish use of these beds through seining and acoustic monitoring of hatchery-tagged fish, 4) utilize stable isotope analyses to evaluate food web relationships within and among the beds, and 5) begin preliminary evaluation of the potential to restore native SAV to subsided lands in this region.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Sacramento Splittail, Delta Smelt, Steelhead Trout
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Life History Variation in Steelhead Trout and the Implications for Water Management
Lead	University of California - Santa Cruz [UCSC]
Description	The purpose of this project is to explore the ways in which different stream hydrology and temperature can affect the growth and maturation of steelhead trout. Model examination will incude various stream flow management regimes may affect trout population dynamics region-wide.
Science topics	Steelhead Trout
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Synchrony of Native Fish Movements: Synthesis Science Towards Adaptive Water Management in the Central Valley (FishSync)
Lead	University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
Description	Salmon and other native California fishes are in decline and increasingly targeted for enhanced conservation. Acoustic telemetry technologies have emerged, allowing researchers to track fish routes through the Central Valley. Yet while the use of acoustic telemetry has widened, little synthesis has occurred on the large, growing, and expensive datasets that already exist. The main goal of the project is to conduct a synthesis study of existing and high priority telemetry datasets for native and non-native fishes in the Central Valley. Using synchrony of movement rates, through space and time, we will develop a novel behavior-based statistical framework to gain understanding into the environmental conditions that promote movement/passage of diverse native fishes in the Central Valley. The project includes a Technical Advisory Group, composed of members of multiple conservation teams. The group will inform each step of study, strengthen syntheses, and enable rapid communication of results to decision makers. In total, the project will analyze 10 to 15 high-quality telemetry datasets encompassing a range of native fishes and life stages. This synthesis will yield major insights into water management practices that could help improve survival of native fish.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Fish, Salmon migration, Steelhead Trout, Sturgeon, White Sturgeon
Updated	December 4, 2022

Title	Delta Regional Monitoring Program
Lead	San Francisco Estuary Institute [SFEI]
Description	The Delta Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) is a stakeholder-directed project formed to develop water quality data necessary for improving our understanding of Delta water quality issues.
Science topics	Hg and methyl mercury, Insecticides, Rodenticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Main channels, Sloughs, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Striped bass, Fish
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Central Valley Enhanced Acoustic Tagging Project
Lead	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]
Description	There is a well documented need for improved detection and associated modeling of salmon migration and survival in the Central Valley. We propose to address this need through an expanded acoustic receiver network and associated real-time and retrospective modeling of the data. The proposed work includes (1) the deployment of real-time receivers that will provide timely information on migrating salmon smolt location and timing, (2) expansion of the existing autonomous acoustic array to increase the coverage and detection efficiency;(3) development of new metrics for the real-time data for key management relevant questions such as entrainment estimates at critical junctions (Georgiana Slough and Delta Cross Channel);and (4) a retrospective analyses directly geared toward improving the quality and robustness of an existing forecasting model - the NMFS enhanced particle tracking model.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	20-mm Survey [Delta Smelt distribution monitoring]
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) conducts the 20-mm Survey annually to monitor the distribution and relative abundance of larval and juvenile Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) in the upper San Francisco Bay Estuary. The survey began in 1995 and supplies near real-time catch data to water and fisheries managers as part of an adaptive management strategy to limit the risk of Delta Smelt entrainment during water exports Data collected: temperature, electro-conductivity, water transparency, turbidity, water volume, tidal stage, fish, and zooplankton.
Science topics	Stage, Tides, Other zooplankton, Water temperature, Turbidity, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Benthos
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Fall Midwater Trawl Survey [FMWT]
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The FMWT was initiated to determine the relative abundance and distribution of age-0 striped bass (Morone saxatilis), delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys), American shad (Alosa sapidissima), splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus), and threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) in the estuary. FMWT has sampled annually since it's inception in 1967, with the exceptions of 1974 and 1979, when sampling was not conducted. The FMWT samples 122 stations each month from September to December and a subset of these data is used to calculate an annual abundance index.
