Measuring Cost-Effectiveness of Environmental Water Transactions

Klamath Riverkeeper | August 4th, 2016

The diversion, storage and consumptive use of water in the western United States (US) has drastically altered streamflow, water quality and a raft of ecological, social a

The diversion, storage and consumptive use of water in the western United States (US) has drastically altered streamflow, water quality and a raft of ecological, social and economic goods and services. Over the last fifty years, western states have begun to address this problem through a range of approaches. Water quality regulations, endangered species protections, application of the public trust doctrine to water allocations and other regulatory approaches reflect an effort to prevent further degradation of streamflow and associated values. For example, in Oregon, minimum streamflow requirements created in the 1950s were converted into full-fledged instream water rights in the 1980s and 1990s to limit further appropriations of water for out-of-stream use. Unfortunately, as junior (or low) priority rights, these rights do not serve to restore flow to already dewatered streams. In other cases, both large and small, regulatory enforcement has led to real improvements in water for the environment. In California, the protections afforded to Mono Lake water levels and the re-dedication of contract water to environmental uses under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, are but two examples. However, the controversy, costs and lengthy time span of dedicating water to the environment through litigation and regulatory approaches are unappealing to some conservation groups, particularly those that prefer to collaborate and purchase water rather than litigate to achieve streamflow restoration. An alternative approach to meet streamflow restoration needs is to proactively negotiate in the “water market” for the acquisition of existing out-of-stream rights or for changes in water use and management in order to benefit the environment. These transactions result in “environmental flows,” including the dedication or protection of water instream or the provision of water to Roughly 80% of California’s developed water supply is used for agricultural irrigation.*

Mercury and Methylmercury in Fish and Water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: August 2016 – April 2017

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

Monitoring of sport fish and water was conducted by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta RMP) from August 2016 to April 2017 to begin to address the highest prior

Monitoring of sport fish and water was conducted by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta RMP) from August 2016 to April 2017 to begin to address the highest priority information needs related to implementation of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Estuary Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Methylmercury (Wood et al. 2010). Two species of sport fish, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus), were collected at six sampling locations in August and September 2016. The length-adjusted (350 mm) mean methylmercury (measured as total mercury, which is a routinely used proxy for methylmercury in predator fish) concentration in bass ranged from 0.15 mg/kg or parts per million (ppm) wet weight at Little Potato Slough to 0.61 ppm at the Sacramento River at Freeport. Water samples were collected on four occasions from August 2016 through April 2017. Concentrations of methylmercury in unfiltered water ranged from 0.021 to 0.22 ng/L or parts per trillion. Concentrations of total mercury in unfiltered water ranged from 0.91 to 13 ng/L. Over 99% of the lab results for this project met the requirements of the Delta RMP Quality Assurance Program Plan, and all data were reportable. This data report presents the methods and results for the first year of monitoring. Historic data from the same or nearby monitoring stations from 1998 to 2011 are also presented to provide context. Monitoring results for both sport fish and water were generally comparable to historic observations. For the next several years, annual monitoring of sport fish will be conducted to firmly establish baseline concentrations and interannual variation in support of monitoring of long-term trends as an essential performance measure for the TMDL. Monitoring of water will solidify the linkage analysis (the quantitative relationship between methylmercury in water and methylmercury in sport fish) in the TMDL. Water monitoring will also provide data that will be useful in verifying patterns and trends predicted by numerical models of mercury transport and cycling being developed for the Delta and Yolo Bypass by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).

Mercury in Abiotic Matrices of Clear Lake, California: Human Health and Ecotoxicological Implications

Ecological Society of America (Wiley) | December 1st, 2008

Mercury (Hg) from Hg mining at Clear Lake, California, USA, has contaminated water and sediments for over 130 years and has the potential to affect human and environmen

Mercury (Hg) from Hg mining at Clear Lake, California, USA, has contaminated water and sediments for over 130 years and has the potential to affect human and environmental health. With total mercury (TotHg) concentrations up to 438 mg/kg (dry mass) in surficial sediments and up to 399 ng/L in lake water, Clear Lake is one of the most Hg-contaminated lakes worldwide. Particulate Hg in surface water near the mine ranges from 10 000 to 64 000 ng/g; TotHg declines exponentially with distance from the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine. From 1992 to 1998, no significant long-term trends for TotHg or methylmercury (MeHg) in sediments or water were observed, but peaks of both TotHg and MeHg occurred following a 1995 flooding event. Sediments and water exhibit summer/fall maxima and winter/spring minima for MeHg, but not TotHg. Sediment TotHg has not declined significantly a decade after remediation in 1992. At the mine site, aqueous TotHg reached 374 000 ng/L in unfiltered groundwater. Pore water sulfate in sediments varies seasonally from 112 mg/L in summer/fall (when Hg methylation is highest) to 3300 mg/L in winter. While TotHg is exceptionally high in both sediments and water, MeHg is substantially lower than would be expected based on the bulk Hg loading to the lake and in comparison with other sites worldwide. Total mercury in Clear Lake water does not exceed the Safe Drinking Water Act criteria, but it sometimes greatly exceeds human health criteria established by the Great Lakes Initiative, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality guidelines, and the California Toxics Rule criterion. Methylmercury concentrations exceed the Great Lakes Initiative criterion for MeHg in water at some sites only during summer/fall. Relative to ecological health, Clear Lake sediments greatly exceed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s benthic fauna Sediment Quality Guidelines for toxic effects, as well as the more concensus-based Threshold Effects Concentration criteria. Based on these criteria, Hg-contaminated sediments and water from Clear Lake are predicted to have some lethal and sublethal effects on specific resident aquatic species. However, based on unique physical and chemical characteristics of the Clear Lake environment, MeHg toxicity may be significantly less than anticipated from the large inorganic Hg loading.

