Pollutants of Concern Reconnaissance Monitoring Progress Report, Water Years 2015-2018

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | May 1st, 2019

The San Francisco Bay polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and mercury (Hg) total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) call for implementation of control measures to reduce PCB and Hg l

The San Francisco Bay polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and mercury (Hg) total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) call for implementation of control measures to reduce PCB and Hg loads entering the Bay via stormwater. In 2009, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) issued the first Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP). This MRP contained provisions aimed at improving information on stormwater pollutant loads in selected watersheds (Provision C.8.) and piloted a number of management techniques to reduce PCB and Hg loading to the Bay from smaller urbanized tributaries (Provisions C.11. and C.12.). In 2015, the Regional Water Board issued the second iteration of the MRP. “MRP 2.0” placed an increased focus on identifying those watersheds, source areas, and source properties that are potentially the most polluted and are therefore most likely to be cost-effective areas for addressing load-reduction requirements.  To support this increased focus, a stormwater reconnaissance monitoring field protocol was developed and implemented in water years (WYs) 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Most of the sites monitored were in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo Counties, with a few sites in Contra Costa and Solano Counties. At 60 sampling sites, time-weighted composite water samples were collected during individual storm events and analyzed for 40 PCB congeners, total Hg (HgT), and suspended sediment concentration (SSC). At a subset of sites, additional samples were analyzed for selected trace metals, organic carbon (OC), and grain size. Where possible, sampling efficiency was increased by sampling two or three sites during a single storm if the sites were near enough to one another that alternating between them was safe and rapid. This same field protocol is being implemented in the winter of WY 2019 by the RMP. The San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program and the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program have also implemented the sampling protocol with their own funding.  During this study beginning in WY 2015, the RMP began piloting the use of un-staffed “remote” suspended sediment samplers (Hamlin samplers and Walling Tube samplers). These remote samplers were designed to enhance settling and capture of suspended sediment from the water column. At 10 of the manual sampling sites, a remote sample was collected using a Hamlin suspended sediment sampler in parallel with the manual sample, and at 9 sites, a remote sample was collected using a Walling Tube suspended sediment sampler in parallel with the manual sample. 

Pollutants of Concern Reconnaissance Monitoring Water Years 2015, 2016, and 2017

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | July 2nd, 2018

The San Francisco Bay polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and mercury (Hg) total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) call for implementation of control measures to reduce PCB and Hg l

The San Francisco Bay polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and mercury (Hg) total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) call for implementation of control measures to reduce PCB and Hg loads entering the Bay via stormwater. In 2009, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) issued the first combined Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP). This MRP contained provisions aimed at improving information on stormwater pollutant loads in selected watersheds (Provision C.8.) and piloted a number of management techniques to reduce PCB and Hg loading to the Bay from smaller urbanized tributaries (Provisions C.11. and C.12.). In 2015, the Regional Water Board issued the second iteration of the MRP. “MRP 2.0” placed an increased focus on identifying those watersheds, source areas, and source properties that are potentially the most polluted and are therefore most likely to be cost-effective areas for addressing load-reduction requirements through implementation of control measures. 

Practical methods to find polluted areas in urban stormwater catchments to support management actions

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | January 14th, 2022

Precipitation Regime Change in Western North America: the Role of Atmospheric Rivers

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | July 9th, 2019

Daily precipitation in California has been projected to become less frequent even as precipitation extremes intensify, leading to uncertainty in the overall re

Daily precipitation in California has been projected to become less frequent even as precipitation extremes intensify, leading to uncertainty in the overall response to climate warming. Precipitation extremes are historically associated with Atmospheric Rivers (ARs). Sixteen global climate modelsare evaluated for realism in modeled historical AR behavior and contribution of the resulting dailyprecipitation to annual total precipitation over Western North America. The five most realistic models display consistent changes in future AR behavior, constraining the spread of the full ensemble. They, moreover, project increasing year-to-year variability of total annual precipitation, particularly over California, where change in total annual precipitation is not projected with confidence. Focusing on three representative river basins along the West Coast, we show that, while the decrease in precipitation frequency is mostly due to non-AR events, the increase in heavy and extreme precipitation is almost entirely due to ARs. This research demonstrates that examining meteorological causes of precipitation regime change can lead to better and more nuanced understanding of climate projections. It highlights the critical role of future changes in ARs to Western water resources, especially over California.

Prioritizing Candidate Green Infrastructure Sites within the City of Ukiah: A Demonstration of the Site Locator Tool of GreenPlan-IT. Report prepared for the City of Ukiah Department of Public Works under Supplemental Environmental Project # R1-018-0024

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | April 1st, 2019

Green infrastructure (GI), also known as Low Impact Development (LID), has emerged as an integral aspect of multi-benefit, watershed approaches to address concerns about

Green infrastructure (GI), also known as Low Impact Development (LID), has emerged as an integral aspect of multi-benefit, watershed approaches to address concerns about stormwater quality and quantity in an urban environment. When carefully applied, GI installations, such as rain gardens, tree-well planters, and permeable pavement, can be cost-effective, resilient ways to manage storm water at its source with measurable, cumulative environmental and community benefits. 

