Endangered Species Status for the San Francisco Bay-Delta Distinct Population Segment of the Longfin Smelt

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) | July 30th, 2024

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for the San Francisco Ba

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for the San Francisco Bay-Delta distinct population segment (DPS) of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys), a fish species of the Pacific Coast. This rule extends the protections of the Act to this DPS and adds it to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.... This final rule is available on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Comments and materials we received on the proposed rule are available for public inspection at https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2022-0082. Availability of supporting materials: Supporting materials we used in preparing this rule, such as the species status assessment report, are available at https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2022-0082.

Environment California, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles

Holmes, Athey, Cowan & Mermelstein LLP | July 23rd, 2024

Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management

Science of the Total Environment (Elsevier) | February 17th, 2021

Environmental Health Risks from Abandoned Mines in the Sierra Nevada

Sierra Fund | June 9th, 2014

The widespread pollution from Gold Rush mining activities, including mercury, arsenic and lead, constitutes the oldest and longest neglected environmental justice problem

The widespread pollution from Gold Rush mining activities, including mercury, arsenic and lead, constitutes the oldest and longest neglected environmental justice problem in California. The effects of this pollution on human health and the environment are only now beginning to be addressed. Today, the effects of historic mining pollution are an invisible but very real threat to people who live, work or recreate in the Sierra Nevada. Toxins of concern include mercury, arsenic, lead and asbestos.  There is little information about these potential exposures available to Sierra residents. State-issued fish consumption advisories in the region do not provide site-specific advice for many locations people fish, or the species people eat. In 2006, The Sierra Fund, in partnership with California State University Chico, conducted a survey of Sierra clinics. This study found that not one of 13 surveyed clinics included information on mercury in fish as part of their maternal/infant health programs, whether caught locally or not. Additionally, the study learned that none of the clinics surveyed administer an environmental health history form, so it is difficult to connect current health problems to environmental exposures. In order to address this lack of information and provide a springboard for more research, The Sierra Fund conducted three pilot studies of potential environmental exposures in 2009 and 2010 and a pilot outreach program to present these findings to Sierra communities in 2013-14. This report summarizes findings and recommendations from these efforts, in order to encourage continued research into these potentially serious health exposures.

Environmental justice and drinking water quality: are there socioeconomic disparities in nitrate levels in U.S. drinking water?

Springer Nature | January 17th, 2019

Environmental Justice Program Implementation for Lahontan Region

Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (LRWQCB) | January 30th, 2015

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan Water Board) reviewed how environmental justice (EJ) is conducted in the region and examined new ways to impro

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan Water Board) reviewed how environmental justice (EJ) is conducted in the region and examined new ways to improve our efforts to benefit the disadvantaged communities in our region. The challenges faced by disadvantaged communities (DACs) in the Lahontan region are unique and often different than other DACs in more urban regions. This report provides an assessment of existing efforts to help DACs and catalogs EJ concerns. In addition, the report includes recommendations to enhance DACs participation in the regulatory process, expand access to funding and technical assistance, and improve water quality and drinking water.

Erosion and Sediment Manual

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | June 4th, 2017

Engineers in the Bureau of Reclamation's Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group provide technical assistance and conduct studies to meet the needs of other Reclamation

Engineers in the Bureau of Reclamation's Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group provide technical assistance and conduct studies to meet the needs of other Reclamation offices and of domestic and international water resources agencies. In addition to using the latest state-of-the art technology, engineers in the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group often have to develop new technology, methods, and computer programs for solving erosion, sedimentation, and river hydraulic problems. All the authors of the Erosion and Sedimentation Manual are members of the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group. Information, computer programs, and materials included in the manual are based on proven technology existing in the literature and some of them were developed by the authors for solving practical engineering problems. The objectives of writing this manual are twofold: to summarize the authors' experience and knowledge and to share with the public what they have learned and used in solving erosion and sedimentation problems. The Erosion and Sedimentation Manual is intended for engineers with basic background and knowledge in open channel hydraulics, sediment transport, and river morphology. The manual can also be used as a reference book for university professors, graduate students, and researchers for solving practical engineering problems. This manual contains nine chapters and three appendices. Each chapter is self-contained, with an introduction, summary, and a list of references. Cross references are made to avoid duplications of materials in different chapters. Basic theories, concepts, and approaches in erosion, sediment transport, river morphology, computer modeling, and field survey are reviewed and summarized in the manual. Examples are used to illustrate how to use the methods and programs contained in the manual.