Science topics	Stage, Mysis, Other zooplankton, Water temperature, Turbidity, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	California Fish Passage Assessment Database [PAD]
Lead	Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission [PSMFC]
Description	The Passage Assessment Database (PAD) is an ongoing map-based inventory of known and potential barriers to anadromous fish in California, compiled and maintained through a cooperative interagency agreement. The PAD compiles currently available fish passage information from many different sources, allows past and future barrier assessments to be standardized and stored in one place, and enables the analysis of cumulative effects of passage barriers in the context of overall watershed health. The database is set up to capture basic information about each potential barrier. It is designed to be flexible. As the database grows, other modules may be added to increase data detail and complexity.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Main channels, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Water intakes, fish screens & passage
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	California Natural Diversity Database [CNDDB]
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) is an inventory of the status and locations of rare plants and animals in California. CNDDB staff work with partners to maintain current lists of rare species, as well as to maintain an ever-growing database of GIS-mapped locations for these species. The CNDDB is a "natural heritage program" and is part of a nationwide network of similar programs overseen by NatureServe (formerly part of The Nature Conservancy). All natural heritage programs provide location and natural history information on special status plants, animals, and natural communities to the public, other agencies, and conservation organizations. The data help drive conservation decisions, aid in the environmental review of projects and land use changes, and provide baseline data helpful in recovering endangered species and for research projects.
Science topics	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, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Pelagic fish, Benthos, Salt marsh harvest mouse, Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Gulls, Giant garter snake, California tiger salamander, Insects, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Striped bass, Corbicula/Potamocorbula, Nutria, Water hyacinth, Brazilian waterweed, Spongeplant, Giant reed, Yellow star thistle, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Habitat, Other species, Fish, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians and reptiles, Invertebrates, Invasive / non native species, Non-resident / overwintering birds
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Drought Stressor Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The state of California recently experienced a severe drought and one of the warmest and driest periods of recorded history. The drought lasted for five years, from 2012 to 2016. On January 17, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared the drought a state of emergency. This proclamation directed all state agencies to act to prepare for and mitigate drought-related effects on water supply and aquatic species. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) responded by developing and implementing â€œDrought Stressor Monitoringâ€. In late 2016 to early 2017, drought conditions improved considerably throughout most of the state when winter storms delivered higher than average levels of rainfall. This report describes the results from a collaborative monitoring effort carried out during the period 2014 to 2017 by scientists from California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other agencies throughout the state.
Science topics	Dissolved oxygen, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Fish, Amphibians and reptiles
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Middle Sacramento River Salmon and Steelhead Rotary Screw Trap Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	CDFG uses Rotary Screw Traps (RST) sampling to quantify emigrating juvenile salmonids by counting the number of fish captured within a known volume of water passing through the RSTs over time. Regular trapping is implemented and reported from Tisdale Weir and Knights Landing. These are the primary sources of data for salmon emigrating from the Sacramento River. There are approximately 30 other RSTs that operate in California, but these two are the prominent and consistent Sacramento River traps.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Water temperature, Turbidity, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Coleman and Livingston Stone Hatchery Releases
Lead	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS]
Description	The federal hatcheries mark and tag fish that are released into the river or bay using a combination of coded wire tags (CWT) and adipose fin clipping. The number of fish tagged and the identifiers are reported to the RMPC which is part of the RMIS. The Regional Mark Processing Center (RMPC) provides essential services to international, state, federal, and tribal fisheries organizations involved in marking anadromous salmonids throughout the Pacific region. These services include regional coordination of some tagging and fin marking programs, maintenance of databases for Coded Wire Tag Releases, Recoveries, and Locations, as well as the dissemination of reports of these data in electronic or printed form when requested. These databases are known collectively as the Regional Mark Information System (RMIS).â€
Science topics	Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Conductivity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Bioaccumulation Monitoring Program
Lead	San Francisco Estuary Institute [SFEI]
Description	The Bioaccumulation Oversight Group (BOG) is a subcommittee of the SWAMP Roundtable that provides oversight of SWAMP's statewide bioaccumulation monitoring program. The BOG is also a workgroup of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, and in this role manages the Safe to Eat Portal and is a forum for coordination of bioaccumulation monitoring in California. The mission of the BOG is to assess the impacts of contaminants in fish and shellfish on beneficial uses in California water bodies through statewide monitoring under SWAMP and perform syntheses of information from other studies, and to develop an internet portal that presents this information to decision-makers and the public in a form that they can easily use. See the Workgroup Charter for more information.
