Science activities

Reset filters

Text search

Management theme

Science theme

Type

Delta region

Status

Science function

Management actions

Science topics

Science action area

Start year

End year

Lead implementing organization

Partner implementing organizations

Primary funding organizations

Funding programs

Funding Sources

Records

Title	Reevaluating ecosystem functioning and carbon storage potential of a coastal wetland through integration of lateral and vertical carbon flux estimates
Lead	University of Washington [UW]
Description	This study aims to produce an integrated, net ecosystem carbon budget for Suisun Marsh, a representative ecosystem in the delta. This project combines diverse measurements on land and in the adjacent marine environment to produce the first directly measured, complete carbon budget for a coastal wetland habitat. This work has generated a more complete picture of the potential of wetland preservation for greenhouse gas reduction, as well as the processes that shape wetland accretion and resilience to sea-level rise. The project will provide vital information for understanding the ecosystem services, food webs, and carbon storage potential of the region’s wetlands, as well as provide new methodology that could be used by researchers around the world.
Science topics	Atmosphere, Carbon, Carbon storage, Evaporation / evapotranspiration, Non-forested vegetation, Sea level rise, Sediments, Surface water / flow, Wetlands
Updated	November 17, 2022

Title	Quantifying the contribution of tidal flow variations to survival of juvenile Chinook salmon
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	The purpose of this project is to quantify how tides in the Delta influence survival of juvenile salmon. Juvenile salmon survival increases when there is more flow and the river is less tidally influenced. We hypothesize that the increase in survival is because of reduced travel times causing less exposure to predators. This project will test this hypothesis using multiple models including ones that can predict how management actions that modify tidal patterns affect juvenile salmon survival.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Salmon migration, Surface water / flow, Tides, Water management
Updated	June 17, 2024

Title	Environmental Monitoring Program: Continuous Water Quality Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	DWR has conducted water quality monitoring for the California State Water Project since 1968. This program is currently managed by the Division of Operations and Maintenance, Environmental Assessment Branch. Initially, this program sought to monitor eutrophication (an increase in chemical nutrients) and salinity in the SWP. Over time, the water quality program expanded to include parameters of concern for drinking water, recreation, and wildlife. DWR's Division of Operations and Maintenance (O&M) currently maintains 16 continuous water quality monitoring stations located throughout the State Water Project. Data from these automated stations are uploaded to theÂ California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) website. Hourly to daily conductivity, temperature, turbidity, pH, fluorometry, UVA-254 absorption
Science topics	Air temperature, Algae, Chemistry, Chlorophyll A / B, Conductivity, Cyanobacteria, Dissolved oxygen, Drought, Environmental drivers, Estuaries, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Nitrogen, Nutrients, pH, Phytoplankton, Primary production, Salinity, Surface water / flow, Temperature, Tides, Turbidity, Water, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Water management, Water temperature
Updated	May 21, 2024

