NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative - Appendix A: Alternative Water Supply Cost and Yield Estimates

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) | January 16th, 2013

This conceptual alternative proposes a smaller capital investment in a Delta facility, in comparison with the current BDCP preliminary project, and an investment of some

This conceptual alternative proposes a smaller capital investment in a Delta facility, in comparison with the current BDCP preliminary project, and an investment of some of the savings in regional water supply tools. This analysis includes estimates of the capital cost and water supply benefits of regional investments. The capital costs associated with water recycling are well established. In state-wide projects, these costs are estimated to range between $6,430 and $6,470 per acre-feet (“AF”) of permanent water recycling capacity. Capital, or initial/one-time costs for urban water use efficiency are less well established, as these costs are usually expressed in total annual costs and the costs of efficiency programs can vary widely. Due to the variation of cost estimates, this analysis focuses on the cost estimates provided in the California Water Plans of 2009 and the 2013 update in order to present a consistent source and methodology. The $3,230/AF to $4,860/AF capital cost for urban water efficiency programs is explained in greater detail below. Other alternative water supply investments are also promising, such as improvements in agricultural water use efficiency, improved groundwater management and stormwater capture and reuse. Our analysis has not focused on these types of investments because cost and yield information vary widely. However, our analysis is not meant to exclude investments in these types of supplies, which will be cost-effective investments in many localities. RELATED DOCUMENTS: NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative – Summary Benefits of a diversified portfolio approach to the Bay-Delta and water supply NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative - letter of water agency and organizational support

NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative - Benefits of a diversified portfolio approach to the Bay-Delta and water supply

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) | January 16th, 2013

A Bay Delta Conservation Plan that includes a balanced portfolio of investments both in and outside of the Delta offers a wide range of potential benefits in comparison w

A Bay Delta Conservation Plan that includes a balanced portfolio of investments both in and outside of the Delta offers a wide range of potential benefits in comparison with a narrow focus on a large new Delta water conveyance facility and habitat restoration. Given the statewide importance of a Delta solution, we urge BDCP, the Delta Stewardship Council and others to analyze these and other potential benefits from a portfolio approach to restoring the Bay-Delta and improving water supply reliability in export areas. RELATED DOCUMENTS: NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative – Summary NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative - letter of water agency and organizational support Appendix A: Alternative Water Supply Cost and Yield Estimates

NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative - letter of water agency and organizational support

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) | January 16th, 2013

Letter from some Bay Area and San Diego area water agencies in support of NRDC's portfolio alternative. RELATED DOCUMENTS: NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternat

Letter from some Bay Area and San Diego area water agencies in support of NRDC's portfolio alternative. RELATED DOCUMENTS: NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative – Summary Benefits of a diversified portfolio approach to the Bay-Delta and water supply Appendix A: Alternative Water Supply Cost and Yield Estimates  

NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative - Summary

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) | January 15th, 2013

The eight components described below represent a conceptual alternative, not a proposed BDCP project. The analysis of this alternative is intended to assist BDCP in devel

The eight components described below represent a conceptual alternative, not a proposed BDCP project. The analysis of this alternative is intended to assist BDCP in developing the most cost-effective and environmentally beneficial final BDCP project that can be implemented and produce benefits rapidly. Variations on the approaches below should be analyzed as well, including a full range of conveyance capacities. RELATED DOCUMENTS: Benefits of a diversified portfolio approach to the Bay-Delta and water supply NRDC Portfolio-Based BDCP Conceptual Alternative - letter of water agency and organizational support Appendix A: Alternative Water Supply Cost and Yield Estimates

Numerical Simulation of Ground-Water Flow and Assessment of the Effects of Artificial Recharge in the Rialto–Colton Basin, San Bernardino County, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 1st, 2001

Nutrient Chemistry in the Elizabeth Lake Subwatershed: Effects of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems on Groundwater and Lake Water Quality, Los Angeles County, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | April 16th, 2024

Nutrient (nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] chemistry) down-gradient from onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) was evaluated with a groundwater study in the area surr

Nutrient (nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] chemistry) down-gradient from onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) was evaluated with a groundwater study in the area surrounding Elizabeth Lake, the largest of three sag lakes within the Santa Clara River watershed of Los Angeles County, California. Elizabeth Lake is listed on the “303 (d) Impaired Waters List” for excess nutrients and is down-gradient from more than 600 OWTS. The primary objective of this study was to develop a conceptual hydrogeological model to determine if discharge from OWTS is transported into shallow groundwater within the Elizabeth Lake subwatershed and contributes nutrients to Elizabeth Lake in excess of the total maximum daily load limit.

