San Francisco Bay

Independent Review Panel (IRP) Report for the 2017 Long-term Operations Biological Opinions (LOBO) Biennial Science Review (January 24, 2018)

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | January 31st, 2018

Independent Review Panel Report for the 2016 California WaterFix Aquatic Science Peer Review

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | May 12th, 2016

This report presents the findings of the 2016 California WaterFix Aquatic Science Peer Review. An Independent Review Panel was convened by the Delta Science Program to pr

This report presents the findings of the 2016 California WaterFix Aquatic Science Peer Review. An Independent Review Panel was convened by the Delta Science Program to provide the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) with an independent scientific evaluation of the methods and approaches for developing the joint Biological Opinion requirements and analyses prepared for the CDFW 2081(b) Incidental Take Permit application for the California WaterFix. The Panel was charged with reviewing: (1) selected sections of the Biological Assessment (BA) that seeks to predict the effects of the WaterFix project on Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed species and their designated critical habitats, (2) the draft Analytical Approach to developing the joint Biological Opinion (AABO) and (3) the proposed methods for assessing project effects on Longfin Smelt. After reviewing a set of documents (Appendix 1), the Panel participated in a public meeting in Sacramento, CA on April 5-6, 2016. On the first day of this meeting, the Panel interacted with agency representatives following their presentations on the three topics above. On day 2, the Panel communicated and discussed its preliminary findings to agency representatives and the public. This report summarizes the Panel’s findings and recommendations in full detail.

Independent Review Panel Report for the 2016-2017 California WaterFix Aquatic Science Peer Review Phase 2A

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | March 7th, 2017

This report presents the Phase 2A findings of the 2016-2017 California WaterFix (CWF) Aquatic Science Peer Review. An Independent Review Panel (Panel; Appendix 1) was con

This report presents the Phase 2A findings of the 2016-2017 California WaterFix (CWF) Aquatic Science Peer Review. An Independent Review Panel (Panel; Appendix 1) was convened by the Delta Science Program to provide the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to obtain the views of experts not involved in the CWF Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation and 2081(b) permit on the use of best available scientific information as it pertains to analyses of effects on aquatic California ESA (CESA)-listed species in the California WaterFix Incidental Take Permit Application [2081(b) application]. The agencies further requested review of the Adaptive Management Framework proposed to integrate future scientific research, monitoring, and decision making during construction and operations of CWF. Accordingly, the Panel was charged specifically with reviewing: (1) the draft Adaptive Management Framework for CWF and (2) the 2081(b) application analyses of the CWF impacts of take for winter-run Chinook Salmon, spring-run Chinook Salmon, Delta Smelt, and Longfin Smelt. After reviewing the charge (Appendix 2) and a set of prescribed documents (Appendix 3), the Panel participated in a public meeting in Sacramento, California on December 8-9, 2016. On the first day of this meeting, the Panel interacted with agency representatives following their presentations on the topics above. On the second day, the Panel communicated and discussed its preliminary findings to agency representatives and the public (Appendix 4).

Information Needs for Water Markets: Fair and Effective Water Markets Require Adequate Measurement and Reporting of Diversion and Use

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) | November 14th, 2024

Initial Alternatives Information Report for the North/Central Delta Improvement Study (Delta Cross Channel, Franks Tract, and Through- Delta Facility Evaluation)

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | March 17th, 2010

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) are evaluating the feasibility o

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) are evaluating the feasibility of using conveyance and operations actions in the north and central region of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) to improve water quality and fish conditions. Specifically, Reclamation is evaluating the feasibility of these actions in the North/Central Delta Improvement Study (NoCDIS or Study). The Initial Alternatives Information Report (IAIR) identifies, discusses, and screens measures to address the problems and opportunities. These measures are used to develop initial alternatives. Initial alternatives from the IAIR will be incorporated into and refined in the subsequent Plan Formulation Report (PFR). Subject to continued appropriations and a determination of federal interest, the Study should culminate in an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and a Feasibility Report. Reclamation is the federal lead agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, and DWR is the state lead agency for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance.

Inner Workings: Big wildfires mobilize mercury. What are the risks to surface water?

