Annual Report of Activities, October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014, Stanislaus Operations Group (SOG)

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | September 30th, 2014

Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | September 24th, 2015

The ubiquity of anthropogenic debris in hundreds of species of wildlife and the toxicity of chemicals associated with it has begun to raise concerns regarding the presenc

The ubiquity of anthropogenic debris in hundreds of species of wildlife and the toxicity of chemicals associated with it has begun to raise concerns regarding the presence of anthropogenic debris in seafood. We assessed the presence of anthropogenic debris in fishes and shellfish on sale for human consumption. We sampled from markets in Makassar, Indonesia and from California, USA. All fish and shellfish were identified to species where possible. Anthropogenic debris was extracted from the digestive tracts of fish and whole shellfish using a 10% KOH solution and quantified under a dissecting microscope. In Indonesia, anthropogenic debris was found in 28% of individual fish and in 55% of all species. Similarly, in the USA, anthropogenic debris was found in 25% of individual fish and in 67% of all species. Anthropogenic debris was also found in 33% of individual shellfish sampled. All of the anthropogenic debris recovered from fish in Indonesia was plastic, whereas anthropogenic debris recovered from fish in the USA was primarily fibers. Variations in debris types likely reflect different sources and waste management strategies between countries. We report some of the first findings of plastic debris in fishes directly sold for human consumption raising concerns regarding human health.

Anthropogenic Stressors and Changes in the Clear Lake Ecosystem as Recorded in Sediment Cores

Ecological Society of America (Wiley) | December 1st, 2008

Sediment cores were collected to investigate multiple stresses on Clear Lake, California, USA, through the period of European occupation to the present day. Earlier wor

Sediment cores were collected to investigate multiple stresses on Clear Lake, California, USA, through the period of European occupation to the present day. Earlier workers suggested the hypothesis that the use of mechanized earthmoving equipment, starting in the 1920s and 1930s, was responsible for erosion, mercury (Hg) contamination, and habitat loss stresses. Cores (;2.5 m in depth) were collected in 1996 and 2000 from each of the three arms of the lake. Carbon-14 dating suggests that these cores represent as much as 3000 years of the lake’s history, beginning long before European settlement. Total mercury (TotHg) and methylmercury (MeHg), dry matter, water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and the stable isotopes 13C and 15N were measured at 5-cm intervals. Nearly all parameters show major changes at depths of 58–135 cm, beginning at ca. 1927 (dated with 210Pb). Accepting this date for concomitant major changes in seven cores yields an estimated 8.6 mm/yr average sedimentation rate after 1927. Pre-1927 sedimentation rates were ;1 mm/yr. Total mercury and MeHg, dry matter, phosphorus, and 15N increase significantly, whereas nitrogen, sulfur, carbon, and water content decrease significantly above the 1927 horizon. Both TotHg and MeHg show extremely large increases (roughly 10-fold) above the 1927 horizon. A peak in inorganic deposition rate and minimum values for percentage of water is present at depths corresponding to ca. 1970. Interestingly, the first 75 years of European settlement in the Clear Lake basin (including the most productive years of the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine) appeared to have had undetectable effects on lake cores. Changes since 1927 were dramatic. The large increase in Hg beginning about 1927 corresponds to the use of heavy equipment to exploit the ore deposit at the mine using open-pit methods. Increases in sediment deposition from increased earthmoving in the basin and sulfate loading from the mine are the most likely explanations for the dramatic changes seen in the post-1927 sections of the cores.

Anticipating responses to climate change and planning for resilience in California’s freshwater ecosystems

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | July 29th, 2024

Application of Satellite Data to Model Storm Runoff Into Rosamond Dry Lake

Loyola Marymount University | October 15th, 2014

Antelope Valley is situated in Southern California and is bounded by the Tehachapi and the San Gabriel Mountains. It stretches over 2,200 mi2 and encompasses Rosamond Dry

Antelope Valley is situated in Southern California and is bounded by the Tehachapi and the San Gabriel Mountains. It stretches over 2,200 mi2 and encompasses Rosamond Dry Lake and the 1,200 mi2 watershed draining into it. The cities of Lancaster and Palmdale are the two major urban centers that lie in the watershed draining into Rosamond Dry Lake. The lake lies within the vicinity of the Edwards Air Force Base and provides an important site for aviation research and test operations in addition to ecosystem services. Hence, it is necessary to balance the need to remove water from the lake to support Edwards Air Force Base’s aircraft missions and the need to inundate the lake to protect the its surface and the ecosystem it supports. 

