North American diadromous fishes: Drivers of decline and potential for recovery in the Anthropocene

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | January 28th, 2022

Diadromous fishes migrate between freshwater and marine habitats to complete their life cycle, a complexity that makes them vulnerable to the adverse effects of current

Diadromous fishes migrate between freshwater and marine habitats to complete their life cycle, a complexity that makes them vulnerable to the adverse effects of current and past human activities on land and in the oceans. Many North American species are critically endangered, and entire populations have been lost. Major factors driving declines include overfishing, pollution, water withdrawals, aquaculture, non-native species, habitat degradation, over-zealous application of hatcheries designed to mitigate effects of other factors, and effects of climate change. Perhaps, the most broadly tractable and effective factors affecting diadromous fishes are removals of the dams that prevent or hinder their migrations, alter their environment, and often favor non-native biotic communities. Future survival of many diadromous fish populations may depend on this.

North Bay Mercury Biosentinel Project 2016 - 2017

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | March 1st, 2018

Concentrations of methylmercury throughout San Francisco Bay are high enough to warrant concern for the health of humans and wildlife. Large-scale tidal wetland restorat

Concentrations of methylmercury throughout San Francisco Bay are high enough to warrant concern for the health of humans and wildlife. Large-scale tidal wetland restoration is currently being implemented as a means of increasing populations of wildlife species of concern. There is concern that these restoration activities may lead to increased concentrations of methylmercury in the estuarine food web and exacerbate the existing methylmercury problem.

North Bay Selenium Monitoring Design

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | December 3rd, 2018

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and implementation plan for selenium in North San Francisco Bay (N

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and implementation plan for selenium in North San Francisco Bay (NSFB). The TMDL is based on attainment of water column and fish tissue target concentrations protective of human health, aquatic life, and wildlife, and was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in August 2016. The USEPA also published proposed aquatic life and aquatic-dependent wildlife criteria for selenium in the Bay and Delta in 2016. Subsequently, the San Francisco Water Board reached out to the Selenium Workgroup of the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) to consider the development and implementation of a robust selenium monitoring plan for the North Bay. A primary goal is to identify leading indicators of change to allow prompt management response to signs of increasing risk of impairment.

North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board Fact Sheet

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | March 1st, 2010

The North Coast Region receives more precipitation than any other part of California. Abundant in surface water and groundwater resources, the North Coast Regio

The North Coast Region receives more precipitation than any other part of California. Abundant in surface water and groundwater resources, the North Coast Region constitutes only about 12 percent of the area of California but produces about 40 percent of the annual runoff. Encompassing some 19,390 square miles, including 340 miles of coastline and remote wilderness, urban and agricultural areas, the North Coast Region is divided into two natural drainage basins—the Klamath River Basin and the North Coastal Basin.

North Delta Water Management Program

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | March 1st, 1988

Water management issues surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta continue to challenge water resource planners in California. Many agree there are problems and urge

Water management issues surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta continue to challenge water resource planners in California. Many agree there are problems and urge that they be corrected, but a consensus on how best to solve them has not yet been reached. Problems include frequent flooding due to unstable levees and constricted channels, flow patterns that are unfavorable for fish and water quality, and water level and circulation patterns that hinder irrigation. During the last several years, various water resources problems have been corrected through application of the public environmental documentation and regulatory permit process. This process has also shown the importance of Federal permit regulations in governing projects in the Delta estuary. To facilitate planning, the estuary has been divided into three study areas for evaluation of problems and needs unique to each area -- North, South, and West. This report discusses concepts for a North Delta Water Management Program. The long-term planning and environmental documentation process will includeother reports and will take about three years to complete. Planning flexibility afforded by the environmental documentation and regulatory permit process is expected to allow many of the concerns surrounding Delta water management to be resolved.

Not All Rivers Are Created Equal: The Importance of Spring-Fed Rivers under a Changing Climate

Water (MDPI) | June 12th, 2021

In the Western United States, volcanic spring-fed rivers are anticipated to become increasingly more important for salmonids and other native fishes, as these rivers wil

In the Western United States, volcanic spring-fed rivers are anticipated to become increasingly more important for salmonids and other native fishes, as these rivers will retain cold-water habitats as the climate warms. Despite this, little is known about the hydro-biogeochemical interactions within these ecosystems. A review of existing literature on spring-fed rivers, coupled with a decade of research on volcanic spring-fed rivers of northern California, finds that these systems are exceptionally productive and exhibit stable environmental conditions. These unique conditions stem from hydrogeologic processes typical of young volcanic terrains. Aquatic macrophytes, common to some nutrient-rich spring-fed systems, play a disproportionate role in hydrologic and geomorphic processes by facilitating ecological interactions and velocity conditions that improve juvenile salmonid growth. We find that volcanic spring-fed rivers are also resilient to climate change, due not only to their ability to dampen water temperature changes through deep groundwater flow but also because of their nutrient-driven high ecosystem productivity, which may enable cold-water species to metabolically compensate for marginal increases in water temperature. Understanding the fundamental geomorphic and ecological differences between these rare ecosystems and their numerically dominant runoff rivers is essential for developing long-term conservation strategies for cold-water species under a rapidly changing climate.

Notice of Entry of Order for Implementation of Preliminary Injunction – Case No. Bcv-22-103220-Gap, Bring Back the Kern et al v. City of Bakersfield et al

Superior Court of California, County of Kern | November 14th, 2023

Observations of the spawning ecology of the imperiled Clear Lake Hitch

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) | October 13th, 2019

Ocean acidification impairs olfactory discrimination and homing ability of a marine fish

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | February 2nd, 2009

The persistence of most coastal marine species depends on larvae finding suitable adult habitat at the end of an offshore dispersive stage that can last weeks or

The persistence of most coastal marine species depends on larvae finding suitable adult habitat at the end of an offshore dispersive stage that can last weeks or months. We tested the effects that ocean acidification from elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) could have on the ability of larvae to detect olfactory cues from adult habitats. Larval clownfish reared in control sea- water (pH 8.15) discriminated between a range of cues that could help them locate reef habitat and suitable settlement sites. This discriminatory ability was disrupted when larvae were reared in conditions simulating CO2-induced ocean acidification. Larvae be- came strongly attracted to olfactory stimuli they normally avoided when reared at levels of ocean pH that could occur ca. 2100 (pH 7.8) and they no longer responded to any olfactory cues when reared at pH levels (pH 7.6) that might be attained later next century on a business-as-usual carbon-dioxide emissions trajectory. If acidifi- cation continues unabated, the impairment of sensory ability will reduce population sustainability of many marine species, with potentially profound consequences for marine diversity.

Ocean Climate Indicators: A Monitoring Inventory and Plan for Tracking Climate Change in the North-central California Coast and Ocean Region

Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council | August 14th, 2014

The impacts of climate change, defined as increasing atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide and associated increases in average global temperature and oceanic a

The impacts of climate change, defined as increasing atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide and associated increases in average global temperature and oceanic acidity, have been observed both globally and on regional scales, such as in the North-central California coast and ocean, a region that extends from Point Arena to Point Año Nuevo and includes the Pacific coastline of the San Francisco Bay Area. Because of the high economic and ecological value of the region’s marine environment, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) and other agencies and organizations have recognized the need to evaluate and plan for climate change impacts.