Biennial Report of the Fish and Game Commission of California 1924-26

California Fish and Game Commission | June 30th, 1926

Biennial Report of the State Board of Fish Commissioners of the State of California for the Years 1886-1888

State of California | October 1st, 1888

Biennial Report of the State Board of Fish Commissioners of the State of California for the Years 1888-1890

State of California | October 1st, 1890

Bifenthrin, a ubiquitous contaminant, impairs the development and behavior of the threatened Longfin Smelt during early life stages

American Chemical Society (ACS) | June 23rd, 2023

The Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) population in the San Franscisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay-Delta) has declined to ∼1% of its pre-1980s abundance

The Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) population in the San Franscisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay-Delta) has declined to ∼1% of its pre-1980s abundance and, as a result, is listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act. The reasons for this decline are multiple and complex, including the impacts of contaminants. Because the spawning and rearing seasons of Longfin Smelt coincide with the rainy season, during which concentrations of contaminants increase due to runoff, we hypothesized that early life stages may be particularly affected by those contaminants. Bifenthrin, a pyrethroid insecticide commonly used in agricultural and urban sectors, is of concern. Concentrations measured in the Bay-Delta have been shown to disrupt the behavior, development, and endocrine system of other fish species. The objective of the present work was to assess the impact of bifenthrin on the early developmental stages of Longfin Smelt. For this, embryos were exposed to 2, 10, 100, and 500 ng/L bifenthrin from fertilization to hatch, and larvae were exposed to 2, 10, and 100 ng/L bifenthrin from one day before to 3 days post-hatch. We assessed effects on size at hatch, yolk sac volume, locomotory behavior, and upper thermal susceptibility (via cardiac endpoints). Exposure to these environmentally relevant concentrations of bifenthrin did not significantly affect the cardiac function of larval Longfin Smelt; however, exposures altered their behavior and resulted in smaller hatchlings with reduced yolk sac volumes. This study shows that bifenthrin affects the fitness-determinant traits of Longfin Smelt early life stages and could contribute to the observed population decline.

Big Ag, Big Oil, and the California Water Crisis

Food and Water Watch (FWW) | February 1st, 2023

Climate change is wreaking havoc on California’s water stability. The state is mired in long- term drought, punctuated by relatively brief periods of extreme precipitat

Climate change is wreaking havoc on California’s water stability. The state is mired in long- term drought, punctuated by relatively brief periods of extreme precipitation and catastroph- ic flooding. But the impacts of climate change on state water supplies only tell part of the story. Most of California’s water goes not for individual use, but instead to corporate agricul- tural and fossil fuel interests (Big Ag and Big Oil). These users reap tremendous profits, while more than 1 million Californians lack access to clean water.

Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Lassen and Modoc Counties Groundwater Sustainability Agencies | December 8th, 2021

The Big Valley Groundwater Basin (BVGB, Basin, or Big Valley) lies on the border of Modoc and Lassen counties in one of the most remote and untouched areas of California.

The Big Valley Groundwater Basin (BVGB, Basin, or Big Valley) lies on the border of Modoc and Lassen counties in one of the most remote and untouched areas of California. The sparsely populated Big Valley has a rich biodiversity of wildlife and native species who live, feed and raise young on the irrigated lands throughout the Basin. The snow-fed high desert streams entering the Basin have seasonal hydrographs with natural periods of reduced flows or complete cessation of flows late in the summer season. The Pit River is the largest stream and is so named because of the practice, employed by the Achumawi and other Native American bands that are now part of the Pit River Tribe, of digging pits in the river channel when it went dry to expose water and trap game that came to water at the river. Farming and ranching in Big Valley date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when families immigrated to Big Valley and made use of the existing water resources. A large amount of the land in the Basin is still owned and farmed by the families who homesteaded here. Historically, agriculture was complemented by a robust timber industry as a key component of the economy for Big Valley, which supported four lumber mills. Due to regulations and policies imposed by state and federal governments, the timber industry has been diminished over time and subsequently caused a great economic hardship to the Big Valley communities. Stakeholders realize that the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA) will unfortunately cause a similar decline to agriculture. The change in land management has transformed once thriving communities in the Basin to “disadvantaged” and “severely disadvantaged” communities. Viable agriculture is of paramount importance to the residents of Big Valley because it supports the local economy and unique character of the community. As required by SGMA, stakeholders have developed a sustainability goal: The sustainability goal for the Big Valley Groundwater Basin is to maintain a locally governed, economically feasible, sustainable groundwater basin and surrounding watershed for existing and future legal beneficial uses with a concentration on agriculture. Sustainable management will be conducted in context with the unique culture of the basin, character of the community, quality of life of the Big Valley residents, and the vested right of agricultural pursuits through the continued use of groundwater and surface water. Lassen and Modoc counties are fulfilling their unfunded, mandated roles as Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to develop this Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) after exhausting its administrative challenges to the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR’s) determination that Big Valley qualifies as a medium-priority basin. Both counties are disadvantaged, have declining populations, and have no ability to cover the costs of GSP development and implementation.

