Inhabiting the Delta: A Landscape Approach to Transformative Socio-Ecological Restoration

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | September 19th, 2017

Current legislation and plans for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) call for large-scale restoration of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, which will require sign

Current legislation and plans for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) call for large-scale restoration of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, which will require significant changes in waterways, land uses, and cultural patterns. These re-made landscapes will be subject to a variety of new human uses, which Delta planning and adaptive management literature has yet to adequately consider. Failing to account for human uses and evolving place values can lead to diminished performance and public support for Delta restoration efforts. Our empirical study examined restored and naturalized Delta landscapes using an integrative landscape approach that seeks to reconcile multiple goals and land-use agendas that span ecological, social, economic, and political domains. The research design consisted of six overlapping methods that included a planning, policy, and law review specific to the Delta; surveys and interviews with approximately 100 land managers, scientists, land-owners, law-enforcement personnel, agency representatives, and Delta residents; nine case studies of restored and naturalized delta landscapes; GIS mapping; and extensive field work. Findings derived from the synthesis of these methods show that human uses of the Delta’s re-wilded landscapes are diverse and pervasive. Given the infrastructural and urbanized context of the region, these environments are subject to multiple and sometimes conflicting uses, perceptions, and place values. Though these myriad uses cannot be fully predicted or controlled (nor should they be), findings showed that more proactive and inclusive planning for human uses can encourage or discourage particular uses while also building constituency, support, and active engagement in ecological restoration efforts. We conclude that reconciling human uses with ecological recovery in the Delta will require a more localized, multi-functional, and creative approach to designing and adaptively managing these emergent landscapes. We recommend that more resources and experimental prototyping be dedicated to such work.

Integrated Management of Delta Stressors: Institutional and Legal Options

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | April 22nd, 2013

Despite some recent progress, the current institutional landscape for regulation and management of stressors in the in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is highly fragme

Despite some recent progress, the current institutional landscape for regulation and management of stressors in the in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is highly fragmented. A modest but powerful set of institutional changes can help produce better environmental outcomes while containing management costs—which are likely to exceed several hundred million dollars annually. This report lays out proposals for institutional reform.

Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the Greater Monterey County Region

Greater Monterey County Regional Water Management Group | August 31st, 2018

Integrated regional water management (IRWM) is an approach to water resource management in California that is being strongly promoted by the State as a way to inc

Integrated regional water management (IRWM) is an approach to water resource management in California that is being strongly promoted by the State as a way to increase regional self-sufficiency. IRWM offers an approach for managing the uncertainties that lie ahead, particularly in light of climate change. The IRWM planning process brings together water and natural resource managers, along with other community stakeholders, to collaboratively plan for and ensure the region’s continued water supply reliability, improved water quality, flood management, and healthy functioning ecosystems—allowing for creative new solutions and greater efficiencies. This IRWM Plan has been developed for the Greater Monterey County IRWM region to fulfill the goals of IRWM planning in this region and to provide eligibility for State IRWM grant funds. Click here for the chapter index. Click here for the Greater Monterey County Integrated Regional Water Management Program home page

Integrated Surface and Groundwater Modeling of Martis Valley, California, for Assessment of Potential Climate Change Impacts on Basin-Scale Water Resources

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | April 15th, 2015

This study develops a modeling framework to better understand surface and groundwater interactions in the Martis Valley Basin. Prior to the current study there were no ph

This study develops a modeling framework to better understand surface and groundwater interactions in the Martis Valley Basin. Prior to the current study there were no physical or statistical models of the Martis Valley Basin that could be used for long term water resource planning in the Basin. Currently, groundwater is the primary source for municipal and industrial water supply in Martis Valley, and surface water from the surrounding watersheds are partly stored in Donner, Prosser reservoirs and allowed to runoff into the Truckee River. This study presents the development, calibration, and verification of the physically based surface and groundwater GSFLOW model for Martis Valley. The model was calibrated for the historical 1981-2011 observed period. Various observations were used to calibrate the model during different periods, which helped verify the model’s ability to capture the dynamics of the hydrologic system. The model was calibrated to multiple fluxes and states in the hydrological system including streamflow, snow water equivalent, groundwater heads, and wetland and spring locations. In addition to comparing fluxes to multiple observations, consistency at internal gauges was also verified apart from simulating fluxes at the outlet. For future projections of hydrology, the GSFLOW model was forced with five future climate scenarios provided by CH2M HILL. Future simulations of snow water equivalent indicate reductions for all scenarios due to increasing temperatures. Groundwater recharge and its contribution to streamflow also decrease in the future for the warmer drier and hotter drier scenarios. The reduction in snowpack and earlier melt complicates the seasonally dependent nature of water resources and when combined, these results will likely add further stress to long term water availability in the Martis Valley Basin and the downstream consumers of the waters generated in the Basin.