Meta-analysis reveals negative yet variable effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms: Biological responses to ocean acidification

Ecology Letters (Wiley) | August 16th, 2010

Ocean acidification is a pervasive stressor that could affect many marine organisms and cause profound ecological shifts. A variety of biological responses to ocean acid

Ocean acidification is a pervasive stressor that could affect many marine organisms and cause profound ecological shifts. A variety of biological responses to ocean acidification have been measured across a range of taxa, but this information exists as case studies and has not been synthesized into meaningful comparisons amongst response variables and functional groups. We used meta-analytic techniques to explore the biological responses to ocean acidification, and found negative effects on survival, calcification, growth and reproduction. However, there was significant variation in the sensitivity of marine organisms. Calcifying organisms generally exhibited larger negative responses than non-calcifying organisms across numerous response variables, with the exception ofcrustaceans, which calcify but were not negatively affected. Calcification responses varied significantly amongst organisms using different mineral forms of calcium carbonate.Organisms using one of the more soluble forms of calcium carbonate (high-magnesium calcite) can be more resilient to ocean acidification than less soluble forms (calcite and aragonite). Additionally, there was variation in the sensitivities of different developmental stages, but this variation was dependent on the taxonomic group. Our analyses suggest that the biological effects of ocean acidification are generally large and negative, but the variation in sensitivity amongst organisms has important implications for ecosystem responses.

Metals in Wildfire Suppressants

American Chemical Society (ACS) | October 30th, 2024

Meteorological and geographical factors associated with dry lightning in central and northern California

Environmental Research: Climate (IOP) | August 8th, 2022

Lightning occurring with less than 2.5 mm of rainfall—typically referred to as ‘dry lightning’—is a major source of wildfire ignition in central and northern Cali

Lightning occurring with less than 2.5 mm of rainfall—typically referred to as ‘dry lightning’—is a major source of wildfire ignition in central and northern California. Despite being rare, dry lightning outbreaks have resulted in destructive fires in this region due to the intersection of dense, dry vegetation and a large population living adjacent to fire-prone lands. Since thunderstorms are much less common in this region relative to the interior West, the climatology and drivers of dry lightning have not been widely investigated in central and northern California. Using daily gridded lightning and precipitation observations (1987–2020) in combination with atmospheric reanalyses, we characterize the climatology of dry lightning and the associated meteorological conditions during the warm season (May–October) when wildfire risk is highest. Across the domain, nearly half (∼46%) of all cloud-to-ground lightning flashes occurred as dry lightning during the study period. We find that higher elevations (>2000 m) receive more dry lightning compared to lower elevations (

Methodology for Flow and Salinity Estimates in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 15th, 2022

This is the 43rd annual progress report of the California Department of Water Resources’ San Francisco Bay-Delta Evaluation Program, which is carried out by the Delta M

This is the 43rd annual progress report of the California Department of Water Resources’ San Francisco Bay-Delta Evaluation Program, which is carried out by the Delta Modeling Section. This report is submitted annually to the State Water Resources Control Board pursuant to its Water Right Decision D-1485, Term 9, which is still active pursuant to its Water Right Decision D-1641, Term 8. This report documents progress in the development and enhancement of computer models for the Delta Modeling Section of the Bay-Delta Office. It also reports the latest findings of studies conducted as part of the program. This report was compiled under the direction of Nicky Sandhu, Program Manager for the Bay-Delta Evaluation Program.

Methodology for Flow and Salinity Estimates in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 1st, 2017

This is the 38th annual progress report of the California Department of Water Resources’ San Francisco Bay-Delta Evaluation Program, which is carried out by t

This is the 38th annual progress report of the California Department of Water Resources’ San Francisco Bay-Delta Evaluation Program, which is carried out by the Delta Modeling Section. This report is submitted annually by the section to the State Water Resources Control Board pursuant to its Water Right Decision D-1485, Term 9, which is still active pursuant to its Water Right Decision D-1641, Term 8. This report documents progress in the development and enhancement of computer models for the Delta Modeling Section of the Bay-Delta Office. It also reports the latest findings of studies conducted as part of the program. This report was compiled under the direction of Tara Smith, Program Manager for the Bay-Delta Evaluation Program.

Microparticles, Microplastics, and PAHs in Bivalves in San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | November 15th, 2019

Microplastic contamination in the San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Marine Pollution Bulletin (Elsevier) | August 15th, 2015

Despite widespread detection of microplastic pollution in marine environments, data describing microplastic abundance in urban estuaries and microplastic discharge via tr

Despite widespread detection of microplastic pollution in marine environments, data describing microplastic abundance in urban estuaries and microplastic discharge via treated municipal wastewater are limited. This study presents information on abundance, distribution, and composition of microplastic at nine sites in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. Also presented are characterizations of microplastic in final effluent from eight wastewater treatment plants, employing varying treatment technologies, that discharge to the Bay. With an average microplastic abundance of 700,000 particles/km2, Bay surface water appears to have higher microplastic levels than other urban waterbodies sampled in North America. Moreover, treated wastewater from facilities that discharge into the Bay contains considerable microplastic contamination. Facilities employing tertiary filtration did not show lower levels of contamination than those using secondary treatment. As textile-derived fibers were more abundant in wastewater, higher levels of fragments in surface water suggest additional pathways of microplastic pollution, such as stormwaterrunoff.