Reforming Watershed Restoration: Science in Need of Application and Applications in Need of Science (The H.T. Odum Synthesis Essay)

Estuaries and Coasts (Springer) | December 23rd, 2008

Coastal and inland waters are continuing to decline in many parts of the world despite major efforts made to restore them. This is due in part to the inadequate role that

Coastal and inland waters are continuing to decline in many parts of the world despite major efforts made to restore them. This is due in part to the inadequate role that ecological science has played in shaping restoration efforts. A significant amount of fundamental ecological knowledge dealing with issues such as system dynamics, state changes, context-dependency of ecological response, and diversity is both under-used by managers and practitioners and under-developed by ecologists for use in real-world applications. Some of the science that is being ‘used’ has not been adequately tested. Thus, restoration ecology as a science and ecological restoration as a practice are in need of reform. I identify five ways in which our ecological knowledge should be influencing restoration to a far greater extent than at present including a need to: shift the focus to restoration of process and identification of the limiting factors instead of structures and single species, add ecological insurance to all projects, identify a probabilistic range of possible outcomes instead of a reference condition, expand the spatial scale of efforts, and apply hierarchical approaches to prioritization. Prominent examples of restoration methods or approaches that are commonly used despite little evidence to support their efficacy are highlighted such as the use of only structural enhancements to restore biodiversity. There are also major gaps in scientific knowledge that are of immediate need to policy makers, managers, and restoration practitioners including: predictive frameworks to guide the restoration of ecological processes, identification of social-ecological feedbacks that constrain ecosystem recovery and data to support decisions of where and how to implement restoration projects to achieve the largest gains. I encourage ecologists to respond to the demand for their scientific input so that restoration can shift from an engineering-driven process to a more sustainable enterprise that fully integrates ecological processes and social science methods.

Regional Governance of Flood Management in the Central Valley

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 30th, 2014

California faces significant challenges in managing its highly variable water resources, particularly as climate change and a growing population exacerbate drought and fl

California faces significant challenges in managing its highly variable water resources, particularly as climate change and a growing population exacerbate drought and flood risks.  The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and other state agencies have been encouraging integrated approaches to water management, taking into account the connections between water supply, water quality, flood protection, and ecosystem health. The recent California Water Action Plan calls for improved coordination between local, state and federal agencies and tribal governments in order to develop multi-­benefit water management strategies. Regional-­scale planning has become a crucial avenue for advancing these efforts. Initiated in 2002, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning (IRWM) process has led to the formation of 48 water planning regions statewide, in which diverse local agencies have developed integrated plans for managing all aspects of a region’s water management. More recently, a Regional Flood Management Planning (RFMP) process was created in the context of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan to advance integrated approaches to reducing flood risks. Six flood planning regions, overlapping with nine IRWM regions, were formed in 2012. This study analyzes the origins and functioning of the IRWM and RFMP processes, and the degree of coordination between them to address flood risks in the Central Valley. In particular, it examines how each is working to generate multi-­benefit strategies, and how they account for climate change. It also discusses opportunities for future coordination between the IRWM and RFMP processes, and DWR’s role in supporting this. This study is primarily based upon an analysis of publicly available documents related to the IRWM and RFMP processes. It is also informed by meeting observations and conversations with staff at DWR and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, and participants in IRWM and RFMP processes. Since RFMPs were not yet completed at the time of this writing, this study’s findings are preliminary. Nonetheless, this report provides an indication of the overall functioning of these RFMP and IRWM regions, and some general considerations for DWR as it assesses next steps in supporting these programs.

Regional Ground-Water Evapotranspiration and Ground-Water Budgets, Great Basin, Nevada

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 1st, 2000

Regional land subsidence accompanying groundwater extraction

Hydrogeology Journal (Springer) | August 26th, 2011

The extraction of groundwater can generate land subsidence by causing the compaction of susceptible aquifer systems, typically unconsolidated alluvial or basin-fill aquif

The extraction of groundwater can generate land subsidence by causing the compaction of susceptible aquifer systems, typically unconsolidated alluvial or basin-fill aquifer systems comprising aquifers and aquitards. Various ground-based and remotely sensed methods are used to measure and map subsidence. Many areas of subsidence caused by groundwater pumping have been identified and monitored, and corrective measures to slow or halt subsidence have been devised. Two principal means are used to mitigate subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal—reduction of groundwater withdrawal, and artificial recharge. Analysis and simulation of aquifer-system compaction follow from the basic relations between head, stress, compressibility, and groundwater flow and are addressed primarily using two approaches—one based on conventional groundwater flow theory and one based on linear poroelasticity theory. Research and development to improve the assessment and analysis of aquifer-system compaction, the accompanying subsidence and potential ground ruptures are needed in the topic areas of the hydromechanical behavior of aquitards, the role of horizontal deformation, the application of differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry, and the regional-scale simulation of coupled groundwater flow and aquifer-system deformation to support resource management and hazard mitigation measures.