Estimating Exposure of Piscivorous Birds and Sport Fish to Mercury in California Lakes Using Prey Fish Monitoring—A Predictive Tool for Managers

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | May 22nd, 2015

Numerous water bodies in California are listed under the Clean Water Act as being impaired due to mercury (Hg) contamination. The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program

Numerous water bodies in California are listed under the Clean Water Act as being impaired due to mercury (Hg) contamination. The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP), via the Bioaccumulation Oversight Group (BOG), has recently completed statewide surveys of contaminants in sport fish tissue from more than 250 lakes and rivers in California and throughout coastal waters. This effort focused on human health issues but did not include beneficial uses by wildlife. Many piscivorous birds such as grebes, terns, cormorants, and mergansers eat fish smaller than those that were sampled by BOG, and sport fish Hg concentrations are not always indicative of wildlife exposure to Hg; therefore, the BOG surveys could not address whether wildlife were at risk due to Hg-induced reproductive impairment in these lakes. We used western grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark’s grebes (Aechmophorus clarkii) as our index of wildlife exposure to Hg in California lakes. Grebes are widely distributed in lakes throughout California and, as piscivorous waterbirds, are near the top of the food chain in lakes. Additionally, grebes become flightless after they arrive at their summer locations. Thus, grebes are useful representatives for wildlife risk from local, lake-specific contaminant exposure. Grebes also breed at many lakes throughout California, making them susceptible to impaired reproduction due to local Hg contamination. We developed a tool for estimating wildlife and sport fish risk from Hg exposure based on Hg concentrations in prey fish. This quantitative tool can be used to predict Hg concentrations in grebe blood, grebe eggs, and sport fish, thus facilitating a feasible alternative for adequately estimating wildlife exposure when more comprehensive wildlife sampling is not possible. Specifically, we sampled grebes, prey fish, and sport fish simultaneously at 25 lakes throughout California during the spring and summer of 2012 and 2013 when breeding birds are particularly vulnerable to Hg-induced reproductive impairment. We selected lakes based on a combination of factors, including lakes from southern and northern California, of various sizes, shapes, and elevations, with a range of sport fish Hg exposure levels where largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was the primary sport fish, and with a history of use by grebes. Using these factors ensured that our results are representative of a broad range of lakes and reservoirs in California and are comparable to prior BOG studies. Specifically, we addressed three management questions: Does methylmercury pose significant risks to aquatic life in a representative sample of California lakes and reservoirs? Can a correlational approach be applied on a statewide basis to estimate risks to birds? What are appropriate water-quality monitoring requirements to address methylmercury exposure in wildlife?

Estimating Lithium Concentrations in Groundwater Used as Drinking Water for the Conterminous United States

American Chemical Society (ACS) | January 2nd, 2024

Estimating Monetized Benefits of Groundwater Recharge from Stormwater Retention Practices

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | February 4th, 2016

Stormwater impacts from development have been documented extensively in peer-reviewed literature and summarized in the National Research Council’s report titled Urban S

Stormwater impacts from development have been documented extensively in peer-reviewed literature and summarized in the National Research Council’s report titled Urban Stormwater Management in the United States (National Research Council, 2009). To address these impacts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water (OW) evaluated several potential scenarios for managing stormwater from new development and redevelopment using small stormwater retention practices. The objective of these practices is to reduce runoff volume to simulate pre-development hydrology and protect water quality. These practices are often designed to infiltrate the retained water, which can provide groundwater recharge to help maintain predevelopment groundwater levels. For the purposes of this study, infiltration was assumed, whereas in practice capture-and-use or other methods also may be applied. The purpose of the study is to inform valuation of groundwater recharge from stormwater retention in areas projected for new development and redevelopment. Retention practices can prevent the loss of natural recharge that may occur on a developed site without these practices. This study examined a simplified methodology for estimating recharge volume and used observed prices of water for monetary valuation. Groundwater recharge is just one benefit within the larger context of the costs and benefits of stormwater retention practices. The full range of potential benefits were not addressed in this study, but the full suite of benefits should be considered when comparing to an estimated cost of implementation. Costs of implementing retention practices in areas of new and redevelopment also were not addressed in this study. The estimates represent the groundwater recharge volume and value that would result if stormwater retention practices were implemented in areas within the contiguous U.S. not currently requiring stormwater retention. The stormwater retention practices were assumed to capture a specified depth of runoff, in the range of 0.5 to 2 inches (i.e. not large storm attenuation) with a goal of reducing runoff volumes to levels similar to those for pre-developed landscape conditions. This approach is commonly referred to as “green infrastructure” for stormwater management or low impact development (LID). While small storm retention that approximates predevelopment runoff could also be achieved with cisterns in those areas where infiltration is not desired or is not feasible, the option of cistern capture was not evaluated in this study. The timeframe selected for the purpose of the predictive study was the 20-year period of 2021 through 2040.