Science topics	Fishing, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Pelagic fish, Striped bass
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Central Valley Angler Survey
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	CDFW uses a stratified sampling design to interview anglers and check catches in the Delta and throughout the Sacramento system. Focus of the program is on salmonids, but they also record striped bass and sturgeon data, as available.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Fish
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery
Lead	East Bay Municipal Utilities District
Description	The Mokelumne River supports Central Valley fall-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (fall-run), which is the only salmon run known to naturally occur in this waterway (Clark 1929). Fall-run are listed as a Species of Concern under the federal Endangered Species Act (NMFS 2004). Camanche Dam, which impounds Camanche Reservoir is the upper limit of anadromous fish migration in the Mokelumne River. East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) initiated construction of Camanche Reservoir in 1963. As mitigation for blocking access to spawning grounds for salmonids, EBMUD provided funding for the original construction of the MOK in 1964.The MOK is located on the south bank of the Mokelumne River at the base of Camanche Dam. While EBMUD provides funding for fall-run production, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) administers and operates the hatchery. The Commercial Salmon Stamp Fund provided funding for an additional MOK building built in 2002 and continues to financially support the MOK. On an annual basis the MOK produces fall-run for mitigation (Mitigation Element) and for ocean salmon enhancement (Ocean Enhancement Element). The annual MOK production goal is 6,400,000 fall-run smolts (3,400,000 for Mitigation Element and 3,000,000 for Ocean Enhancement Element). The hatchery operations are involved with tagging and monitoring fish to assess the success of the hatchery program.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Salinity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Main channels, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Mokelumne River Rotary Screw Trap Monitoring
Lead	East Bay Municipal Utilities District
Description	EBMUD operates 2-3 RSTs downstream of the Mokelumne Fish Hatchery.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Main channels, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Sacramento Splittail, Striped bass, Fish, Water intakes, fish screens & passage
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Juvenile Salmonid Monitoring - Red Bluff Diversion Dam
Lead	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS]
Description	The Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife Office (RBFWO) established a juvenile fish monitoring program using rotary-screw traps at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam (RBDD) in 1994. The primary objectives of this project at present are to (1) obtain juvenile winter Chinook production indices and to correlate these indices with estimated escapement from adult estimates provided by the winter Chinook carcass survey, (2) define seasonal and temporal patterns of abundance of winter, spring, fall and late-fall run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout passing RBDD and (3) obtain relative abundance information (catch per unit volume) for green sturgeon and lamprey to monitor trends in abundance.