Bioaccumulation of Pollutants in California Waters: A Review of Historic Data and Assessment of Impacts on Fishing and Aquatic Life

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | October 24th, 2007

This report was written for the State Water Resources Control Board’s Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) as a step toward the development of an im

This report was written for the State Water Resources Control Board’s Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) as a step toward the development of an improved bioaccumulation monitoring program for California. The report provides a review of bioaccumulation monitoring data generated under three historic State Board programs (the Toxic Substances Monitoring Program, the State Mussel Watch Program, and the Coastal Fish Contamination Program) and other major bioaccumulation studies since 1970. Future monitoring will be guided by assessment questions developed for the SWAMP.  The objective of this report was to evaluate how well the historic data from the State Board programs and from other major monitoring efforts since 1970 address these questions. This exercise has provided a substantial amount of information about present and historical impacts of pollutant bioaccumulation on shing and aquatic life in California, and has also highlighted areas where improved sampling approaches can better address the assessment questions. Present concentrations of pollutants in many California water bodies are high enough to cause concern for possible effects on human health and to have a significant impact on the fishing beneficial use. Consumption advisories, 303(d) listings, and the bioaccumulation database as a whole provide three indices of the status of this impact. Consumption advisories exist for an increasing number of water bodies, but these represent only a fraction of the areas likely to need them. Lack of suitable data is a major impediment to developing advice for additional water bodies. A US E.P.A. evaluation of the 2002 303(d) List indicated that large portions of the state had not been assessed, especially rivers and coastline. Most of the lake area in the state (61%) had been assessed, and a relatively small percentage of the total area (6%) was classified as impaired. Assessment of lakes, however, has focused primarily on the largest lakes, leaving the vast majority of smaller lakes unsampled. Many of these small lakes are near population centers and are popular for shing. Bays and estuaries had been thoroughly assessed (98% of the area) and 93% of the total area was impaired. Evaluation of the most recent monitoring data (collected from 1998-2003) indicates that, for the locations sampled, 32% had low concentrations of pollutants, 42% had moderate concentrations, 18% had high concentrations, and 8% had very high concentrations (Figure 1). Concentrations in the low category are in a range where consumption is generally encouraged by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) (Klasing and Brodberg 2006). OEHHA is the agency responsible for managing health risks due to contaminated sport fish in California. Concentrations in the very high category are in a range where OEHHA discourages consumption (Klasing and Brodberg 2006). Lakes assigned to the moderate, high, or very high concentration categories were primarily affected by mercury, with PCBs also playing a lesser role.

Bioanalytical and chemical-specific screening of contaminants of concern in three California (USA) watersheds

Heliyon (Elsevier) | May 5th, 2022

To broaden the scope of contaminants monitored in human-impacted riverine systems, water, sediment, and treated wastewater effluent were analyzed using receptor-based cel