Title	San Francisco Bay Joint Venture
Lead	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS]
Description	The San Francisco Bay Joint Venture (SFBJV) brings together over one hundred environmental organizations, governmental agencies, landowners, and the business community to achieve a common goal and vision: protect, restore and enhance wetlands throughout the nine Bay Area counties, for the benefit of wildlife and people. The San Francisco Bay Joint Venture (SFBJV) is one of twenty-two habitat-based Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JV) that cover nearly all of the U.S. and Canada and much of Mexico. The SFBJV coordinates strategic habitat conservation throughout the nine San Francisco (SF) Bay Area counties in accordance with the SFBJV Implementation Plan. SFBJV partners work to protect, restore and enhance habitats through project implementation and by advancing related science, policy and communication priorities. The Joint Venture program provides opportunities to develop and deliver creative solutions to our current conservation challenges through the power of collaboration and partnership. The SFBJV is funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and grants from other partners and programs.
Science topics	Hunting, Agriculture, Urban development, Recreation & tourism, Surface water / flow, Flood, 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, Delta islands, Pacific flyway, Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Gulls, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Habitat, Non-resident / overwintering birds
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Central Valley Project - Reservoir Monitoring
Lead	U.S. Bureau of Reclamation [USBR]
Description	The Central Valley Project (USBR) is responsible for maintaining and monitoring water levels in several key reservoirs in California. The reservoirs of focus (largest capacity) within the CVP are Folsom, Whiskeytown, Shasta, Trinity, San Luis, and Millerton. San Luis is jointly monitored by USBR and DWR. Reservoir storage, elevation, inflow, and outflow are monitored daily, with some parameters at certain reservoirs being monitored hourly or monthly, and reported to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) for public access.
Science topics	Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Surface water / flow, Stage, Flood, Precipitation, Main channels, Water use / demand, Evaporation / evapotranspiration
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	State Water Project - Reservoir Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	The State Water Project (DWR) is responsible for maintaining and monitoring water levels in several key reservoirs in California. The reservoirs of focus (largest capacity) within the CVP are Oroville, San Luis, Pyramid, Perris, and Castaic. San Luis is jointly monitored by USBR and DWR. Reservoir storage, elevation, inflow, and outflow are monitored daily, with some parameters at certain reservoirs being monitored hourly or monthly, and reported to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) for public access.
Science topics	Water storage, Surface water / flow, Stage, Flood, Main channels
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Surface Water Quality Monitoring
Lead	California State Water Resources Control Board [SWRCB]
Description	Within the ILRP, growers can opt to acquire one of 2 types of permit coverage: Coalition coverage and Individual coverage. If the coalition option is chosen, a grower is allowed to share the cost of compliance, monitoring and reporting with other members of the coalition and reduces/eliminates grower interactions with the Central Valley Water Board (CVWB). The CVWB will then undertake the water quality monitoring. Ambient water and sediment quality monitoring for agricultural discharge will occur using three types of monitoring: Core Monitoring, Assessment Monitoring, and Management Plan Monitoring. Combined, these three levels of monitoring are designed to characterize the discharge from irrigated agriculture as a result of irrigation and storm water runoff.
Science topics	Agriculture, Surface water / flow, Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Carbon, Chemistry, Toxicity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Selenium, Insecticides, Rodenticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Other discharge contaminants, Conductivity, Fecal coliform / E. coli
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Surface Water Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	DWR continuously monitors surface water quality and hydrology at 49 sites within the Delta. The extensive DWR Central District Surface Water Monitoring network provides continuous data of flow magnitude and direction and general chemical water quality characteristics. Electrical conductivity (EC) is measured continuously at 24 of these stations. Measurements are recorded at 15-minute intervals and then reduced to a report format. At each EC site, equations are available to convert EC to chlorides and total dissolved solids. Several of the EC stations in the Delta also continuously monitor temperature and provide 15-minute temperature data.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Stage, Precipitation, Water temperature, Turbidity, Conductivity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Delta-Mendota Canal Water Quality Monitoring
Lead	U.S. Bureau of Reclamation [USBR]
Description	Reclamation proposes to execute contracts with local water districts to convey non-project water in the Delta-Mendota Canal (DMC) subject to water quality monitoring, groundwater monitoring and reporting requirements outlined in this document
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Nitrogen / ammonia, Salinity, Turbidity, Hg and methyl mercury, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Selenium, Other discharge contaminants, Conductivity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Grasslands Bypass Project Monitoring
Lead	U.S. Bureau of Reclamation [USBR]
