Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay Monitoring Design for the Status and Trends Monitoring Program (2014-2027)

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

Regional nitrate and pesticide trends in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California

American Society of Agronomy (ASA) | September 18th, 2008

Protection of ground water for present and future use requires monitoring and understanding of the mechanisms controlling long-term quality of ground water. In this stu

Protection of ground water for present and future use requires monitoring and understanding of the mechanisms controlling long-term quality of ground water. In this study, spatial and temporal trends in concentrations of nitrate and pesticides in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California, were evaluated to determine the long-term effects of agricultural and urban development on regional ground-water quality. Trends in concentrations of nitrate, the nematocide 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, and the herbicide simazine during the last two decades are generally consistent with known nitrogen fertilizer and pesticide use and with the position of the well networks in the regional ground-water fl ow system. Concentrations of nitrate and pesticides are higher in the shallow part of the aquifer system where domestic wells are typically screened, whereas concentrations are lower in the deep part of the aquifer system where public-supply wells are typically screened. Attenuation processes do not seem to significantly affect concentrations. Historical data indicate that concentrations of nitrate have increased since the 1950s in the shallow and deep parts of the aquifer system. Concentrations of nitrate and detection of pesticides in the deep part of the aquifer system will likely increase as the proportion of highly affected water contributed to these wells increases with time. Because of the time of travel between the water table and the deep part of the aquifer system, current concentrations in public-supply wells likely reflect the effects of 40- to 50-year-old management practices.

Regional Watershed Modeling and Trends Implementation Plan

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

Regional Watershed Spreadsheet Model (RWSM) Year 5 Progress Report

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | March 1st, 2016

The Regional Watershed Spreadsheet Model (RWSM) is a regional-scale planning tool developed primarily to estimate long-term average annual loads from the small tributari

The Regional Watershed Spreadsheet Model (RWSM) is a regional-scale planning tool developed primarily to estimate long-term average annual loads from the small tributaries surrounding San Francisco Bay, and secondarily to provide supporting information for prioritizing watersheds or areas within watersheds for management actions. The RWSM has been in development since 2010. In previous years, obstacles to calibrating the PCB and Hg models included issues associated with GIS data underlying the Model, a simplistic model structure and parameterization, lack of available empirical data for calibrating concentrations associated with specific land uses and source areas, and the high uncertainty with the empirical calibration dataset. The modeling effort in Years 2014 and 2015 (Year 4 and 5 of the model development) focused on improving the model calibration to attempt to resolve these issues. The major changes included switching from a sediment-based model to a water-based model, elimination of double counting of source areas on top of general land uses, changes in the model calibration approach, and changes to the land use grouping.

Review of and recommendations for monitoring contaminants and their effects in the San Francisco Bay−Delta

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | December 3rd, 2019

Legacy and current-use contaminants enter into and accumulate throughout the San Francisco Bay−Delta (Bay−Delta), and are present at concentrations with known effects

Legacy and current-use contaminants enter into and accumulate throughout the San Francisco Bay−Delta (Bay−Delta), and are present at concentrations with known effects on species important to this diverse watershed. There remains major uncertainty and a lack of focused research able to address and provide understanding of effects across multiple biological scales, despite previous and ongoing emphasis on the need for it. These needs are challenging specifically because of the established regulatory programs that often monitor on a chemical-by-chemical basis, or in which decisions are grounded in lethality-based endpoints. To best address issues of contaminants in the Bay−Delta, monitoring efforts should consider effects of environmentally relevant mixtures and sub-lethal impacts that can affect ecosystem health. These efforts need to consider the complex environment in the Bay−Delta, including variable abiotic (e.g., temperature, salinity) and biotic (e.g., pathogens) factors. This calls for controlled and focused research, and the development of a multi-disciplinary contaminant monitoring and assessment program that provides information across biological scales. Information gained in this manner will contribute toward evaluating parameters that could alleviate ecologically detrimental outcomes. This review is a result of a Special Symposium convened at the University of California−Davis (UCD) on January 31, 2017 to address critical information needed on how contaminants affect the Bay−Delta. The UCD Symposium focused on new tools and approaches for assessing multiple stressor effects to freshwater and estuarine systems. Our approach is similar to the recently proposed framework laid out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) that uses weight of evidence to scale toxicological responses to chemical contaminants in a laboratory, and to guide the conservation of priority species and habitats. As such, we also aimed to recommend multiple endpoints that could be used to promote a multi-disciplinary understanding of contaminant risks in Bay−Delta while supporting management needs.