Science topics	Water conveyance / infrastructure, Surface water / flow, Stage, Velocity, Water temperature, Turbidity, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, Water intakes, fish screens & passage
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	San Francisco Bay Study
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The San Francisco Bay Study (Bay Study) was established in 1980 to determine the effects of freshwater outflow on the abundance and distribution of fish and mobile crustaceans in the San Francisco Estuary, primarily downstream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Sampling ranges from south of the Dumbarton Bridge in South San Francisco Bay, to just west of Alcatraz Island in Central San Francisco Bay, throughout San Pablo and Suisun bays, north to the confluence Steamboat and Cache sloughs on the Sacramento River, and east to Old River Flats on the San Joaquin River. The open water or boat survey samples 52 stations monthly: 35 original stations, 7 stations added in 1988, 4 stations added in 1991, and 6 stations added in 1994. The study included a beach seine survey, discontinued in 1987, and a shore-based ringnet survey for crabs, discontinued in 1994. The Bay Study uses a 42-foot stern trawler to sample with 2 trawl nets at each open water station. The otter trawl, which samples demersal fishes, shrimp, and crabs, is towed against the current at a standard engine rpm for 5 minutes then retrieved. The midwater trawl, which samples pelagic fishes, is towed with the current at a standard engine rpm for 12 minutes and retrieved obliquely such that all depths are sampled equally. The open water survey included a plankton net that sampled larval fish and crustaceans, but this was discontinued in 1989. Fish, caridean shrimp, and brachyuran crabs are identified, measured, and counted. Shrimp and crabs are also sexed. Sampling effort is quantified (i.e. distance towed, volume of water filtered) and salinity, water temperature, Secchi depth, and station depth are measured;wave height, tide, cloud cover, and tow direction are categorized. The length, catch, and effort data is used to calculate catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) by species and age class. The CPUE data is used to calculate monthly and annual abundance indices, which are used to track seasonal and annual population trends. Important factors that control or regulate abundance and distribution of fish and mobile crustaceans in the estuary include salinity, temperature, freshwater outflow, ocean temperature, upwelling, and surface currents, primary and secondary productivity, and introduced species. We are interested in how species respond to changes in the physical environment on several temporal scales - seasonal, annual, decadal, and longer. We produce several annual Status and Trends reports that summarize recent changes for the most commonly collected species. These reports are published in the Spring issue of the IEP Newsletter, which can be found at http://iep.water.ca.gov/report/newsletter. The 1999 IEP Technical Report, "Report on the 1980-1995 Fish, Shrimp, and Crab Sampling in the San Francisco Estuary, California", is a good source of basic information. This report is out-of-print, but can be found at www.water.ca.gov/iep/docs/tech_rpts/tech_rprt_63_toc.html. website: https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Environmental-Services/Interagency-Ecological-Program/Files/2019-IEP-Work-Plan_2018-12-11.pdf?la=en&hash=C305D1B1DA7931D95E8676247669F098F26A28FA
Science topics	Water temperature, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Crustaceans, Conductivity, Mammals
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Anadromous Fish Abundance and Trends
Lead	Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission [PSMFC]
Description	In 1998, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the National Marine Fisheries Service began a cooperative effort to collect, archive, and enter into standardized database formats the information generated by fisheries resources agencies throughout California. Data for this project have been collected from a variety of government sources, such as the Department of Fish and Game and the US Forest Service, and non-government sources, such as tribal fisheries monitoring, university research, local watershed stewardship programs, and numerous additional fisheries stakeholders. The database contains a significant amount of information regarding the current and historic status of California's anadromous fish. The building and expansion of the cooperative anadromous fisheries abundance dataset is largely dependent on funding, support, and sharing the vision that this type of program in California is imperative. The wealth of this type of information that has already been compiled into the CalFish database demonstrates what can be accomplished through interagency cooperation.
Science topics	Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Habitat, Fish
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Anadromous Fish Distribution
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	To meet the need for consistent statewide anadromous distribution data, CalFish cooperators have initiated a series of projects to begin pulling existing distribution data together for select anadromous species. We began developing Coho Distribution in 2002, published the first publicly available version in July 2007 and most recently updated with new information in June 2012. We extended this effort to Steelhead in the Fall of 2004, first published the data in the Fall of 2007 and updated it in Fall 2009 and most recently June 2012. Additionally, we are seeking funding to further extend this effort to Chinook in the very near future.
Science topics	Fishing, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Smelt Larva Survey
Lead	California State Water Resources Control Board [SWRCB]
Description	The Smelt Larva Survey provides near real-time distribution data for longfin smelt larvae in the Delta, Suisun Bay and Suisun Marsh. Sampling takes place within the first two weeks in January and repeats every other week through the second week in March. Each 4-day survey consists of a single 10-minute oblique tow conducted at each of the 35 survey locations (see map) using an egg and larva net. The 505-micron mesh net is hung on a rigid frame shaped like an inverted-U, which in turn is attached to skis to prevent it from digging into the bottom when deployed. The net mouth area measures 0.37 m2. The conical net tapers back from the frame 3.35 m to a 1-liter cod-end jar, which collects and concentrates the sample. Immediately after each tow, juvenile fishes are removed, identified, measured and returned to the water immediately, and the remaining larvae are preserved in 10% formalin for later identification in the Lab in Stockton.