Integrated Water Management Plan Evaluation: A review of the Salton Sea Authority's preferred project concept for rehabilitating the Salton Sea

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | March 11th, 2005

The USGS Salton Sea Science Office convened an experts workshop, from November 15-17 in Riverside, California, to evaluate a Salton Sea rehabilitation proposal known as t

The USGS Salton Sea Science Office convened an experts workshop, from November 15-17 in Riverside, California, to evaluate a Salton Sea rehabilitation proposal known as the Integrated Water Management Plan (IWMP) (also known as the ‘North Lake Plan’). Salton Sea Restoration: Preferred Project Report (Salton Sea Authority 2004) describes the IWMP and provided the basis for this evaluation. As described further in the following, the IWMP would build a causeway across the middle of the current Salton Sea, creating a smaller north lake that discharges into a proposed 20,000 acres of shallow-water wetlands in the southern portion of the Sea, and a terminal brine pool, as well as various treatment wetlands. A recently implemented water conservation and transfer agreement, along with several unrelated actions, will significantly decrease the volume of water flowing into southeastern California’s Salton Sea in the next 20 years, shrinking the Sea and increasing salinity beyond the tolerances of most of the species currently present. Future conditions at the Sea will be very different from current conditions, whether or not the IWMP is implemented. The surface elevation of the Salton Sea fluctuates by more than 0.3 meter (one foot) annually, primarily in response to agricultural irrigation patterns in the Imperial Valley. On January 1, 2005, the surface elevation of the Salton Sea was ~69.8 meters (228.86 feet) below mean sea level. The Sea is a terminal lake; the only outlet for its waters is via evaporation. The Sea is an officially-designated sump for the water draining from fields in the adjacent Coachella and Imperial Valleys; the Sea also receives agricultural and municipal drainage from the Mexicali Valley, in Baja California. The Sea is currently 33% saltier than the ocean and getting saltier each year. The Sea is also eutrophic, with extremely high levels of biological productivity, fed by fertilizers draining off of the fields in the basin. This productivity has attracted more than 400 species of birds to the area, including large numbers of breeding birds and special status species. The objective of the experts workshop evaluation process was to develop a credible description of the future physical and biological conditions created by implementation of the IWMP. The objective of the evaluation process was not to support or reject the proposal. This was a scientific review process. Economic and recreational impacts generated by implementation of the proposal, although important, were beyond the scope of this evaluation process and were not addressed. The evaluation did not concern itself with regulatory, policy, political or agency positions. Based on the scientific expertise of the participants, the evaluation sought to identify any critical flaws in the proposal, as well as major beneficial outcomes, major questions to be resolved, and considerations of importance in judging the effectiveness of the proposal. The views and opinions reflected in this report are those of the participants and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of their agencies or affiliations, nor do they necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or U.S. Geological Survey.

Integrated Water Resources Plan 2015 Update

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | January 1st, 2016

In California water, uncertainty comes with the territory. Being unprepared for tomorrow, however, is simply not an option. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern C

In California water, uncertainty comes with the territory. Being unprepared for tomorrow, however, is simply not an option. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California prepares for tomorrow with an evolving long-term water strategy known as its Integrated Water Resources Plan, or IRP. The inaugural IRP was adopted in 1996, with updates in 2004 and 2010. The 2015 IRP Update continues the tradition of assessing and adapting to changing conditions facing Southern California. The fundamental goal of the IRP is for Southern California to have as reliable a water system for tomorrow as the region has enjoyed for decades, regardless of the challenges that emerge along the way. Metropolitan plans to meet this goal through an adaptive management strategy that is the cornerstone of the 2015 IRP Update. Metropolitan was authorized by the California Legislature in 1928 to advance a regional approach to water supply in Southern California. Metropolitan’s initial mission was to construct the 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct to its service area on the Southern California coastal plain. Metropolitan’s service area had an assessed property valuation of approximately $2 billion at the time. Now Metropolitan serves a six-county service area with a property valuation of approximately $2 trillion. Metropolitan imports supplies from both the Colorado River and Northern California via the State Water Project while investing in a variety of storage, local supply and conservation initiatives. Metropolitan has a long record of promoting alternatives to imported water supplies, dating back to the 1980s. With the IRP, that process became more formalized as a long-term strategy and official policy. Metropolitan has steadily diversified the future water portfolio for Southern California with each revision to the IRP. This update is no exception. Investments to maintain the reliability of imported supplies are complemented by an expansion of local supply development along with a reduction in demand through a variety of conservation and water-use efficiency initiatives. The necessary suite of actions evolves over time based on the water conditions of tomorrow. Updating the IRP creates a new baseline for managing into the future.

