North Coast

Reconnaissance of Acid Drainage Sources and Preliminary Evaluation of Remedial Alternatives at the Copper Bluff Mine, Hoopa Valley Reservation, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | August 26th, 2003

Acidic drainage from the inactive Copper Bluff mine cascades down a steep embankment into the Trinity River, on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in northern California. The C

Acidic drainage from the inactive Copper Bluff mine cascades down a steep embankment into the Trinity River, on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in northern California. The Copper Bluff mine produced about 100,000 tons of sulfide-bearing copper-zinc-gold-silver ore during 1957–1962. This report summarizes the results of a water-resources investigation begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1994 with the overall objective of gathering sufficient geochemical, hydrologic, and geologic information so that a sound remediation strategy for the Copper Bluff mine could be selected and implemented by the Hoopa Valley Tribe. This study had the following specific objectives: (1) monitor the quality and quantity of the mine discharge, (2) determine seasonal variability of metal concentrations and loads, (3) map and sample the underground mine workings to determine sources of flow and suitability of mine plugging options, and (4) analyze the likely consequences of various remediation and treatment options.

Record-Setting Ocean Warmth Continued in 2019

Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (Springer) | February 1st, 2020

Human-emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) have resulted in a long-term and unequivocal warming of the planet (IPCC, 2019). More than 90% of the excess heat is stored within

Human-emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) have resulted in a long-term and unequivocal warming of the planet (IPCC, 2019). More than 90% of the excess heat is stored within the world’s oceans, where it accumulates and causes increases in ocean temperature (Rhein et al., 2013; Abram et al., 2019). Because the oceans are the main repository of the Earth’s energy imbalance, measuring ocean heat content (OHC) is one of the best ways to quantify the rate of global warming (Trenberth et al., 2016; Von Schuckmann et al., 2016; Cheng et al., 2018). Following reports released in the previous two years (Cheng and Zhu, 2018; Cheng et al., 2019c), this article presents new OHC data for the year 2019. These data reveal that the world’s oceans (especially the upper 2000 m) in 2019 were the warmest in recorded human history. Specifically, the ocean heat anomaly (0−2000 m) in 2019 was 228 Zetta Joules (ZJ, 1 ZJ=1021 Joules) above the 1981−2010 average and 25 ZJ above 2018 (Table 1). The OHC values (for the upper 2000 m) were obtained from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) ocean analysis (see “Data and methods” section, below), which uses a relatively new method to treat data sparseness and updates in the instruments that have been used to measure ocean temperature (Cheng et al., 2017). The evolution of OHC (Fig. 1) shows that the upper 2000 m OHC in 2019 was 228 ± 9 ZJ above the 1981–2010 average. The record-setting ocean warmth is also found in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Center for Environmental Information (NOAA/NCEI) data, showing 217± 4 ZJ in 2019 above the 1981−2010 average (21 ZJ above 2018) (Table 1) (updated from Levitus et al. 2012). With these newly available IAP data, a ranking of the warmest years since the 1950s is now possible (Table 1). The past five years are the top five warmest years in the ocean historically with modern instruments, and the past ten years are also the top ten years on record. The same ranking also applies to NOAA/NCEI data (Table 1).

Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) | September 23rd, 2013

The Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California features five endangered species: two endangered animals, California clapper rail (Rallus

The Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California features five endangered species: two endangered animals, California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) and salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) and three endangered plants, Cirsium hydrophilum var. hydrophilum (Suisun thistle), Chloropyron molle ssp. molle (soft bird’s-beak), and Suaeda californica (California sea-blite). The biology of these species is at the core of the recovery plan, but the goal of this effort is the comprehensive restoration and management of tidal marsh1 ecosystems. This recovery plan is an expansion and revision of The California Clapper Rail and Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1984). The historic distribution of the California clapper rail encompasses major tidal marshes between Humboldt Bay and Morro Bay, defining the approximate geographic scope of this recovery plan. In addition to the California clapper rail and the salt marsh harvest mouse, the plan also covers three focal listed plant species that were listed as federally endangered in the 1990s and the northernmost population of an additional plant species. Two of the species, Cirsium hydrophilum var. hydrophilum and Chloropyron molle ssp. molle (this species’ former name is Cordylanthus mollis ssp. mollis which is how it appears on the List of Threatened and Endangered Species, but we use the currently accepted name here), are restricted to the northern reaches of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. The other endangered tidal marsh plant, Suaeda californica, historically occurred in both San Francisco Bay and Morro Bay but, except for three reintroductions to San Francisco Bay, is now restricted to Morro Bay. Another federally listed plant, Chloropyron maritimum ssp. maritimum (salt marsh bird’s-beak; formerly Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. maritimus), has its northern range limit in Morro Bay. Morro Bay was omitted from the Salt Marsh Bird’s-beak Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1985a) because the taxonomic interpretation at the time classified this population in another subspecies that is not federally listed. Current taxonomic interpretation considers the Morro Bay population as Chloropyron maritimum ssp. maritimum. It is included in this recovery plan due to its co-location with Suaeda californica in Morro Bay. Though recovery strategies and actions are provided for the Morro Bay population of C. maritimum ssp. maritimum, recovery criteria are not, therefore, the species should not be considered covered by the recovery portion of the document. In addition, this recovery plan addresses 11 species or subspecies of concern. These include the salt marsh wandering shrew (Sorex vagrans halicoetes), Suisun shrew (Sorex ornatus sinuosus), San Pablo vole (Microtus californicus sanpabloensis), California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus), three song sparrow subspecies of the San Francisco Bay Estuary (Alameda song sparrow [Melospiza melodia ssp. pusillula], Suisun song sparrow [M.m. maxillaris] and San Pablo song sparrow [M.m. samuelis]), saltmarsh common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas sinuosa), old man tiger beetle (Cicindela senilis senilis), Lathryrus jepsonii ssp. jepsonii (delta tule pea), and Spartina foliosa (Pacific cordgrass). These species occur in a variety of tidal marsh habitats where they are limited by the requirements of moisture, salinity, topography, soil types, and climatic conditions. Adjacent uplands and ecotone areas are also crucial habitats for many of these species. Primary threats to all the listed species include historical and current habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban development, agriculture, and diking related to duck hunting; altered hydrology and salinity; non-native invasive species; inadequate regulatory mechanisms; disturbance; contamination; risk of extinction due to small population size; and the most central threat, sea level rise due to climate change.

Redefining expectations for urban water supply systems to fight wildfires

Springer Nature | March 5th, 2025

When considering massive new costs for urban water systems to fight wildfires, we also need to look hard at the distribution of benefits from these investments, and desig

When considering massive new costs for urban water systems to fight wildfires, we also need to look hard at the distribution of benefits from these investments, and design legal and fiscal cost recovery mechanisms that align with those benefits. In the service area for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, greatly expanding capacity for water supply and fire-flow for the highest-elevation areas of the city would be delivering a benefit to communities that are much wealthier, on average, than the rest of the city. There is danger of placing a burden on less-resourced households to pay for the protection of well-resourced households, which would compound existing and profound environmental inequities in the city.

Regional patterns in hydrologic response, a new three-component metric for hydrograph analysis and implications for ecohydrology, Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area, USA

Journal of Hydrology (Elsevier) | June 12th, 2020

Spatial patterns of hydrologic response were examined for the Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area (NVASA). The utility of established hydrograph-separation methods for

Spatial patterns of hydrologic response were examined for the Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area (NVASA). The utility of established hydrograph-separation methods for assessing hydrologic response in permeable volcanic terranes was assessed and a new three-component metric for hydrograph analysis was developed. The new metric, which partitions streamflow into subcomponents defined by the timescales of hydrologic response (e.g., fast-runoff, intermediate-interflow and slow-baseflow), was used to gain a fundamental understanding of the regional hydrology, investigate sub-regional differences, influencing factors, and ecohydrological implications. The combined effects of NVASA’s physiography, climate and geology create a strongly coupled surface-groundwater system that produces copious baseflow and limited quantities of runoff and interflow. Patterns of hydrologic response are influenced by the type and rate of precipitation and permeability of the underlying geology. Under variable precipitation conditions the hydrologic response of volcanic terranes with similar permeability and subsurface-storage capacity can be significantly different. From a water management and ecohydrology perspective, understanding regional patterns of hydrologic response and sub-regional differences is fundamental. Results indicate that minimum-flow methods provide the most conservative estimate of baseflow and may be the most robust for filtering out snowmelt bias in baseflow estimates. Baseflow contributes ∼75% of the perennial streamflow across the NVASA and represents a critical component of the regional water supply that provides critical cold-water habitat.

Report Card for California's Infrastructure 2019

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | May 9th, 2019

Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries for the State of California for the Years 1883-4

State of California | January 31st, 1885

Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of California for the Year 1880

State of California | January 31st, 1881

Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of California for the Years 1870 and 1871

State of California | January 31st, 1872

Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of California for the Years 1872 and 1873

California Fish and Game Commission | January 30th, 1874