Science topics	Stage, Salinity, Water temperature, Turbidity, Main channels, Sloughs, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Conductivity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Spring Kodiak Trawl Survey
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The Spring Kodiak Trawl Survey (SKT) has sampled annually since its inception in 2002. The SKT determines the relative abundance and distribution of spawning delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). The SKT samples 40 stations each month from January to May. These 40 stations range from San Pablo Bay upstream to Stockton on the San Joaquin River, Walnut Grove on the Sacramento River, and the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel. Each 'Delta-wide' survey takes approximately 4 - 5 days per month to complete. Historically, 'Delta-wide' surveys were followed by a 'Supplemental' survey two weeks later to intensively sample areas of highest delta smelt concentration to estimate the proportion of male and female delta smelt that were in pre-spawning, spawning and spent maturation stages. Beginning in 2008, in an effort to minimize take of spawning adults, routine 'Supplemental' surveys were discontinued and are now only conducted under the recommendation of the Smelt Working Group and the approval of managers.
Science topics	Stage, Salinity, Water temperature, Turbidity, Main channels, Sloughs, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Conductivity, Other species
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Summer Townet Survey
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The Summer Townet (STN) Survey was initiated in 1959 to determine relative distribution and abundance of young of the year (age-0) striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Delta. To predict fishery recruitment, the survey calculates an index to measure age-0 striped bass year class strength. This index is based on abundance when age-0 striped bass attain a mean length of 38.1 mm. In contrast, the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) index is the average of the first two survey indices. The delta smelt index was developed about 1990 in response to declining delta smelt abundance. It has proven valuable in gauging the health of the estuary;delta smelt abundance trend data was used as supporting evidence for their listing as threatened in 1992 under the Federal and State Endangered Species Acts. It appears that zooplankton data are also collected.
Science topics	Mysis, Other zooplankton, Main channels, Sloughs, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Striped bass, Fish
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Suisun Marsh Fish Study
Lead	University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
Description	The University of California, Davis has been involved in fish and wildlife monitoring and research within Suisun Marsh for 35 years and has been instrumental in detecting important trends associated with naturally fluctuating environmental conditions as well as anthropogenic influences. Research has included a 35+ year time series on the fish and invertebrate communities of the slough networks, research on waterfowl nesting patterns and population biology, and research on the demography of salt marsh harvest mouse. The Suisun Marsh Fish Study anchors this effort as it is the longest established survey in Suisun marsh. It will continue the research of Professor Peter Moyle under the direction of John Durand, and will focus upon the detection of changes in the aquatic ecosystem in response to developing stressors in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE). This time series is designed to further our understanding of the ecology and function of the fish community residing within Suisun Marsh and the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), and acts as one of the key surveys with Interagency Ecological Program's monitoring effort.