Priority Margin Unit Stormwater Monitoring to Support Load Estimates of PCBs into San Leandro Bay and the Emeryville Crescent

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

The Priority Margin Unit Studies: The 2014 update of the RMP PCB Strategy called for a multi-year effort to implement the recommendations of the  PCB Synthesis Report (D

The Priority Margin Unit Studies: The 2014 update of the RMP PCB Strategy called for a multi-year effort to implement the recommendations of the  PCB Synthesis Report (Davis et al., 2014) including: 1. identifying margin units that are high priorities for management and monitoring, 2. developing conceptual models and mass budgets for margin units downstream of watersheds where management actions will occur, and 3. monitoring in these units as a performance measure. The goal of the effort was to inform the review and possible revision of the PCB TMDL and the reissuance of the Municipal Regional Permit for Stormwater (MRP).

Re-Oaking North Bay: A strategy for restoring native oak ecosystems, focusing on Napa and Sonoma valleys

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | July 7th, 2020

Oaks are iconic trees in California, the defining feature of savannas and woodlands in many parts of the state. For millennia, these majestic trees have provided the e

Oaks are iconic trees in California, the defining feature of savannas and woodlands in many parts of the state. For millennia, these majestic trees have provided the ecological foundation upon which thousands of other organisms depend. Their cultural significance is equally profound: they are of central importance to diverse indigenous groups, and are prized for the many benefits they provide California residents. Vast expanses of oak savanna historically occupied the rich alluvial soils of Napa and Sonoma valleys. The immense and long-lived valley oak (Quercus lobata) dominated these savannas, accounting for more than 65% of trees (Dawson 2008, Grossinger et al. 2012). Early observers described the valleys as “studded with groups of oaks” (Marryat 1850), and extolled the “magnificent oaks” that were “the glory of the landscape scenery” (Smith and Elliott 1878). Black oak (Q. kelloggii), coast live oak (Q. agrifolia), and other oak species were present in smaller numbers on the valley floors and were more abundant in the hillsides (Dawson 2008, Grossinger et al. 2012). Over the past two centuries, however, much of this oak savanna has been cleared to make way for orchards, vineyards, and towns. In Napa Valley, the number of mature trees has declined from an estimated 45,000 in the early 1800s to less than 1,000 today (Grossinger et al. 2012). Valley oak habitat has been particularly affected by clearing and fragmentation: in many areas of the state, loss of valley oak woodland exceeds 90% (Kelly et al. 2005, Whipple et al. 2011). Documentation of this loss, and recognition of the value of oaks for both people and nature, has led to a growing desire to restore this unique ecosystem and bring back many of the benefits that oaks provide. Despite the significant changes the North Bay landscape has experienced since European settlement, there are opportunities to restore oaks in settings as diverse as backyards, parks, streets, farms, vineyards, and creeksides.

Re-Oaking Silicon Valley: Building Vibrant Cities with Nature

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | August 1st, 2017

In this report, we investigate how integrating components of oak woodlands into developed landscapes — “re-oaking” — can provide an array of valuable functions fo

In this report, we investigate how integrating components of oak woodlands into developed landscapes — “re-oaking” — can provide an array of valuable functions for both wildlife and people. Re-oaking can increase the biodiversity and ecological resilience of urban ecosystems, improve critical urban forest functions such as shade and carbon storage, and enhance the capacity of cities to adapt to a changing climate. We focus on Silicon Valley, where oak woodland replacement by agriculture and urbanization tells a story that has occurred in many other cities in California. We highlight how the history and ecology of the Silicon Valley landscape can be used as a guide to plan more ecologically resilient cities in the Bay Area, within the region and elsewhere in California. We see re-oaking as part of, and not a substitute for, the important and broader oak woodland conservation efforts taking place throughout the state.  

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Small Tributaries Loading Strategy: Modeling and Trends Strategy 2018

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

The Small Tributaries Loading Strategy (STLS) (SFEI, 2009) is a collaboration between the RMP, the Water Board, and Bay Area stormwater programs to address information n

The Small Tributaries Loading Strategy (STLS) (SFEI, 2009) is a collaboration between the RMP, the Water Board, and Bay Area stormwater programs to address information needs associated with improving understanding about the sources, pathways, loads, trends, and management opportunities in relation to watershed-derived pollutants of concern (POCs). Elements contained in this Strategy may be conducted via RMP collaborative efforts, or independently by the Water Board or Bay Area stormwater programs outside of, but in coordination with the RMP. The current priority POCs are mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), for which there are identified impairments and cleanup plans in place. The San Francisco Bay Hg and PCBs total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) reports (SFRWQCB, 2006; SFRWQCB, 2007) call for a reduction in tributary loads by 50% and 90%, respectively. In response, from 2010-2015, during the first term of the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP 1.0) (SFRWQCB, 2009; 2011), a number of pilot efforts were initiated, focusing mainly on PCBs, to better understand the potential cost-effectiveness for a range of management options and the level of opportunity (the number of polluted sites or the amount of mass associated with polluted sites, property ownership and other factors). During the second term of the MRP (MRP 2.0) (SFRWQCB, 2015), efforts have been made to move from pilot testing to a greater amount of focused implementation. All of these past, current, and future efforts also aim to address (but at a lesser level) multiple benefits for other POCs including current-use pesticides and emerging contaminants, for which there is interest in monitoring the potential for biological impact. These are lower priority at the present, but in the longer term, the STLS Trends Strategy could address these and other POCs in a more focused manner.

Report Card for California's Infrastructure 2019

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | May 9th, 2019