A Spatiotemporal History of Key Pelagic Fish Species in the San Francisco Estuary, CA

Springer | April 11th, 2023

A Study of Economic and Financial Policies for State Water Projects

State of California | August 5th, 1959

A Summary of Water-Quality Monitoring in San Francisco Bay in Water Year 2017

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 1st, 2020

This report summarizes the activities of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) San Francisco Bay Water-Quality Monitoring and Sediment Transport Project during water

This report summarizes the activities of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) San Francisco Bay Water-Quality Monitoring and Sediment Transport Project during water year 2017, including an explanation of methods employed, stations operated, and a graphical summary of data for the period of record for stations operational in water year 2017. In cooperation with partner agencies, the USGS maintains a network of sensors that continuously and autonomously measures water-quality parameters in San Francisco Bay including water temperature, specific conductance, turbidity, and suspended-sediment concentration. Data are collected at several locations in the estuary by a network of water-quality sondes sampled at 15-minute intervals. Methods of data collection are presented along with documentation of the regression models utilized to estimate suspended-sediment concentration from observed turbidity, a commonly utilized surrogate to estimate suspended-sediment concentration. The goals of the data collection effort are to (1) obtain long-term, high-frequency, and high-quality data to describe San Francisco Bay water quality; (2) make the data publicly available on the USGS National Water Information System data portal; and (3) help improve understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of water quality in the estuary, informing management decisions regarding restoration, water supply, navigation, and ecology.

Accounting for Water "Wasted to the Sea"

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | April 19th, 2018

Freshwater outflow from the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is a contentious management issue. Once mixed with salt water of San Francisco Bay, outflow is often characteri

Freshwater outflow from the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is a contentious management issue. Once mixed with salt water of San Francisco Bay, outflow is often characterized as having no value for urban and agricultural water supply, and thus “wasted to the sea.” In the July issue of San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, Cloern et al. (2017) showed how outflow from the Delta provides multiple and diverse benefits to the San Francisco estuary. Rather than being “wasted,” this outflow improves ecosystem conditions and water quality, and reduces wastewater treatment costs. The Cloern et al. (2017) essay highlights the importance of considering the multiple benefits of water as it moves within and out of the Delta. To do this, however, California needs a better water accounting system. In this report, we present an alternative approach. For the period 1980–2016, we assign inflow to the Delta to four categories: 1. Water used for diversions, 2. Outflow needed to meet salinity standards for diversions, 3. Outflow to meet ecosystem regulations, and 4. Water that results in outflow because of a lack of capacity for diversion. This approach highlights that much of the outflow from the Delta — particularly during dry periods — achieves multiple economic and environmental benefits and is hardly “wasted to the sea.”

Achieving State Goals for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) | January 15th, 2015

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is a biodiverse ecosystem that covers about 1,150 square miles and supports over 700 species of fish and wildlife. The Delta is a

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is a biodiverse ecosystem that covers about 1,150 square miles and supports over 700 species of fish and wildlife. The Delta is an important source of water for the state and is used to convey water from Northern California to Southern California. The Delta faces several significant problems, including: (1) a decline in key native fish species, (2) reductions in the amount of Delta water available for use elsewhere, (3) water pollutants that cause harm to species and increase treatment costs, and (4) levees at significant risk of failure. The state has engaged in numerous efforts to address these problems and achieve its "coequal goals" for the Delta: water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration. There are many opportunities for the Legislature to improve the success of these efforts. We identified several issues for its consideration, including (1) demands for Delta water, (2) uncertain funding sources and slow implementation of some key activities, (3) limits on the effectiveness of governance in the Delta, and (4) challenges to restoring the Delta ecosystem. By addressing some of these issues, the Legislature can improve the likelihood that its goals and objectives for the Delta will be realized.

Adaptation Pathways: San Leandro Operational Landscape Unit

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | May 15th, 2022

Given the diverse uses and conditions of San Francisco Bay’s 400-mile shoreline, a framework is needed to guide development of adaptation strategies appropriate to loca

Given the diverse uses and conditions of San Francisco Bay’s 400-mile shoreline, a framework is needed to guide development of adaptation strategies appropriate to local conditions. Operational Landscape Units (OLUs), outlined for the San Francisco Bay in the San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas (SFEI and SPUR 2019), share common physical characteristics and therefore can benefit from being managed as individual units. OLUs cross traditional jurisdictional boundaries (cities, counties), and instead follow the boundaries of natural processes like tides, waves, and sediment movement. By planning at the OLU scale, it is possible to prioritize adaptation strategies that work synergistically. Coordinated OLU planning can help avoid unintended impacts on neighboring locales and identify synergies to make use of limited resources in a more efficient manner.

Adapting Restoration for a Changing Climate Symposium

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | November 5th, 2021

Adaptive Management and Science for the Delta Ecosystem

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | October 1st, 2013

Using science to adaptively guide management for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is widely talked about as good public policy.  Almost every agency, stakeholder, and pl

Using science to adaptively guide management for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is widely talked about as good public policy.  Almost every agency, stakeholder, and planning process professes support and has its own adaptive management and science efforts.  But highly fragmented adaptive management and science cannot solve such urgent complex problems. California’s 2009 Delta Reform Act recognized that meeting the co-equal goals of a sustainable ecosystem and water supply reliability in the Delta required major changes in governance, planning, and management. Such changes also require major changes in how science is organized and employed in management. Here is a straw proposal for integrating the many parochial science and adaptive management programs for the Delta.

Addendum to the State Water Project and Central Valley Project Drought Contingency Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | August 31st, 2022

This Addendum includes current hydrologic conditions, plus updates on the following: operations status and the latest SWP and CVP (collectively referred to as Projects) o

This Addendum includes current hydrologic conditions, plus updates on the following: operations status and the latest SWP and CVP (collectively referred to as Projects) operations forecasts; species status; and known WY 2022 drought actions.

Addressing Multiple Stressors and Multiple Goals in the Delta Plan

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | January 26th, 2011