Science topics	Stage, Tides, Salinity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, Main channels, Sloughs, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Pelagic fish, Benthos, Salt marsh harvest mouse, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Striped bass, Corbicula/Potamocorbula, Conductivity, Environmental drivers, Other species, Fish, Invertebrates
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Fish Salvage and Genetic Analysis
Lead	U.S. Bureau of Reclamation [USBR]
Description	The State Water Project (SWP), operated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and the Central Valley Project (CVP), operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, export water out of the San Francisco Bay Delta for urban and agricultural use in California. Salvage of fish at both facilities is conducted 24 hours a day, seven days a week at regular intervals. Since 1957, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has salvaged fish at the Tracy Fish Collection Facility (TFCF). CDFW's Fish Facilities Unit, in cooperation with DWR, began salvaging fish at the Skinner Delta Fish Protective Facility (SDFPF) in 1968. Fish salvage and loss rates are used to determine the need for changes in operations in response to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regulatory requirements. Salvage and loss monitoring includes daily monitoring and reporting of estimated loss of salvaged fish, as well as monitoring and reporting of salvaged Coded Wired Tagged (CWT) hatchery fish. This information is widely used by West Coast fisheries agencies to collect information on natural and hatchery-reared stocks of salmon and steelhead. Our state-of-the-art genetic analysis techniques are used to quantify salvage rates of listed runs of California's Central Valley juvenile Chinook Salmon. We also utilize advanced genetic analysis techniques to identify different populations of Central Valley juvenile Chinook Salmon, and actively participate in development of new analysis methods.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Striped bass, Fish, Invasive / non native species
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Feather River Hatchery/ Oroville Facility Fishery Studies
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	DWR conducts Feather River fishery studies to estimate adult abundance for both spring-run and fall-run Chinook salmon, and to conduct tagging studies using young fish from Feather River Hatchery. Our program has expanded in recent years and also supports additional fishery studies commissioned for the Oroville Facilities relicensing through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Feather River Fish Hatchery is a joint operation between CDFW and DWR. Generally, CDFW is responsible for raising and releasing the fish. DWR operates the fish traps and analyzes the data for returns and populations. According to their website, of the 5 hatcheries (Feather, Coleman, Nimbus and ??) Feather accounts for most ocean catch. The hatchery also monitors and reports returning adults (https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=Fisheries--FishProductionDistribution&sub=Anadromous_Fish_Trap_Counts)
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Recreational Freshwater Fishing Licenses
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	California tracks the number of fishing licenses sold each year, by county.
Science topics	Fishing, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, Pelagic fish, Fish
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has operated a fisheries monitoring program in the Yolo Bypass, a seasonal floodplain and tidal slough, since 1998. The objectives of the Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring Program (YBFMP) are to: (1) collect baseline data on lower trophic levels (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and aquatic insects), juvenile fish and adult fish, hydrology, and water quality parameters;(2) investigation of the temporal and seasonal patterns in chlorophyll-a concentrations, including whether high concentrations are exported from the Bypass during agricultural and natural flow events and the possibility of manipulating bypass flows to benefit listed species like Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The YBFMP operates a rotary screw trap and fyke trap, and conducts biweekly beach seine and lower trophic surveys in addition to maintaining water quality instrumentation in the bypass. The YBFMP serves to fill information gaps regarding environmental conditions in the bypass that trigger migrations and enhanced survival and growth of native fishes, as well as provide data for IEP synthesis efforts.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Chlorophyll A / B, Conductivity, Delta Smelt, Direction, Dissolved oxygen, Endangered species, Fish, Flood, Food webs, Green sturgeon, Habitat, Habitat restoration, Insects, Intertidal / transition zones, Invasive / non native species, Invertebrates, Longfin Smelt, Main channels, Nitrogen, Nitrogen / ammonia, Nutrients, Other species, Other zooplankton, Pelagic fish, pH, Phytoplankton, Primary production, Sacramento Splittail, Salmon migration, Salmon rearing, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, SAV/FAV, Seasonally flooded, Solar irradiance, Stage, Steelhead Trout, Striped bass, Sturgeon, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Surface water / flow, Tides, Turbidity, Velocity, Water, Water temperature, Wetlands, White Sturgeon, Zooplankton
Updated	August 28, 2024

Title	Fish Restoration Program Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The Fish Restoration Program (FRP), an inter-agency agreement between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), will restore at least 8,000 acres of tidal wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) and Suisun Marsh pursuant to requirements in federal Biological Opinions and the California Incidental Take Permit for operation of the State Water Project and Central Valley Project. The rationale for restoration is that state or federally listed fish species, Delta Smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, spring-run and winter-run Central Valley Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and Longfin Smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys will benefit from increased availability of habitat and food web resources. The CDFW FRP Monitoring Team is responsible for monitoring the biological effectiveness of individual FRP tidal wetland restoration projects. Fish catch, invertebrate catch, and water quality data have been collected as baseline monitoring data and to determine the most efficient methods for monitoring wetland restoration efforts.