To broaden the scope of contaminants monitored in human-impacted riverine systems, water, sediment, and treated wastewater effluent were analyzed using receptor-based cell assays that provide an integrated response to chemicals based on their mode of biological activity. Samples were collected from three California (USA) watersheds with varying degrees of urbanization and discharge from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To complement cell assay results, samples were also analyzed for a suite of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) using gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC- and LC-MS/MS). For most water and sediment samples, bioassay equivalent concentrations for estrogen and glucocorticoid receptor assays (ER- and GR-BEQs, respectively) were near or below reporting limits. Measured CEC concentrations compared to monitoring trigger values established by a science advisory panel indicated minimal to moderate concern in water but suggested that select pesticides (pyrethroids and fipronil) had accumulated to levels of greater concern in river sediments. Integrating robust, standardized bioanalytical tools such as the ER and GR assays utilized in this study into existing chemical-specific monitoring and assessment efforts will enhance future CEC monitoring efforts in impacted riverine systems and coastal watersheds.

Biological Condition of Non-Perennial Streams and Spring-Fed Oases in the Colorado River Basin Region

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | August 22nd, 2014

The Colorado River Basin Regional Water Board conducted bioassessment sampling at high-quality (i.e., “reference”) streams in their region during 2013-2015. The purpo

The Colorado River Basin Regional Water Board conducted bioassessment sampling at high-quality (i.e., “reference”) streams in their region during 2013-2015. The purpose of the study was to characterize the biological condition of these streams, which had never been done before, and to expand ongoing research as to whether existing biological indices, developed primarily for perennial streams, apply in nonperennial streams. The latter are usually excluded from bioassessment surveys, but make up the majority of stream length in the most arid parts of the state like the Colorado River Basin, leaving stream condition assessments in such regions largely incomplete. The indices evaluated were the California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) based on benthic macroinvertebrates and the first to have statewide applicability in perennial streams, and the D18 and S2 indices for diatoms and soft algae, respectively, developed for use in perennial streams of southern coastal California. Sixteen sites were sampled during the 3-year period, and data loggers that measure water depth were deployed for 2 of the 3 years to characterize the hydrologic regime at each site. Most sites were nonperennial, but a few were spring-fed perennial oases. Fourteen of the sites passed formal reference screening criteria developed by statewide programs. The CSCI and S2 indices had generally good applicability in the region, with most samples from reference sites indicated either good or fair (i.e., non-degraded) biological condition. The mean CSCI score at regional reference sites was slightly lower than the statewide mean (i.e., 0.90 vs. 1.0, respectively), but the difference could be an artifact of a relatively small regional data set. The fact that CSCI and S2 performed as well as they did in a region, and in a set of stream types, largely excluded from their development indicates that the indices can be used in nonperennial streams (and spring-fed oases) in the Colorado River Basin as long as certain minimum flow conditions are met, such as sustained flow for several weeks prior to sampling and sufficient wetted width to employ existing protocols developed for perennial streams. By contrast, the D18 index did not perform well in the region. A majority of samples from reference sites indicated poor or very poor biological condition when condition thresholds based on statewide data sets were used, but even when more relaxed thresholds based on just south coast reference sites were applied, the number of reference sites in good or fair condition was still much lower than expected. This was not a result of regional reference sites being of low quality, but was most likely an artifact of applying the index to a set a stream types unintended for its use. Development of statewide algal indices is underway, which may improve the performance of diatom indices in the southern desert.

Biological Opinion and Conference Opinion on the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) | June 4th, 2009

The purpose of this document is to present NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) biological and conference opinion (Opinion), about whether the U.S. Burea

The purpose of this document is to present NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) biological and conference opinion (Opinion), about whether the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) proposed long-term operations of the Central Valley Project (CVP), operated in coordination with the State Water Project (SWP; hereafter referred to as CVP/SWP operations, the proposed action, or the project), is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the following species  Endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, hereafter referred to as winter-run)  Threatened Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha, hereafter referred to as spring-run)  Threatened Central Valley (CV) steelhead (O. mykiss)  Threatened Central California Coast (CCC) steelhead (O. mykiss)  Threatened Southern Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of North American green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris, hereafter referred to as Southern DPS of green sturgeon)  Endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca, hereafter referred to as Southern Residents)  or destroy or adversely modify the designated critical habitat of the above salmon and steelhead species, or proposed critical habitat for Southern DPS of green sturgeon. This Opinion is based on the best scientific and commercial information available.