Nutrient Dynamics of the Delta: Effects on Primary Producers

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | December 1st, 2016

Increasing clarity of Delta waters, the emergence of harmful algal blooms, the growth of aquatic water weeds, and the altered food web of the Delta have recently brought

Increasing clarity of Delta waters, the emergence of harmful algal blooms, the growth of aquatic water weeds, and the altered food web of the Delta have recently brought nutrient dynamics to the forefront. This paper focuses on the sources of nutrients, the transformation and uptake of nutrients, and the links of nutrients to primary producers. The largest loads of nutrients to the Delta come from the Sacramento River with the San Joaquin River seasonally important, especially in the summer. Light regime, grazing pressure, and nutrient availability influence rates of primary production at different times and locations within the Delta. Modern sensor technology and networks are now deployed that make high frequency measurements of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate. Data from such instruments allow a much more detailed assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of nutrients. Four fruitful directions for future research include utilizing continuous sensor data to estimate rates of primary production and ecosystem respiration, linking models of the Delta with the transport and fate of dissolved nutrients, studying nutrient dynamics in various habitat types, and exploring the use of stable isotopes to trace the movement and fate of effluent-derived nutrients.

Nutrient Fluxes from Sediments in the San Francisco Bay Delta

Estuaries and Coasts (Springer) | January 1st, 2014

In September 2011 and March 2012, benthic nutrient fluxes were measured in the San Francisco Bay Delta, across a gradient from above the confluence of the Sacramento and

In September 2011 and March 2012, benthic nutrient fluxes were measured in the San Francisco Bay Delta, across a gradient from above the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to Suisun Bay. Dark and illuminated core incubation techniques were used to mea- sure rates of denitrification, nutrient fluxes (phosphate, ammonium, nitrate), and oxygen fluxes. While benthic nutrient fluxes have been assessed at several sites in northern San Francisco Bay, such data across a Delta–Bay transect have not previously been determined. Average September rates of DIN (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium) flux were net positive across all sites, while March DIN flux indicated net uptake of DIN at some sites. Denitrification rates based on the N2/Ar ratio approach were between 0.6 and 1.0 mmol m−2 day−1, similar to other mesotrophic estuarine sediments. Coupled nitrifica- tion–denitrification was the dominant denitrification pathway in September, with higher overlying water nitrate concentra- tions in March resulting in denitrification driven by nitrate flux into the sediments. Estimated benthic microalgal productivity was variable and surprisingly high in Delta sediments and may represent a major source of labile carbon to this ecosystem. Variable N/P stoichiometry was observed in these sediments, with deviations from Redfield driven by processes such as denitrification, variable light/dark uptake of nutrients by microalgae, and adsorption of soluble reactive phosphorus.

Nutrient Management Strategy for San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFBRWQCB) | November 1st, 2012

This document presents a draft strategy for developing the science needed to make informed decisions about assessing nutrient impacts on water quality, protecting benefic

This document presents a draft strategy for developing the science needed to make informed decisions about assessing nutrient impacts on water quality, protecting beneficial uses , and managing nutrient loads to San Francisco Bay. The document first provides relevant background, after which management decisions related to nutrients are highlighted. The document then lays out a plan, developed collaboratively by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) and Bay stakeholders, for the technical studies required to support decisions regarding nutrient management .

Nutrient Management Strategy Science Plan Report

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | September 9th, 2016

The San Francisco Bay (SFB) estuary receives large inputs of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorous from anthropogenic sources, and has the potential to suffer negative

The San Francisco Bay (SFB) estuary receives large inputs of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorous from anthropogenic sources, and has the potential to suffer negative impacts from nutrient overenrichment. Nutrient concentrations in SFB exceed those in other estuarine ecosystems where degradation is strongly expressed. To date, SFB has shown resistance to some of the classic symptoms of nutrient over-enrichment, such as excessive phytoplankton biomass as chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and low dissolved oxygen (DO). Recent observations, however, suggest that SFB’s resistance to nutrient enrichment is weakening, and have generated concern that SFB may be trending toward, or may already be experiencing, adverse impacts due to its high nutrient loads. In response to these concerns, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFBRWQCB) worked collaboratively with stakeholders to develop the San Francisco Bay Nutrient Management Strategy (NMS).1 The NMS lays out an overall approach for developing the underlying science to support nutrient management decisions. This report presents a Draft Science Plan for implementing the SFB NMS. The report’s main goals include: Lay out a multi-year Science Plan representing a logical sequence of studies to inform major management decisions, assuming a time-line of 10+ years. Develop an approach and rationale for sequencing and prioritizing among studies, and identify specific high-priority studies, in particular those that should proceed in FY2016- 2018. Provide realistic estimates of the time-frame and funding needed to support a Science Plan that will successfully inform management decisions. The Draft Science Plan was developed in 2014-15 with input from science advisors (Table 1.1), the NMS Steering Committee, and the NMS Nutrient Technical Work Group (Fig. 1.1). Projects are described in more detail in the first 1-3 years, and in increasingly less detail over time, recognizing that the Science Plan will be iteratively refined based on new insights gained as work progresses.