Description	The Grassland Bypass Project has been under waste discharge requirements (WDRs) since 1998. Historically, subsurface agricultural drainage water (tile drainage) and surface runoff (irrigation tail water) from the Grassland Watershed was discharged to the San Joaquin River through Salt Slough and/or Mud Slough (north). These two sloughs are tributary to the San Joaquin River and serve as the primary drainage outlets for the Grassland Watershed. With the start of the Grassland Bypass Project in 1996, all tile drainage from a 97,000 acre area known as the Grassland Drainage Area is consolidated and conveyed through San Luis Drain to Mud Slough, eliminating discharges of drainage water from the Grassland Drainage Area into Salt Slough and wetlands. Reducing selenium in wetland channels is the primary goal of the Project, as elevated concentrations of selenium have been documented to be hazardous to wildlife. The Project prevents discharge of subsurface agricultural drainage water into wildlife refuges and wetlands in central California . The drainage water is conveyed instead through a segment of the San Luis Drain to Mud Slough, a tributary of the San Joaquin River. The Project improves water quality in the wildlife refuges and wetlands, sustains the productivity of 97,000 acres of farmland, and fosters cooperation between area farmers and regulatory agencies in drainage management reduction of selenium and salt loading. The Project is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (Authority).
Science topics	Agriculture, Surface water / flow, Water temperature, pH, Selenium, Conductivity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Central Valley Project
Lead	U.S. Bureau of Reclamation [USBR]
Description	The CVP is one of the largest water storage and transport systems in the world, comprised of 20 reservoirs and more than 500 miles of canals. This project provides water used to irrigate more than 3 million acres of agricultural land and has a total reservoir storage of 11,363,000 acre-feet.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Surface water / flow, Stage, Flood
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	State Water Project
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	The California State Water Project (SWP) is a water storage and delivery system of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants and pumping plants extending more than 700 miles - two-thirds the length of California. Planned, constructed, and operated by the Department of Water Resources, the SWP is the nation's largest state-built, multi-purpose, user-financed water project. It supplies water to more than 27 million people in northern California, the Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Central Coast and southern California. SWP water also irrigates about 750,000 acres of farmland, mainly in the San Joaquin Valley.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Surface water / flow, Stage, Main channels, Habitat
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Freeport Regional Water Project
Lead	East Bay Municipal Utilities District
Description	The Freeport Regional Water Authority (FRWP) is a cooperative effort of the Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) and the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) of Oakland to supply surface water from the Sacramento River to customers in central Sacramento County and the East Bay area of California.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Stage, Drought, Environmental drivers
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	Electronic Water Rights Information Management System [eWRIMS]
Lead	California State Water Resources Control Board [SWRCB]
Description	The Electronic Water Rights Information Management System (eWRIMS) is a computer database developed by the State Water Resources Control Board to track information on water rights in California. eWRIMS contains information on Statements of Water Diversion and Use that have been filed by water diverters, as well as registrations, certificates, and water right permits and licenses that have been issued by the State Water Resources Control Board and its predecessors.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Surface water / flow, Water use / demand
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Telemetered Stream Gauge Stations [Surface Water Monitoring]
Lead	U.S. Bureau of Reclamation [USBR]
Description	A network of stream gauges record and telemeter river stage information. Flow measurements by field crews help calibrate and confirm calculations. Data from stream gage telemetry requires careful consideration as field conditions and equipment malfunctions can provide erroneous readings. A more accurate assessment of actual flow rates requires a review of the flow record and processing to account for actual conditions.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Surface water / flow, Stage, Flood, Main channels, Sloughs
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	SJCDWQC Surface Water Monitoring
Lead	San Joaquin County and Delta Water Quality Coalition [SJCDWQC]
Description	The San Joaquin County and Delta Water Quality Coalition (SJCDWQC or Coalition) performs monthly surface water quality monitoring as part of the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program to characterize discharge from irrigated agriculture.
Science topics	Wastewater discharge, Agriculture, Surface water / flow, Toxicity, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Selenium, Insecticides, Rodenticides, Other discharge contaminants, Non-forested vegetation, Conductivity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Nitrogen Monitoring [Self-Reporting]
Lead	Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition
Description	Beginning in April 2016, members in a high vulnerability groundwater area, for which nitrate is identified as a constituent of concern, must prepare and implement a certified Nitrogen Management Plan (NMP).
Science topics	Wastewater discharge, Agriculture, Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Nitrogen / ammonia, Non-forested vegetation, Stormwater runoff / drainage
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	California Rice Commission [CRC] Surface Water Monitoring
Lead	California Rice Commission
Description	The efforts began under the RPP and, beginning in 2004, included activities under the Conditional Waiver for Rice (CWFR) under the ILRP. The CWFR expired at the end of 2014, and in 2015 the Rice Waste Discharge Requirements (Rice WDR) takes effect. The CRC implements water quality monitoring and reporting activities in compliance with the following two programs of the CVRWQCB: -CVRWQCB Order No. R5-2014-0032, Waste Discharge Requirements General Order for Sacramento Valley Rice Growers, and associated Monitoring and Reporting Program (MRP) Order R5-2014-0032 -Rice Pesticides Program (RPP), pursuant to the Conditional Prohibition of Discharge requirements specified in the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins (Basin Plan;Resolution R5-2010-9001)