Integrating Water and Land Management: A Suburban Case Study and Locally Adaptable Tool

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | October 15th, 2013

Managing the impacts of development on water resources is an urgent challenge in California. To support more efficient growth with fewer environmental impacts, the Califo

Managing the impacts of development on water resources is an urgent challenge in California. To support more efficient growth with fewer environmental impacts, the California Legislature and governor have adopted policies to better integrate land use and resource management. The Land Use Planning and Management Resource Management Strategy (RMS) located within California’s 2009 Water Plan Update calls for Low Impact Development (LID) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) development approaches to reduce land use impacts on water resources. These strategies are suggested to decrease indoor/outdoor or residential water consumption, improve the quality of stormwater runoff, decrease the quantity and flow rates of stormwater runoff, and protect downstream riparian habitat. The 2009 RMS set in motion a study to quantify costs and benefits associated with water-smart land use practices. Following this 2009 initiative, the charter for the RMS in the 2013 California Water Plan Update proposed a land use decision tool and demonstration of its application through pilot projects. For the first time since 1957, the Water Plan will also include a land use objective linked to corresponding actions. Consistent with this approach, the California Department of Water Resources partnered with Sonoma State University’s (SSU) Center for Sustainable Communities and conducted four case studies of suburban development in Sonoma County. An “Integrated Water and Land Management Tool” was also designed and built as part of this project. This tool may be downloaded free of charge at the website for the California Water Plan Update 2013. < http://www.waterplan.water.ca.gov/cwpu2013/index.cfm > Then navigate to Volume 4. Although existing tools are available to guide practitioners, those that are easy to use generally could not be modified to reflect local conditions. And calculators that could be modified possessed challenging user interfaces that required extensive background knowledge. Thus, the project team determined that a user-friendly calculator with the ability to customize and save local data would be a valuable asset. The case studies were then compared and contrasted using the new tool. This allowed users to specify different residential land cover and infrastructure choices and compare development outcomes, especially at the lot and neighborhood levels. Guiding principles for the study and creation of the tool were to: • Create an open, locally modifiable, and user-friendly tool to help guide land use and land cover decisions • Quantify relationships between land use alternatives and key water management benefits relating to water supply reliability, flood management, water quality, habitat value, and greenhouse gas emissions • Quantify the monetary costs of implementing LID and traditional development strategies, including long-term costs • Compare and contrast outputs from different development approaches, as exemplified in four case study sites This report, “Integrating Water and Land Management: A Suburban Case Study and Locally Adaptable Tool”, proceeds in two major parts: developing the tool, and then applying the tool to four residential developments in Sonoma County, California, as a proof of concept. While preliminary conclusions are made from the analysis of the case studies, the primary contribution of this research effort is a new, open-source Integrated Water and Land Management Tool, which will further grow and develop over time as additional case studies and applications are completed.

Investigating the Role of Snow Water Equivalent on Streamflow Predictability during Drought

American Meteorological Society (AMS) | October 20th, 2022

Snowpack provides the majority of predictive information for water supply forecasts (WSFs) in snow-dominated basins across the western United States. Drought conditions t

Snowpack provides the majority of predictive information for water supply forecasts (WSFs) in snow-dominated basins across the western United States. Drought conditions typically accompany decreased snowpack and lowered runoff efficiency, negatively impacting WSFs. Here, we investigate the relationship between snow water equivalent (SWE) and April–July streamflow volume (AMJJ-V) during drought in small headwater catchments, using observations from 31 USGS streamflow gauges and 54 SNOTEL stations. A linear regression approach is used to evaluate forecast skill under different historical climatologies used for model fitting, as well as with different forecast dates. Experiments are constructed in which extreme hydrological drought years are withheld from model training, that is, years with AMJJ-V below the 15th percentile. Subsets of the remaining years are used for model fitting to understand how the climatology of different training subsets impacts forecasts of extreme drought years. We generally report overprediction in drought years. However, training the forecast model on drier years, that is, below-median years (P15, P57.5], minimizes residuals by an average of 10%in drought year forecasts, relative to a baseline case, with the highest median skill obtained in mid- to late April for colder regions. We report similar findings using a modified National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) procedure in nine large Upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) basins, highlighting the importance of the snowpack–streamflow relationship in streamflow predictability. We propose an “adaptive sampling” approach of dynamically selecting training years based on antecedent SWE conditions, showing error reductions of up to 20% in historical drought years relative to the period of record. These alternate training protocols provide opportunities for addressing the challenges of future drought risk to water supply planning.

Irrigation Water Use in the Central Valley of California

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 1st, 1985

It’s Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | August 10th, 2017

State investment in transportation, public buildings, water treatment systems, and other forms of vital infrastructure is key to creating good jobs and promoting

State investment in transportation, public buildings, water treatment systems, and other forms of vital infrastructure is key to creating good jobs and promoting full economic recovery. States should reject the flawed economic growth strategy of cutting taxes and offering corporate giveaways, and instead identify and make investments in infrastructure that provide the foundation for a strong economy. It’s a good time for states to make those investments.