Salton Sea Fisheries Long-term Monitoring Sampling Report: Summer 2017

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | July 13th, 2017

In early 2016, historic indices of tilapia abundance at the Salton Sea appeared to have reversed: tilapia fry were no longer observed in places where fish were regularly

In early 2016, historic indices of tilapia abundance at the Salton Sea appeared to have reversed: tilapia fry were no longer observed in places where fish were regularly visible in the past, piscivorous bird numbers at the lake were severely reduced, anglers were only catching a small fraction of past numbers of fish, and only a few small fish kills were observed. As observations of these conditions continued in early 2017, the question of whether the tilapia population was still viable was the impetus for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to re-initiate gillnetting efforts.

Sampling and Analysis Plan for 2016 RMP Status and Trends Bird Egg Monitoring

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | February 1st, 2016

The samples will be collected by staff at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center [USGS-WERC] who will procure all necessary egg collection permits. Eggs will then be

The samples will be collected by staff at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center [USGS-WERC] who will procure all necessary egg collection permits. Eggs will then be analyzed for: ● Total mercury (THg) (cormorant eggs at Moss Landing Marine Laboratory-Marine Pollution Studies Lab [MLML-MPSL]; tern eggs at USGS-WERC),  ● Selenium (cormorant and tern eggs at MLML-MPSL),  ● PCBs (cormorant eggs at the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Water Pollution Control Laboratory [DFW-WPCL]),  ● PBDEs (cormorant eggs at DFW-WPCL) (NOTE: PBDE analysis in tern eggs was discontinued due to increased USGS costs),  ● PFCs and precursors (cormorant eggs at AXYS Analytical Laboratories), and  ● Halogenated carbazoles (cormorant eggs at Southern Illinois University) NOTE: Carbazole analyses will be done pro bono by SIU for research purposes. Carbazoles are not part of the RMP Status and Trends design. SIU will not measure percent moisture in its samples. Therefore, it is important to make sure that sample weights, prior to analysis, are accurately measured since we will be applying the percent moisture values from other laboratories to their samples. Available data will be used to back-calculate fresh wet weight values for these samples. 

Sampling for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) by the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Priority Basin Project

Publisher not available | May 25th, 2021

San Francisco Bay California Toxics Rule Priority Pollutant Ambient Water Monitoring Report

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | March 2nd, 2017

In 2000, the USEPA published Water Quality Standards; Establishment of Numeric Objectives for Priority Toxic Pollutants for the State of California, commonly known as the

In 2000, the USEPA published Water Quality Standards; Establishment of Numeric Objectives for Priority Toxic Pollutants for the State of California, commonly known as the California Toxics Rule (CTR), which established numeric water quality standards for 126 priority pollutants. Under the Policy for Implementation of Toxics Standards for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California (also known as the State Implementation Policy, SIP) the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFBRWQCB) is required to establish water quality-based effluent limitations in order to achieve priority pollutant standards. For the purposes of this document “water quality criteria” (WQCs) will be used to refer both to the CTR established numeric criteria for 126 priority pollutants as well as to numeric objectives for 12 of these priority pollutants and tributyltin previously established in the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) and/or the National Toxics Rule. A number of these pollutants previously were or continue to be regularly monitored as part of the Regional Monitoring Program Status and Trends (RMP S&T). The priority pollutants not routinely included in RMP S&T were previously monitored in wet and dry season ambient water sampling in 2002 and 2003. Results of that effort are detailed in a previously issued report: http://www.sfei.org/documents/san-francisco-bay-ambient-monitoring-interim-report Most of the priority pollutants were not detected in that study, or detected at concentrations below their WQC. Among the pollutants that were detected, a number of them were also found at similar concentrations in lab blanks, suggesting they might not have been present (or at least were at lower concentrations) in the ambient environment. Since over a decade had passed since that previous monitoring effort, the RMP embarked on an effort to repeat measurement of these seldom analyzed (non- S&T) contaminants, to ensure conditions have not changed appreciably to present greater risk for any of them.

San Francisco Bay Nutrient Management Strategy Observation Program

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | July 1st, 2020

This document presents a planning-level description of the draft Nutrient Management Strategy Observation Program (NMSOP), including estimated budget and approach for ph

This document presents a planning-level description of the draft Nutrient Management Strategy Observation Program (NMSOP), including estimated budget and approach for phased growth. The NMSOP represents the design that is needed to address NMS†data needs¨ not an existing program. The proposed design represents a balance between two key goals: ● Target high priority NMS data collection needs ● Where feasible, align field work and data collection efforts with other programs’ established infrastructure, to enhance cost-effectiveness and sustainability. While an inter-program collaborative approach is important for securing NMSOP’s long-term sustainability, building a reliable consortium will require up-front effort to establish inter-program science, management, and financial agreements. This document focuses on the NMSOP scientific program design and growth, with institutional program development described in a companion work plan (SFEI 2016b).