The evolution of dam induced river fragmentation in the United States

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | June 28th, 2023

The Instream Flow Incremental Methodology: A Primer for IFIM

U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) | March 1st, 1995

This booklet is a primer on the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM). Our objective for this primer is to give you a short but comprehensive introduction to the b

This booklet is a primer on the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM). Our objective for this primer is to give you a short but comprehensive introduction to the background, philosophical and ecological underpinnings, individual components, and steps in applying IFIM. As a primer, we have tried to keep it simple. Scientific names and other technical details have been avoided, but the primer includes relevant definitions (with key words or phrases indicated in italics for their first use), summaries of the literature where you may wish to turn for further reading, and explanations to increase your understanding of what IFIM is all about and how it works. The primer should reinforce your growing knowledge and provide the necessary stepping stones into more advanced, certified training in IFIM methods. This primer is divided into five more or less independent sections. The first section reviews the history of instream flow problems in the United States. Reading this section should provide you with an understanding ofwhy IFIM emerged to solve certain complex water management problems and hint at future directions. The second section discusses the choice of instream flow methods and, more importantly, provides a framework for deciding whether IFIM is appropriate for the kind of problems you might be facing. The third section reviews the ecological underpinnings of IFIM from a historical perspective. This section is meant to show you the degree to which IFIM components, or models, represent the essence of the biological systems that we are attempting to understand. It is more detailed than the other sections and meant specifically to be of interest to biologists and ecologists. Section four delves into the broader philosophical, problem-solving approach embodied in IFIM.  This perspective is important because the 'facts' alone rarely dictate good decisions; it is how we employ those facts to resolve instream flow problems in an interdisciplinary decision making arena that is important. The fifth section outlines the logical steps in applying IFIM and the information flow that holds them together. Here you will learn how to navigate through the IFIM process from tentative problem identification to problem resolution.

The Natural Flow Regime

BioScience (Oxford University Press) | December 1st, 1997

Humans have long been fascinated by the dynamism of free-flowing waters. Yet we have expended great effort to tame rivers for transportation, water supply, flood con

Humans have long been fascinated by the dynamism of free-flowing waters. Yet we have expended great effort to tame rivers for transportation, water supply, flood control, agriculture, and power generation. It is now recognized that harnessing of streams and rivers comes at great cost: Many rivers no longer support socially valued native species or sustain healthy ecosystems that provide important goods and services.

The NOAA NCEI marine microplastics database

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | October 20th, 2023

Microplastics (<5 mm) pollution is a growing problem affecting coastal communities, marine ecosystems, aquatic life, and human health. The widespread occurrence of m

Microplastics (<5 mm) pollution is a growing problem affecting coastal communities, marine ecosystems, aquatic life, and human health. The widespread occurrence of marine microplastics, and the need to curb its threats, require expansive, and continuous monitoring. While microplastic research has increased in recent years and generated significant volumes of data, there is a lack of a robust, open access, and long-term aggregation of this data. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) now provides a global open access to marine microplastics data on an easily discoverable and accessible GIS web map and data portal. The objective of this data portal is to develop a repository where microplastics data are aggregated, archived, and served in a user friendly, consistent, and reliable manner. This work contributes to NCEI’s efforts towards data standardization, integration, harmonization, and interoperability among national and international collaborators for monitoring global marine microplastics. This paper describes the NOAA NCEI global marine microplastics database, its creation, quality control procedures, and future directions.

The Pacific Decadal Oscillation modulated marine heatwaves in the Northeast Pacific during past decades

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | June 19th, 2023

The Public Trust Doctrine and California Water Law: National Audubon Society v. Department of Water and Power

University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF) | June 15th, 1982

Conflicting demands on dwindling surface water supplies in California have led to frequent challenges of state decisions to grant diversions of water that impair or destr

Conflicting demands on dwindling surface water supplies in California have led to frequent challenges of state decisions to grant diversions of water that impair or destroy ecological, recreational, or other instream uses of surface waters. This Comment examines the fundamental problems of surface water allocation in California and addresses the possibility of incorporating the public trust doctrine into the current water law system. The Comment then evaluates a recent attempt to apply the public trust doctrine in National Audubon Society v. Department of Water and Power. The Comment concludes by offering an alternative means to public trust protection of California's surface waters.

The Rebirth of California Fish & Game Code Section 5937: Water for Fish

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | July 1st, 2012

Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so wh

Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. In an average year, California receives inflows and imports of water totaling around 200 million acre-feet,2 enough water to cover the entire state twenty-three inches deep. But California is a state of spatial and temporal water extremes. Spatially, precipitation varies wildly: Death Valley in the Southeast averages less than three inches per year, yet the northwestern corner of the state averages over 140 inches per year. More than 70% of California’s stream flow originates north of Sacramento, but more than 80% of the water is used south of Sacramento. Temporally, precipitation varies both seasonally and annually. California’s wet season typically runs from October or November to April or May, with little or no precipitation during the growing season, from May to September.7 Annual rainfalls of 40% or more below average and 36% or more above average each typically occur once every six to seven years.  To balance these extremes, over 1,300 dams store water across the state, supplying water for urban, industrial, and agricultural uses. While these uses sustain a tremendous part of California’s economy, they also come at high, often unappreciated costs. Fish also need water, so dams that alter water flows for human benefits may also have marked negative impacts on fish.

The Role of Tidal Marsh Restoration in Fish Management in the San Francisco Estuary

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | March 1st, 2014

Tidal marsh restoration is an important management issue in the San Francisco Estuary (estuary). Restoration of large areas of tidal marsh is ongoing or planned in the lo

Tidal marsh restoration is an important management issue in the San Francisco Estuary (estuary). Restoration of large areas of tidal marsh is ongoing or planned in the lower estuary (up to 6,000 ha, Callaway et al. 2011). Large areas are proposed for restoration in the upper estuary under the Endangered Species Act biological opinions (3,237 ha) and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (26,305 ha). In the lower estuary, tidal marsh has proven its value to a wide array of species that live within it (Palaima 2012). In the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta), one important function ascribed to restoration of freshwater tidal marshes is that they make large contributions to the food web of fish in open waters (BDCP 2013). The Ecosystem Restoration Program ascribed a suite of ecological functions to tidal marsh restoration, including habitat and food web benefits to native fish (CDFW 2010). This background was the basis for a symposium (Tidal Marshes and Native Fishes in the Delta: Will Restoration Make a Difference?) held at the University of California, Davis, on June 10, 2013. This paper summarizes conclusions the authors drew from the symposium.

The Salton Sea: A Status Update

Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) | August 29th, 2018

The San Francisco Bay-Delta Agreement: 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