San Francisco Bay

Contaminants of Emerging Concern in San Francisco Bay: A Strategy for Future Investigations. 2017 Revision

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

More than 100,000 chemicals have been registered or approved for commercial use in the US. For many of these chemicals, major information gaps limit evaluations of their

More than 100,000 chemicals have been registered or approved for commercial use in the US. For many of these chemicals, major information gaps limit evaluations of their potential risks, and environmental monitoring of these chemicals has not been required by regulatory agencies. Nevertheless, researchers and government agencies have begun to collect occurrence, fate, and toxicity data for a number of these chemicals.  As a result, a growing number of chemicals have been classified as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), broadly defined as synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that are not regulated or commonly monitored in the environment, but have the potential to enter the environment and cause adverse ecological or human health impacts. The primary challenge for scientists and regulators is investigating and managing this ever-expanding number of emerging contaminants to ensure that they do not harm human and ecological health. The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) has been investigating CECs since 2001, and established a formal workgroup to address the issue in 2006. The RMP Emerging Contaminants Workgroup (ECWG) includes representatives from RMP stakeholder groups, regional scientists, and an advisory panel of expert researchers that work together to address the Workgroup’s guiding management questions.

Continuous water-quality and suspended-sediment transport monitoring in San Francisco Bay, California, water years 2020–21

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | December 29th, 2022

Continuous Water-Quality and Suspended-Sediment Transport Monitoring in the San Francisco Bay, California, Water Years 2011–13

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | September 23rd, 2014

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water quality and suspended-sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Bay area is home to millions of peop

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water quality and suspended-sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Bay area is home to millions of people, and the bay teems with both resident and migratory wildlife, plants, and fish. Fresh water mixes with salt water in the bay, which is subject both to riverine and marine (tides, waves, influx of salt water) influences. To understand this environment, the USGS, along with its partners (see “Acknowledgements”), has been monitoring the bay’s waters continuously since 1988. Several water-quality variables are of particular importance to State and Federal resource managers and are monitored at key locations throughout the bay (fig. 1). Salinity, which indicates the relative mixing of fresh and ocean waters in the bay, is derived from specific conductance measurements. Water temperature, along with salinity, affects the density of water, which causes gravity driven circulation patterns and stratification in the water column. Turbidity is measured using light-scattering from suspended solids in water, and is used as a surrogate for suspended-sediment concentration (SSC). Suspended sediment often carries adsorbed contaminants; attenuates sunlight in the water column; deposits on tidal marsh and intertidal mudflats, which can help sustain these habitats as sea level rises; and deposits in ports and shipping channels, which can necessitate dredging. Dissolved oxygen, which is essential to a healthy ecosystem, is a fundamental indicator of water quality, and its concentration is affected by water temperature, salinity, ecosystem metabolism, tidal currents, and wind. Tidal currents in the bay reverse four times a day, and wind direction and intensity typically change on a daily cycle: consequently, salinity, water temperature, suspended sediment concentration, and dissolved oxygen concentration vary spatially and temporally throughout the bay, and continuous measurements are needed to observe these changes. The purpose of this fact sheet is to inform the public and resource managers of the availability of these water-quality data.

Continuous water-quality and suspended-sediment transport monitoring in the San Francisco Bay, California, water years 2016–17

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | April 28th, 2020

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water quality and suspended-sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay (Bay) as part of a multi-agency effort to add

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water quality and suspended-sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay (Bay) as part of a multi-agency effort to address estuary management, water supply, and ecological concerns. The San Francisco Bay area is home to millions of people, and the Bay teems with plants and both resident and migratory wildlife, and fish. Freshwater mixes with salt water in the Bay and is subject to riverine influences (floods, droughts, managed reservoir releases, and freshwater diversions) and marine influences (tides, waves, and effects of salt water). To understand this environment, the USGS along with its cooperators (see “Acknowledgments”), has been monitoring the Bay’s waters continuously since 1988.

Contributions of Climate Change and ENSO Variability to Future Precipitation Extremes Over California

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | June 14th, 2023

Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, Final Environmental Impact Statement

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | November 30th, 2015

Costs of Ecosystem Management Actions for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | April 22nd, 2013

California is at a critical juncture on policy for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This report summarizes the results of a wide-ranging study of cost-effective wa

California is at a critical juncture on policy for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This report summarizes the results of a wide-ranging study of cost-effective ways to improve the health of the Delta ecosystem. It highlights the need for science-based, integrated management of the many sources of ecosystem stress. The report also recommends improvements to the highly fragmented system of oversight that now involves dozens of federal, state, and local agencies. Several companion reports contain related findings: Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Mount et al. 2012) summarizes the science of Delta ecosystem stressors for a policymaking audience. Integrated Management of Delta Stressors: Institutional and Legal Options (Gray et al. 2013) lays out proposals for institutional reform of science, management, and regulation. Scientist and Stakeholder Views on the Delta Ecosystem (Hanak et al. 2013) presents detailed results of the two surveys conducted by the report’s authors. Stress Relief: Prescriptions for a Healthier Delta Ecosystem (Hanak et al. 2013) summarizes the overall research project and the recommendations it generated. Where the Wild Things Aren’t: Making the Delta a Better Place for Native Species (Moyle et al. 2012) outlines a realistic long-term vision for achieving a healthier ecosystem.

Counties Wresting Control: Local Responses to California's Statewide Water Market

University of Denver Water Law Review (UDWLR) | January 1st, 2003

Critical Assessment of the Delta Smelt Population in the San Francisco Estuary, California

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | July 1st, 2005

Cruise Plan: 2016 Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Bivalve Deployment Cruise

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | June 2nd, 2016

This report details plans associated with the biennial Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) bivalve deployment cruise. This Cr

This report details plans associated with the biennial Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) bivalve deployment cruise. This Cruise Plan was developed based upon the decisions of the RMP Technical Review Committee in 2002 to reduce the number of bivalve transplant stations from twelve to nine, utilize deployment cages rather than bags at all stations, and deploy only Mytilus californianus. These changes went into effect with the 2003 program and continued through the 2012 deployments. In 2014, the RMP Technical Review Committee reduced bivalve deployment transplant stations from 9 to 7 stations, 3 of which are back-up deployment sites. In addition, as instituted initially with the 2006 deployments, there is no mid-deployment maintenance cruise, as previous analyses showed no difference in bivalve growth or survival between maintained and unmaintained deployments.