Applied Aquatic Science: A Business Plan for EcoAtlas

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | March 7th, 2017

The EcoAtlas suite of tools represents a significant investment of time, energy, thought, scientific testing, technical innovation, and capital from a number of state and

The EcoAtlas suite of tools represents a significant investment of time, energy, thought, scientific testing, technical innovation, and capital from a number of state and federal public agencies, grant programs, and NGOs over the course of its 17-year existence. The toolset embodies the scientific and programmatic investments of the California Wetland Monitoring Workgroup (CWMW), its many related state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private consultants, as well as the goals of the growing set of stakeholders who have expanded the circle of interested parties over the years. It is known by many names -- “WRAMP” being most common -- but in its essence it comprises the following tools:  ● EcoAtlas map viewer ● Project Tracker ● The California Aquatic Resources Inventory (CARI) map and editor tool ● The California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) ● The Riparian Zone Estimator Tool (RipZET) Now highly capable, the toolset represents more than science and technology alone, but a distillation of both, customized to meet specific goals associated with the landscape-scale tracking and characterization of California’s aquatic resources. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), for instance, has supported the toolset through multiple development grants so that the collected tools might be complementary to a still-nascent, statewide wetland protection program. Meanwhile, the state’s Coastal and Delta Conservancies require the use of the tool, and regional water boards -- including SF Bay, Lahontan, and North Coast -- regularly employ the tool for mitigation and restoration project tracking. Essentially, EcoAtlas has proven critical to a variety of programs and represents a successful product of broad-based collaboration. However, it currently stands at a crossroads, and its stakeholders must direct the toolset’s future. The following plan is intended to ensure the continued vitality of the toolset. The plan’s success will depend upon the continued collaboration of the public agencies that have supported the toolset thus far, but it must also integrate principles of resilience as it accounts for the tensions that arise as organizations move in different strategic directions. 

Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | May 5th, 2012

This report presents results from an analysis of the institutional and legal options for more effective ecosystem management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is pa

This report presents results from an analysis of the institutional and legal options for more effective ecosystem management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is part of a wide-ranging study on the management of multiple ecosystem stressors in the Delta. .

Aquatic Life Study Final Report

San Joaquin Valley Drainage Authority | January 6th, 2016

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long Term Sustainability (CV‐SALTS) is developing a comprehensive regulatory and programmatic approach to the management of sa

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long Term Sustainability (CV‐SALTS) is developing a comprehensive regulatory and programmatic approach to the management of salt and nitrate in the Central Valley that is consistent with the State Recycled Water Policy (SRWP). This work is being carried out collaboratively with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Water Board), the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), the Central Valley Salinity Coalition and Stakeholders. As stated in the CV‐SALTS Strategy and Framework document, the strategy to fulfill the requirements of the SRWP is to adopt a Central Valley Salt and Nitrate Management Plan (SNMP) and revise the Basin Plans applicable to the Central Valley to facilitate implementation of the SNMP. This effort includes a technical review of the state of science with regards to the establishment of appropriate water quality objectives (WQO) to protect surface water beneficial uses. This Aquatic Life Study was undertaken to evaluate the technical basis for the establishment of salinity‐related WQOs to protect aquatic life in the Central Valley. The findings of this analysis will be considered by CV‐SALTS during development and adoption of the SNMP.

Areas of Special Biological Significance: California’s Marine State Water Quality Protection Areas

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | April 1st, 2008

Designated March 21, 1974 (Resolution No. 74-28), April 18, 1974 (Resolution No. 74-32) and June 19, 1975 (Resolution No. 75-61) This printing of the publication, “A

Designated March 21, 1974 (Resolution No. 74-28), April 18, 1974 (Resolution No. 74-32) and June 19, 1975 (Resolution No. 75-61) This printing of the publication, “Areas of Special Biological Significance, California’s Marine State Water Quality Protection Areas,” replaces and supercedes the January 2003 edition. Changes were made to certain maps, primarily due to the availability of better Geographic Information System (GIS) data. Some of the offshore boundaries of the Areas of Special Biological Significance were adjusted to conform to the State’s three nautical mile (nm) limit.  Maps that were improved or modified are identified as being revised as of June 2003; maps that were not changed are still labeled as being created in January 2003. Assembly Bill 2800, approved by the Governor on September 8, 2000, added sections to the Public Resources Code (PRC) that are relevant to Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS). Section 36700 (f) of the PRC defines a state water quality protection area (SWQPA) as “a nonterrestrial marine or estuarine area designated to protect marine species or biological communities from an undesirable alteration in natural water quality, including, but not limited to, areas of special biological significance that have been designated by the State Water Resources Control Board through its water quality control planning process.” Section 36710 (f) of the Public Resources Code states: “In a state water quality protection area point source waste and thermal discharges shall be prohibited or limited by special conditions. Nonpoint source pollution shall be controlled to the extent practicable.” The change of the term Area of Special Biological Significance to State Water Quality Protection Area occurred on January 1, 2003 as required under Section 36750 of the PRC.  The Areas of Special Biological Significance were originally given numerical designations based on the State Water Resources Control Board resolutions in which they were established. These numerical designations are not related to their geographic positions along the coast. Previous editions of this publication (up to and including the 1999 edition) have provided maps of the ASBS in numerical rather than geographic order. For the current edition, maps of Areas of Special Biological Significance/State Water Quality Protection Areas are provided in geographic order from north to south.

Aspects of the Ecology of the Hitch, Lavinia Exilicauda (Cyprinidae), A Persistent Native Cyprinid in Clear Lake, California

Southwestern Naturalist | November 14th, 1980