Science topics	Wastewater discharge, Agriculture, Surface water / flow, Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Toxicity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Copper, Insecticides, Non-forested vegetation, Conductivity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Moderate resolution imaging spectro radiometer MODIS
Lead	National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]
Description	MODIS (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a key instrument aboard the Terra (originally known as EOS AM-1) and Aqua (originally known as EOS PM-1) satellites. Terra's orbit around the Earth is timed so that it passes from north to south across the equator in the morning, while Aqua passes south to north over the equator in the afternoon. Terra MODIS and Aqua MODIS are viewing the entire Earth's surface every 1 to 2 days, acquiring data in 36 spectral bands, or groups of wavelengths (see MODIS Technical Specifications). These data will improve our understanding of global dynamics and processes occurring on the land, in the oceans, and in the lower atmosphere. MODIS is playing a vital role in the development of validated, global, interactive Earth system models able to predict global change accurately enough to assist policy makers in making sound decisions concerning the protection of our environment.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Forest harvesting, Agriculture, Urban development, Recreation & tourism, Surface water / flow, Direction, Tides, Residence time, Waves, Flood, Drought, 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, Water use / demand
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	Sentinel Satellite
Lead	European Space Agency
Description	Earth observation using multispectral imagery from satellites. Especially suitable for monitoring changes in land cover.
Science topics	Levees, Dredging, Forest harvesting, Agriculture, Urban development, Recreation & tourism, Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Stage, Velocity, Direction, Tides, Residence time, Waves, Flood, Drought, Land elevation, Subsidence, Sea level rise, Seismicity, Wildfire, Air temperature, Precipitation, Wind, Extreme heat, Extreme storms, Suspended sediment, Water temperature, 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, Water intakes, fish screens & passage
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Sacramento River Water Quality Monitoring
Lead	Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency
Description	The Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency (WDCWA)â€”a cooperative partnership between the City of Davis and the City of Woodlandâ€”was formed to implement the Davis-Woodland Water Supply Project (DWWSP) and construct a new surface water treatment plant to treat water from the Sacramento River which, once complete, will largely replace the Citiesâ€™ current groundwater supply. In October 2013, CH2M-Hill was selected as the Design-Build-Operate (DBO) Company for this project. In anticipation of this new surface water treatment facility, the WDCWA began an extensive source water monitoring program in August 2009. The purpose of this monitoring program was to characterize the quality of Sacramento River water at the DWWSP intake, to assist in the selection of an effective treatment process train, and to provide the required raw water data necessary for obtaining a Domestic Water Supply Permit from the State Water Resources Control Boardâ€™s Drinking Water Program (DWP;formerly under the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)). After fulfilling the initial one-year monitoring program agreed to by CDPH, a scaled down sampling program was initiated to better understand seasonal trends in water quality, and to fill the time gap between the initial 2009-2010 monitoring efforts and startup of the new Regional Water Treatment Facility (RWTF).
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Salinity, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Hg and methyl mercury, Polychlorinated biphenyl PCB, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Selenium, Insecticides, Rodenticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Other discharge contaminants, Conductivity, Water use / demand, Fecal coliform / E. coli
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	WorldView-3
Lead	DigitalGlobe
Description	Provides commercial satellite services. Multiple satellites continuously collecting multispectral imagery throughout the globe. Available for download and processing by end users.
Science topics	Levees, Forest harvesting, Agriculture, Urban development, Recreation & tourism, Roads and bridges, Rail lines, Docks and ports, Surface water / flow, Stage, Direction, Tides, Residence time, Flood, Drought, Land elevation, Subsidence, Sea level rise, Seismicity, Wildfire, Suspended sediment, Erosion, 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, Energy and mines, Snowpack / snow water equivalent SWE, Vessels and shipping channels
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	Environmental Monitoring Program [EMP]: Discrete Water Quality Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	There are 24 fixed discrete stations within the San Francisco Estuary that are monitored at high water slack tide. The stations are primarily accessed by the Research Vessel Sentinel, or vehicle transport. Discrete sampling is completed once a month due to the intensity of collecting a wide collection of physical parameters (e.g. water temperature) and grab samples for laboratory analysis (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorous). The data from the discrete sampling is helpful to document long-term changes within the estuary.
Science topics	Algae, Ammonia, Benthic, Benthos, Bivalve, Carbon, Chemistry, Chlorophyll A / B, Climate change, Conductivity, Corbicula/Potamocorbula, Crustaceans, Cyanobacteria, Delta islands, Detritus, Dissolved oxygen, Docks and ports, Drought, Environmental drivers, Estuaries, Food webs, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Invasive / non native species, Invertebrates, Jellyfish, Main channels, Mollusks, Nitrogen, Nitrogen / ammonia, Nutrients, Open water, Other species, Other zooplankton, pH, Phosphorous, Phytoplankton, Primary production, Salinity, Sediments, Sloughs, Surface water / flow, Suspended sediment, Temperature, Tidal wetlands, Tides, Turbidity, Water, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Water management, Water operations / exports, Water temperature, Zooplankton
Updated	August 28, 2024

