Sacramento River

Preseason Report II Proposed Alternatives and Environmental Assessment Part 2 for 2019 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations (PRE II)

Pacific Fishery Management Council | March 21st, 2019

Preseason Report III Council Adopted Management Measures and Environmental Assessment Part 3 for 2019 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations (PRE III)

Pacific Fishery Management Council | April 30th, 2019

Primary Production in the Delta: Then and Now

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | October 3rd, 2016

To evaluate the role of restoration in the recovery of the Delta ecosystem, we need to have clear targets and performance measures that directly assess ecosystem function

To evaluate the role of restoration in the recovery of the Delta ecosystem, we need to have clear targets and performance measures that directly assess ecosystem function. Primary production is a crucial ecosystem process, which directly limits the quality and quantity of food available for secondary consumers such as invertebrates and fish. The Delta has a low rate of primary production, but it is unclear whether this was always the case. Recent analyses from the Historical Ecology Team and Delta Landscapes Project provide quantitative comparisons of the areal extent of 14 habitat types in the modern Delta versus the historical Delta (pre-1850). Here we describe an approach for using these metrics of land use change to: (1) produce the first quantitative estimates of how Delta primary production and the relative contributions from five different producer groups have been altered by large-scale drainage and conversion to agriculture; (2) convert these production estimates into a common currency so the contributions of each producer group reflect their food quality and efficiency of transfer to consumers; and (3) use simple models to discover how tidal exchange between marshes and open water influences primary production and its consumption. Application of this approach could inform Delta management in two ways. First, it would provide a quantitative estimate of how large-scale conversion to agriculture has altered the Delta's capacity to produce food for native biota. Second, it would provide restoration practitioners with a new approach—based on ecosystem function—to evaluate the success of restoration projects and gauge the trajectory of ecological recovery in the Delta region.

Primary Production in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: A Science Strategy to Quantify Change and Identify Future Potential

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | May 20th, 2019

Today’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an unusually low-productivity estuary. The constraints on primary production and the relative importance of different production

Today’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an unusually low-productivity estuary. The constraints on primary production and the relative importance of different production sources to the food web are major ecological uncertainties in the Delta system. Understanding how the extensive historical changes in the Delta landscape have altered primary production has the potential to inform restoration planning and management across the region.  The Delta Landscapes Project (SFEI-ASC 2014) has recently produced information that allows us, for the first time, to answer questions about historical primary production and carrying capacity from quantified changes in the areal extent and spatial configuration of habitat types in the Delta since the mid-19th century. Our focus is on estimating primary production because the potential capacity of ecosystems to support fish, bird and other wildlife populations is set by primary production – the supply of food required to produce animal biomass. 

Principles for Agreement on Bay-Delta Standards Between the State of California and the Federal Government

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | December 15th, 1994

In order to provide ecosystem protection for the Bay-Delta Estuary, representatives of the State and Federal governments and urban, agricultural and environmental interes

In order to provide ecosystem protection for the Bay-Delta Estuary, representatives of the State and Federal governments and urban, agricultural and environmental interests agree to the implementation of a Bay-Delta protection plan through the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) consistent with the following principles.These Principles describe changes to the California Urban Water Agency/-Agricultural Water Users (CUWAIAG) proposal as the base case for Bay-Delta protections, which are intended to be in force for three years, at which time they may be revised.

Priorities for California's Water: Responding to the Changing Climate

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | November 18th, 2021

Water is central to how California adapts to a changing climate. To those of us steeped in the complexities of managing the state’s water resources, the current fast-mo

Water is central to how California adapts to a changing climate. To those of us steeped in the complexities of managing the state’s water resources, the current fast-moving drought—coming on the heels of the record-breaking 2012–16 drought—is a stark reminder that we must accelerate preparation for the disruptive changes underway. Californians have taken steps to address major threats to our water resources. But a recent IPCC report underscored that the climate is changing faster than anticipated, and that many of these changes are already locked in. Rising temperatures are making our winters shorter and our droughts more intense, outpacing our ability to manage water supplies and the natural environment. We need to act with urgency to adapt to these changes. And we need to rethink how we store water. This brief examines how the current drought and a changing climate are affecting California’s ability to manage water and lays out priority actions to address major challenges—including some urgent short-term actions should the drought continue into next year.

Priorities for California’s Water

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | November 14th, 2022

This report considers the state of water in California: What changes are we seeing now, and what should we expect in the near future? Then it examines how these climate s

This report considers the state of water in California: What changes are we seeing now, and what should we expect in the near future? Then it examines how these climate shifts will impact urban and rural communities, agriculture, and the environment. Finally, it explores wet-year strategies that will help Californians get through the dry years.

Priorities for California’s Water -- Stewarding the Wet Years

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | November 2nd, 2023

The 2023 water year provided a case study of California’s increasingly volatile climate, with large swings between wet and dry conditions both within and between years.

The 2023 water year provided a case study of California’s increasingly volatile climate, with large swings between wet and dry conditions both within and between years. It highlighted our need to better navigate multiple imperatives: storing more water during intense wet periods to build water supply reliability, protecting communities and infrastructure against the threat of increasingly damaging floods, and taking better advantage of wet years to improve the health of freshwater ecosystems and native fish and wildlife.

Priorities for California’s Water: Advancing Research During Uncertain Times

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | November 12th, 2025

In California, research underpins all water-related activity. It is vital for coping with too much water, too little water, and rapid changes in hydrology. Whether you ar

In California, research underpins all water-related activity. It is vital for coping with too much water, too little water, and rapid changes in hydrology. Whether you are a farmer managing the precise application of water to your crops, a utility providing clean drinking water supplies to your community, or a restorationist trying to heal a damaged wetland, your actions rely upon decades of applied research that guides your actions and measures your success.  The same reliance on research applies if you are developing policies to reduce the price of water, increase its reliability, regulate its usage, and reduce hazards from floods. None of this works without a vast research enterprise that is regularly updating the science and technology we use to manage water, prepare for the future, inform the public, and address new problems as they arise. 

Priorities for California’s Water: Are We Ready for Climate Change?

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | November 12th, 2024

California faces many immediate challenges around water management, but as the record-breaking heat of 2024 makes clear, temperatures are rising—and Californians are co

California faces many immediate challenges around water management, but as the record-breaking heat of 2024 makes clear, temperatures are rising—and Californians are contending with the consequences. In a PPIC poll earlier this year, residents named climate change, forest fires and wildfires, and water supply and drought as the most important environmental issues facing the state.