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | July 6th, 2021

The landscape was still smoldering in October 2020 as Jeff Prancevic and Charles Alpers, part of a multidisciplinary team of US Geological Survey (USGS) researchers, drov

The landscape was still smoldering in October 2020 as Jeff Prancevic and Charles Alpers, part of a multidisciplinary team of US Geological Survey (USGS) researchers, drove into the scorched hills above Lake Berryessa in California. Masked and traveling separately because of the pandemic, the team met up at EcoCamp Berryessa, a site that had recently hosted firefighters as they battled the LNU Lightning Complex fires in Northern California. The USGS team was there to sample soils and ash amidst the devastation.

Innovation in Monitoring: The U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California, Flow-Station Network

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 1st, 2016

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed the first gage to measure the flow of water into California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta from the Sacramento River

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed the first gage to measure the flow of water into California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta from the Sacramento River in the late 1800s. Today, a network of 35 hydro-acoustic meters measure flow throughout the delta. This region is a critical part of California’s freshwater supply and conveyance system. With the data provided by this flow-station network—sampled every 15 minutes and updated to the web every hour—state and federal water managers make daily decisions about how much freshwater can be pumped for human use, at which locations, and when. Fish and wildlife scientists, working with water managers, also use this information to protect fish species affected by pumping and loss of habitat. The data are also used to help determine the success or failure of efforts to restore ecosystem processes in what has been called the “most managed and highly altered” watershed in the country.

Insights into estuary habitat loss in the western United States using a new method for mapping maximum extent of tidal wetlands

PLOS | August 14th, 2019

Effective conservation and restoration of estuarine wetlands require accurate maps of their historical and current extent, as well as estimated losses of these va

Effective conservation and restoration of estuarine wetlands require accurate maps of their historical and current extent, as well as estimated losses of these valued habitats. Existing coast-wide tidal wetland mapping does not explicitly map historical tidal wetlands that are now disconnected from the tides, which represent restoration opportunities; nor does it use water level models or high-resolution elevation data (e.g. lidar) to accurately identify current tidal wetlands. To better inform estuarine conservation and restoration, we generated new maps of current and historical tidal wetlands for the entire contiguous U.S. West Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California). The new maps are based on an Elevation-Based Estuary Extent Model (EBEEM) that combines lidar digital elevation models (DEMs) and water level models to establish the maximum historical extent of tidal wetlands, representing a major step forward in mapping accuracy for restoration planning and analysis of wetland loss. Building from this new base, we also developed an indirect method for mapping tidal wetland losses, and created maps of these losses for 55 estuaries on the West Coast (representing about 97% of historical West Coast vegetated tidal wetland area). Based on these new maps, we estimated that total historical estuary area for the West Coast is approximately 735,000 hectares (including vegetated and nonvegetated areas), and that about 85% of vegetated tidal wetlands have been lost from West Coast estuaries. Losses were highest for major river deltas. The new maps will help interested groups improve action plans for estuarine wetland habitat restoration and conservation, and will also provide a better baseline for understanding and predicting future changes with projected sea level rise.

Installation of Bioretention Rain Gardens to Achieve Pollutant Reduction

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

Green infrastructure (GI) is a resilient approach to managing stormwater at its source while also delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits. GI uses vegetat

Green infrastructure (GI) is a resilient approach to managing stormwater at its source while also delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits. GI uses vegetation, soils, and other elements to restore more natural watershed processes that mimic nature to soak up stormwater, provide habitat, clean the air, and filter out pollutants from urban stormwater runoff. GI can reduce peak flows and stream erosion; recharge groundwater; and improve water quality in urban stormwater that drains to San Francisco Bay. 

Integrated Management of Delta Stressors: Institutional and Legal Options

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

Despite some recent progress, the current institutional landscape for regulation and management of stressors in the in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is highly fragme

Despite some recent progress, the current institutional landscape for regulation and management of stressors in the in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is highly fragmented. A modest but powerful set of institutional changes can help produce better environmental outcomes while containing management costs—which are likely to exceed several hundred million dollars annually. This report lays out proposals for institutional reform.