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	Sacramento District Water Control Data System [WCDS]
Lead	U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE]
Description	The Sacramento District's Water Control Data System (WCDS) collects data necessary for the management of Corps Reservoirs and Flood Control Space in Non-Corps Reservoirs (i.e.,"Section 7" projects)
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Wastewater discharge, Surface water / flow, Stage, Flood, Air temperature, Precipitation, Wind, Main channels, Sloughs, Environmental drivers, Snowpack / snow water equivalent SWE, Water use / demand
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Water Tracker
Lead	Point Blue Conservation Science
Description	The Water Tracker is an automated system that provides up-to-date and accurate data on surface water distributions in the Central Valley. This information is useful for water and wetland managers when making decisions about water management.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Managed ponds
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Continuous Monitoring of Water Quality & Suspended-Sediment Transport [Bay-Delta]
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	Our group at the USGS continuously monitors suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and water level at many sites throughout the San Francisco Bay (Bay) and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta (Delta). Our work began in 1988 to explore the spatial and temporal variability of water quality and sediment transport and to provide decision makers, resource managers, and the public with the most up-to-date knowledge. Topics we study include water quality, sediment transport, water clarity, erosion and deposition, sediment-associated contaminants and habitat quality, wetland restoration, and sea level rise.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Surface water / flow, Stage, Velocity, Suspended sediment, Bedload, Deposition, Erosion, Chemistry, Toxicity, Salinity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, Turbidity, Other discharge contaminants, Intertidal / transition zones, Main channels, Sloughs, Open water, Riparian wildlife, Conductivity, Water use / demand, Water intakes, fish screens & passage
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Surface Water Protection Program
Lead	California Department of Pesticide Regulation [DPR]
Description	CA Department of Pesticide Regulation is the lead agency for regulating the registration, sales and use of pesticides in California. It is required by law to protect the environment, including surface waters, from environmentally harmful pesticides by prohibiting, regulating, or controlling the uses of such pesticides. The Surface Water Protection Program addresses both agricultural and nonagricultural sources of pesticide residues in surface waters. It has preventive and response components that reduce the presence of pesticides in surface waters. The preventive component includes local outreach to promote management practices that reduce pesticide runoff. Prevention also relies on DPR's registration process in which potential adverse effects to surface water quality, particularly those in high-risk situations are evaluated. The response component includes mitigation options to meet water quality goals, recognizing the value of self-regulating efforts to reduce pesticides in surface water as well as regulatory authorities of DPR, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB).
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Toxicity, Endocrine disruptors, Copper, Constituent of emerging concern CEC, Insecticides, Rodenticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Non-forested vegetation, Habitat
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	National Water Use Science Project [NWUSP]
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	The USGS National Water Use Science Project (NWUSP), a component of the Water Availability and Use Science Program (WAUSP), facilitates the 5-year compilation of water use estimates for the United States as part of the National Water Census (NWC). The NWC, implemented as part of the SECURE (Science and Engineering to Comprehensively Understand and Responsibly Enhance) Water Act (Subtitle F of Public Law 111-11, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act), provides data and tools designed to support water managers in the accurate assessment of water availability at regional and national scales (https://water.usgs.gov/ watercensus/). Water managers across the United States require more complete, timely, and accurate water-availability information to support policy and decision-making, specifically, data associated with water withdrawals and consumptive use. Recognizing the limitations of current water-use data, the SECURE Water Act authorized a program that supports activities related to data collection and methods research and development at the State level. The USGS Water-Use Data and Research program (WUDR) will provide financial assistance through cooperative agreements with State water resource agencies to improve the availability, quality, compatibility, and delivery of water-use data that is collected or estimated by States. The Act requires that these State water use and availability datasets be integrated with appropriate datasets that are developed and/or maintained by the USGS.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Water use / demand
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	National Wetlands Inventory
Lead	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS]
