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.

Instream flow evaluation: Temperature and passage assessment for salmonids in Mill Creek, Tehama County

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) | May 8th, 2017

Mill Creek is among the essential streams for recovery and perpetuation of wild stocks of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and support

Mill Creek is among the essential streams for recovery and perpetuation of wild stocks of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and supports Central Valley steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; Armentrout et al. 1998). In addition, Mill Creek is utilized by fall-run Chinook salmon, late fall-run Chinook salmon, and Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus). The Recovery Plan for Central Valley Chinook Salmon and Steelhead (NMFS 2014) classified Mill Creek as a high priority Core 1 watershed because of its potential to support independent viable populations. Mill Creek is also identified as a priority stream in the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Instream Flow Studies for the Protection of the Public Trust Resources: A Prioritized Schedule and Estimate of Cost (SWRCB 2010), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Final Restoration Plan for the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program: A Plan to Increase Natural Production of Anadromous Fish in the Central Valley of California (USFWS 2001). The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) has interest in ensuring that water flows within streams are maintained at levels which are adequate for long-term protection, maintenance, and proper stewardship of fish and wildlife resources. The Department’s Instream Flow Program develops scientific information to determine what flows are needed to maintain healthy conditions for fish and wildlife. For each species of interest, life stage, and stream, relationships between flow and habitat are developed. The Department recommends using the federal Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) to evaluate and develop instream flow criteria for projects which may affect California’s aquatic resources. The IFIM process, and instream flow evaluations, in general, should include broad consideration of the structure and function of riverine systems while also providing examination of five core components (i.e., hydrology, biology, geomorphology, water quality, and connectivity) of the riverine system. The Public Resources Code (PRC) §10000-10005 outlines the Department’s responsibilities for developing and transmitting flow criteria to the SWRCB for consideration as set forth in 1257.5 of the Water Code. The results from this study are intended to be used, along with other supporting information and data, to identify stream flow requirements necessary for upstream passage of adult Chinook salmon and steelhead into the upper Mill Creek watershed pursuant to the Department’s PRC mandate. Flow criteria for lower Mill Creek will be developed by the Department in a future document.

Intensification of hydrological drought in California by human water management

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | January 25th, 2017

Interagency Fish Passage Steering Committee 2014 Annual Report Focusing on the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | July 1st, 2014

Interbasin water transfers in the United States and Canada

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | January 13th, 2023

Interbasin water transfers (IBTs) can have a significant impact on the environment, water availability, and economies within the basins importing and exporting water, as

Interbasin water transfers (IBTs) can have a significant impact on the environment, water availability, and economies within the basins importing and exporting water, as well as basins downstream of these water transfers. The lack of comprehensive data identifying and describing IBTs inhibits understanding of the role IBTs play in supplying water for society, as well as their collective hydrologic impact. We develop three connected datasets inventorying IBTs in the United States and Canada, including their features, geospatial details, and water transfer volumes. We surveyed the academic and gray literature, as well as local, state, and federal water agencies, to collect, process, and verify IBTs in Canada and the United States. Our comprehensive IBT datasets represent all known transfers of untreated water that cross subregion (US) or subdrainage area (CA) boundaries, characterizing a total of 641 IBT projects. The infrastructure-level data made available by these data products can be used to close water budgets, connect water supplies to water use, and better represent human impacts within hydrologic and ecosystem models.

Issue Paper for the San Joaquin River spring-run Chinook experimental population – Delta impacts

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) | July 23rd, 2013

It is Time to Expand the Geography of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

Utah State University | December 2nd, 2024

Just the Facts: Land, Water, and Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin

Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy (Babbitt Center) | March 1st, 2022

Juvenile Production Estimate (JPE) Calculation and Use/Application of Survival Data from Acoustically-tagged Chinook Salmon Releases Report

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | February 21st, 2014

Each year, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) estimates the number of juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon expected to enter the Delta. NMFS’ June 4, 2009

Each year, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) estimates the number of juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon expected to enter the Delta. NMFS’ June 4, 2009, biological and conference opinion on the long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project provides an incidental take limit on natural juvenile winter-run based on the juvenile production estimate.

Kern Water Bank: Myth and Reality

Kern Water Bank Authority | September 21st, 2010

A recent lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity claims that the Kern Water Bank was a “ripoff’ that benefited a few large farms in the Central Valley, t

A recent lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity claims that the Kern Water Bank was a “ripoff’ that benefited a few large farms in the Central Valley, to the detriment of the state of California. Numerous media outlets have reported on this lawsuit, reciting almost word for word from the CBD’s press release, despite the fact that the lawsuit has yet to be heard and none of the claims in the lawsuit have been substantiated by a court. The following is the response by the Kern Water Bank Authority to the misinformation and erroneous reporting surrounding the Kern Water Bank and the lawsuit filed by CBD.