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Field Sampling Report 2016

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | June 1st, 2017

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) is the primary source for long-term contaminant monitoring information for the Bay. The RMP

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) is the primary source for long-term contaminant monitoring information for the Bay. The RMP is an innovative and collaborative effort among the scientific community, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board), and the regulated discharger community. The Program was initiated by the Water Board as a pilot study in 1989 and has been collecting water, sediment, and bivalve tissue data since its official inception in 1993. Regular monitoring of sport fish tissue and bird eggs for toxic contaminants was incorporated into the Program in 1997 and 2006, respectively.

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay 2017 Detailed Workplan and Budget

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | November 1st, 2016

In 2017 the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) is entering its 25th year of collecting data and communicating information to suppor

In 2017 the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) is entering its 25th year of collecting data and communicating information to support water quality management decisions. This Detailed Workplan and Budget describes the activities that will be completed in 2017 and their proposed funding levels.

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay Multi-Year Plan 2019 Annual Update

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | May 1st, 2019

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay, 2020 Detailed Workplan and Budget

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | December 1st, 2019

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) for Water Quality in the San Francisco Bay, Multi-Year Plan 2020 Annual Update

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | January 6th, 2020

In 1992 the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board passed Resolution No. 92-043 directing the Executive Officer to send a letter to regulated dischargers requiring the

In 1992 the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board passed Resolution No. 92-043 directing the Executive Officer to send a letter to regulated dischargers requiring them to implement a regional multi-media pollutant monitoring program for water quality (RMP) in San Francisco Bay. The Water Board’s regulatory authority to require such a program comes from California Water Code Sections 13267, 13383, 13268 and 13385. The Water Board offered to suspend some effluent and local receiving water monitoring requirements for individual discharges to provide cost savings to implement baseline portions of the RMP, although they recognized additional resources would be necessary. The Resolution also included a provision that the requirement for a RMP be included in discharger permits. The RMP began in 1993, and over ensuing years has been a successful and effective partnership of regulatory agencies and the regulated community.

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Small Tributaries Loading Strategy: Modeling and Trends Strategy 2018

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | September 3rd, 2018

The Small Tributaries Loading Strategy (STLS) (SFEI, 2009) is a collaboration between the RMP, the Water Board, and Bay Area stormwater programs to address information n

The Small Tributaries Loading Strategy (STLS) (SFEI, 2009) is a collaboration between the RMP, the Water Board, and Bay Area stormwater programs to address information needs associated with improving understanding about the sources, pathways, loads, trends, and management opportunities in relation to watershed-derived pollutants of concern (POCs). Elements contained in this Strategy may be conducted via RMP collaborative efforts, or independently by the Water Board or Bay Area stormwater programs outside of, but in coordination with the RMP. The current priority POCs are mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), for which there are identified impairments and cleanup plans in place. The San Francisco Bay Hg and PCBs total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) reports (SFRWQCB, 2006; SFRWQCB, 2007) call for a reduction in tributary loads by 50% and 90%, respectively. In response, from 2010-2015, during the first term of the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP 1.0) (SFRWQCB, 2009; 2011), a number of pilot efforts were initiated, focusing mainly on PCBs, to better understand the potential cost-effectiveness for a range of management options and the level of opportunity (the number of polluted sites or the amount of mass associated with polluted sites, property ownership and other factors). During the second term of the MRP (MRP 2.0) (SFRWQCB, 2015), efforts have been made to move from pilot testing to a greater amount of focused implementation. All of these past, current, and future efforts also aim to address (but at a lesser level) multiple benefits for other POCs including current-use pesticides and emerging contaminants, for which there is interest in monitoring the potential for biological impact. These are lower priority at the present, but in the longer term, the STLS Trends Strategy could address these and other POCs in a more focused manner.