Description	"The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) was established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to conduct a nationwide inventory of U.S. wetlands to provide biologists and others with information on the distribution and type of wetlands to aid in conservation efforts. This is done through the use of a wetland classification system, and the development of techniques for mapping and recording data. This dataset represents the extent, approximate location and type of wetlands and deepwater habitats in California." See: https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/nwi/Overview.html
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Mudflats, Intertidal / transition zones, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Managed ponds, Riparian wildlife, Saltwater / freshwater marshes
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service - Precipitation Monitoring
Lead	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]
Description	"Observed" data is a byproduct of National Weather Service (NWS) operations at the 12 CONUS River Forecast Centers (RFCs), and is displayed as a gridded field with a spatial resolution of roughly 4x4 km. "Normal" precipitation is derived from PRISM climate data, created at Oregon State University. The PRISM gridded climate maps are considered the most detailed, highest-quality spatial climate datasets currently available. The 30 year PRISM normal from 1981-2010 is used for precipitation analysis since 2004. Prior to 2004 the 30 year PRISM normal from 1961-1990 is used.
Science topics	Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Precipitation, Stormwater runoff / drainage
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Streamflow Monitoring
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	The USGS works in partnership with more than 1,400 Federal, regional, State, Tribal, and local agencies or organizations to maintain and manage a multipurpose network of streamgages that monitor streamflow and (or) water level. Approximately 8,200 of the more than 10,000 USGS streamgages in the network continuously monitor streamflow year-round and are collectively referred to as the National 'Streamflow' Network (NSN). Approximately 40% of the NSN is made up of Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS), which are considered critical for long-term tracking and modeling/forecasting to ensure that Federal water priorities and responsibilities can be met. Such priorities and responsibilities include forecasting hydrologic events (floods and droughts);managing interstate agreements, compacts, court decrees, and other legal obligations;and tracking streamflow in major river basins and across borders.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Wastewater discharge, Surface water / flow, Stage, Velocity, Direction, Flood, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Stormwater runoff / drainage, Water use / demand
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	California Cooperative Snow Surveys [CCSS] program
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	Established in 1929 by the California Legislature, the California Cooperative Snow Surveys (CCSS) program is a partnership of more than 50 state, federal, and private agencies. The cooperating agencies not only share a pool of expert staff but share in funding the program, which collects, analyzes and disseminates snow data from more than 265 snow courses and 130 snow sensors located throughout the Sierra Nevada and Shasta-Trinity mountains. California is the only western state to perform this function on its own. In the other western states, snow surveys are done by the federally funded Natural Resources Conservation Service, which began its program in the mid-1930s. Both programs are similar, and there is a high degree of cooperation between the two entities. DWR is the lead agency in coordinating the CCSS program, which includes: -Maintaining snow surveying and sampling equipment -Training for our partner agencies -Course measurement schedules and data collection -Fiscal and staff resource needs for the various partners within the program. While monitoring doesn't occur in the Delta, snowmelt estimates are used to develop streamflow forecasts for the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers that flow through the Delta.
Science topics	Water storage, Surface water / flow, Flood, Air temperature, Precipitation, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Seasonally flooded, Riparian wildlife, Snowpack / snow water equivalent SWE
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Assessing sea-level rise and flooding changes in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta using historical water-level records
Lead	California State University [CSU]
Description	The project aims to recover, digitize, and analyze more than 1300 station years of ‘lost-and-forgotten’ water level records collected from 1857 to 1982 in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These measurements, augmented by modern data, will improve our understanding of tidal, flood, and sea level trends in the system. By determining ‘hotspots’ of habitat and flood risk sensitivity, the results may be used to better focus future scientific and management priorities, to protect the environment, manage flood risk, and enhance community resilience to climate change
Science topics	Backwater, Climate change, Environmental drivers, Estuaries, Land elevation, Levees, Outflow, Sea level rise, Stage, Subsidence, Surface water / flow, Tides, Velocity, Vessels and shipping channels, Water, Wind
Updated	October 10, 2023