Science topics	Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Carbon, Chlorophyll A / B, Phytoplankton, Other zooplankton, Salinity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Insects, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Invertebrates
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	Open-Source Resources for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Telemetry Research Community
Lead	Cramer Fish Sciences
Description	There is a great deal of telemetry data amassed from studies in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It continues to grow every year with special studies and monitoring efforts. Multiple research priorities surrounding fish ecology in the Delta could be addressed, at least in part, by synthesizing the myriad telemetry data sets that exist; this work would benefit greatly from the centralization and standardization of data workflows surrounding telemetry research. With the guidance of a PIT Advisory Team, we plan to establish a collection of open-source, technology-agnostic, accessible resources to support a reproducible and transparent telemetry data workflow for researchers in the region. The workflow and resources do not invent new procedures, rather improve and standardize those already used by the telemetry research community. This will bring us in closer alignment with centralized, coordinated data workflows that have been successfully implemented in other regions and data communities. The final open-source set of resources will include a design and roadmap for implementing a central telemetry database and workflow, an R package for the preparation, QA/QC, and basic analysis of telemetry data, and a regional workshop offering training programs in the proposed telemetry data workflow.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Fish, Other species, Salmon migration, Steelhead Trout, Striped bass, Sturgeon
Updated	August 26, 2024

Title	Standard Operating Procedure for Diagnosing and Addressing Predator Detections in Salmon Telemetry Data
Lead	University of Washington [UW]
Description	Tag predation is a complicating factor in juvenile salmon telemetry studies that can bias results, delay timely reporting, and prevent effective data synthesis. This project addresses the problem by (1) characterizing predatory fish movement patterns from existing telemetry data in the Delta; (2) developing a standard operating procedure for diagnosing and handling detections of predated tags in salmon telemetry studies; and (3) implementing the recommendations in a software package in Program R that includes code, a “library” of expected predator behaviors, and example vignettes. The R package will be freely available for download at www.cbr.washington.edu.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Endangered species, Fish, Intertidal / transition zones, Invasive / non native species, Predation, Salmon migration, Steelhead Trout, Striped bass
Updated	December 26, 2023

Title	Development and maintenance of SacPAS website and research for management of Central Valley salmon and other fish species
Lead	University of Washington [UW]
Description	SacPAS serves to provide information integration services to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and practitioners working on matters related to ESA-listed fishes. The web-based services relate fish passage to environmental conditions and provide resources for evaluating the effects of river management and environmental conditions on salmon passage and survival. The work performed as part of this agreement includes developing, maintaining, and making accessible query tools and decision support tools to access: historical, real-time and forecasted data; data summaries and visualizations; and hindcasts, forecasts, and scenario-derived predictions from statistical and mechanistic models. More specifically, the objectives are to: 1) Maintain and extend a secondary data repository of historical, real-time, and forecasted fish, environmental, and operational data from the Sacramento River and other river systems in the Central Valley, integrated from primary, public databases. 2) Maintain and improve the data query and visualization tools and services provided through the SacPAS website (https://www.cbr.washington.edu/sacramento/) for historical, real-time, and forecasted environmental and fish data. 3) Conduct research and provide access to modeling tools for fish survival and migration, through the SacPAS website, in support of Reclamation-funded and ESA-mandated activities, especially in efforts to predict, track, and evaluate the efficacy of proposed or actual actions.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Delta Smelt, Endangered species, Environmental drivers, Fish, Flows, Green sturgeon, Longfin Smelt, Salmon migration, Stage, Steelhead Trout, Sturgeon, Temperature, Velocity, Water, Water intakes, fish screens & passage, Water management, Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water temperature, White Sturgeon
Updated	March 25, 2025

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