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	Operation Baseline Project 2B: Phytoplankton, CSU Maritime Academy
Lead	California State University Maritime Academy
Description	Planned upgrades to the Sacramento Regional wastewater treatment plant (Regional San) between 2019 and 2021 will reduce total nitrogen inputs by >60% and shift the dominant form of nitrogen entering the Delta from ammonium (NH4) to nitrate (NO3). These changes will affect the Delta in ways unforeseeable with existing knowledge. The focus of this project is to quantify the links between wastewater nitrogen and phytoplankton standing stock, community composition and carbon and nitrogen production. Working in collaboration with the other two Operation Baseline projects, we will: 1. validate in situ monitoring approaches for phytoplankton standing stock and community composition (i.e. using size-fractionated chlorophyll-a and diagnostic phytopigments via HPLC) and 2. provide estimates of ambient and nitrogen-saturated phytoplankton NH4 and NO3 uptake rates as well as C uptake. Phytoplankton N and C uptake rates will be made along spatial gradients in nitrogen and water residence time (Task 1) and in three wetland habitats with varying influence from wastewater nitrogen (Task 3). Together with the other proposals, this project will provide much needed baseline characterization of nutrient processes in the Delta prior to Regional San upgrades.
Science topics	Algae, Floating aquatic vegetation, Food webs, Nitrogen / ammonia, Open water, Other discharge contaminants, Phytoplankton, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Wastewater discharge, Water operations / exports, Wetlands, Zooplankton
Updated	December 14, 2022

Title	Operation Baseline Project 2C: Zooplankton, Romberg Tiburon Center, SFSU
Lead	San Francisco State University [SFSU]
Description	This project will examine responses of zooplankton (copepods) to variations in the foodweb attributable to nutrient sources. At each wetland site we will determine spatial abundance patterns and rates of reproduction, growth, and mortality. These will be integrated with information on phytoplankton and physical dynamics to determine how population dynamics responds to nutrient conditions. Stable isotopes will be used to assess nutrient source contributions to growth.
Science topics	Algae, Floating aquatic vegetation, Food webs, Nitrogen / ammonia, Open water, Other discharge contaminants, Phytoplankton, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Wastewater discharge, Water operations / exports, Wetlands, Zooplankton
Updated	December 14, 2022

Title	Operation Baseline Project 1: Conceptual Framework
Lead	Delta Stewardship Council
Description	A multidisciplinary team will develop a thorough conceptual model that will describe current conditions and consider changes from the WWTP upgrade. The model will be used to identify the highest priority science questions and investigations to pursue before, during, and after the plant upgrade.
Science topics	Algae, Floating aquatic vegetation, Food webs, Nitrogen / ammonia, Open water, Other discharge contaminants, Phytoplankton, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Wastewater discharge, Water operations / exports, Wetlands, Zooplankton
Updated	December 14, 2022

Title	Operation Baseline Project 2A1: USGS Pilot Studies
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	Two pilot studies were funded to establish a baseline in open water and shallow wetland habitats prior to the WWTP upgrade. Study 1: Nutrient concentrations, transformation rates, and links to the foodweb. Study 2: Method to improve monitoring using fixed stations coupled with high-speed boat measurements
Science topics	Algae, Floating aquatic vegetation, Food webs, Nitrogen / ammonia, Open water, Other discharge contaminants, Phytoplankton, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Wastewater discharge, Water operations / exports, Wetlands, Zooplankton
Updated	December 14, 2022

Title	Operation Baseline Project 2A2: USGS Pilot Studies - Isotopes
Lead	U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]
Description	Evaluate the usefulness of stable isotopes to trace nutrients form effluent water
Science topics	Algae, Floating aquatic vegetation, Food webs, Nitrogen / ammonia, Open water, Other discharge contaminants, Phytoplankton, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Wastewater discharge, Water operations / exports, Wetlands, Zooplankton
Updated	December 14, 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	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	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	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	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	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	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	Suisun Marsh Monitoring Program
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	The Suisun Marsh Monitoring Program is a monitoring program to collect data on surface and soil water quality, water elevations, vegetation, and wildlife species, required by the Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement (SMPA) that was signed by DWR, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), and Suisun Resource Conservation District (SRCD).
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Salinity
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Water Conservation and Production Reports
Lead	California State Water Resources Control Board [SWRCB]
Description	Since June 2014, the State Water Board has been tracking water conservation for each of the state's 409 larger urban water suppliers (those with more than 3,000 connections) on a monthly basis with a goal of documenting the reduction in water use. Water "production" is defined as urban water deliveries to customers. Conservation is calculated over time by reduced deliveries. The program has not been mandatory since 2017. However, many of the urban suppliers have continued to report on a voluntary basis. There is an effort to consolidate and streamline reporting under AB 1668 and SB 606 that will likely replace this system of reporting.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Wastewater discharge, Environmental drivers, Water use / demand
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	Precipitation Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	DWR monitoring real-time, daily, and monthly precipitation throughout California.
Science topics	Water operations / exports, Water storage, Water conveyance / infrastructure, Precipitation, Riparian wildlife, Non-forested vegetation, Delta islands, Pacific flyway, Water use / demand
Updated	April 29, 2022

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

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 / exports
Updated	June 14, 2024

Science activities

20 records

Advanced

Organizations and funding programs

Records