Title	Continuous Flow and Water Quality Monitoring Network in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	This project envisions the continuation, expansion, and further integration of high frequency monitoring for flow, water quality (including chlorophyll and nutrients), sediment, as well as biological responses at key locations in the Delta and Suisun Bay. The physical properties monitored by the fixed-station network are the primary drivers of the habitat conditions and biological responses that management actions hope to achieve. Nutrient dynamics are explicitly measured at select stations to improve our understanding of how physical dynamics, water quality and landscape features shape the base of Delta food webs. These data will provide information about drivers linked to food quantity and quality as well as potential toxins production by harmful algae. Suspended-sediment monitoring provides an understanding of the inputs and internal exchanges between regions, locations of sources and sinks, and provides insight into the underlying cause of turbidity variability in the study area. Suspended-sediment measurements gage the availability of suspended sediment for existing marshes and for proposed large-scale marsh restoration efforts in the Delta. There are a total of 5 sub-tasks in this project: • Task 1: Hydrodynamics Team – Fixed Station Network Operation and Maintenance • Task 2: BioGeoChemistry Team -- Fixed Station Network Operation and Maintenance • Task 3: Delta Sediment Team – Fixed Station Network Operation and Maintenance • Task 4: Bay Sediment Team – Fixed Station Network Operation and Maintenance • Task 5: Project Management
Science topics	Chlorophyll A / B, Conductivity, Dissolved oxygen, Flows, Nutrients, pH, Phytoplankton, Sediments, Stage, Surface water / flow, Tides, Turbidity, Velocity, Water operations / exports, Water temperature
Updated	January 19, 2024

Science activities

41 records

Advanced

Organizations and funding programs

Records