Native and alien fishes in a California estuarine marsh: twenty-one years of changing assemblages

American Fisheries Society (AFS) | September 30th, 2002

We used monthly otter trawling and beach seining to sample the fishes of Suisun Marsh in the San Francisco Estuary from 1979 to 1999. We collected nearly 173,000 fish, mo

We used monthly otter trawling and beach seining to sample the fishes of Suisun Marsh in the San Francisco Estuary from 1979 to 1999. We collected nearly 173,000 fish, mostly young of the year, representing 28 native species and 25 alien species. Catch data were related to temperature, salinity, water transparency, and several measures of freshwater inflow into the marsh. Species abundance and distribution within the marsh were the product of several interacting factors: (1) the timing and place of reproduction of the abundant resident species, (2) past reproductive success, (3) habitat differences among sloughs, and (4) physiological tolerance. We did not find consistent groups of potentially interacting species, although some native species showed weak concordance in abundance. The lack of persistent fish assemblages is related to the naturally fluctuating environmental conditions of the estuary, the overall decline in fish abundance through time, and the frequent invasions of alien fishes and invertebrates. Our results suggest that the fish assemblages in Suisun Marsh will continue to be unpredictable until estuarine processes approach their historic range of variability and alien invasions are halted.

Natural Resources Defense Council v. Kempthorne, Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment

United States District Court, Eastern District of California | May 7th, 2007

This case concerns the effect on a threatened species of fish, the Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) , of the coordinated operation of the federally managed Central

This case concerns the effect on a threatened species of fish, the Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) , of the coordinated operation of the federally managed Central Valley Project ("CVP") and the State of California's State Water Project *2 ("SWP"), among the world's largest water diversion projects. Both projects divert large volumes of water from the California Bay (Sacramento - San Joaquin) Delta ("Delta") and use the Delta to store water.

Necessity for Comprehensive Adjudication of Water Rights on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in Aid of the Central Valley Project

U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) | November 30th, 1942

New Life for Eroding Shorelines: Beach and Marsh Edge Change in the San Francisco Estuary

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

Wind, waves, storms, and changing water levels have reshaped shorelines for millennia and continue to do so today. The current shape of the San Francisco (SF) Estuary sho

Wind, waves, storms, and changing water levels have reshaped shorelines for millennia and continue to do so today. The current shape of the San Francisco (SF) Estuary shoreline is relatively new; 15,000 years ago, the California shoreline was west of the Farallon Islands and 140 meters below its current level (Cohen and Laws 1992, Malamud-Roam et al. 2007). By approximately 6,000 years ago (the end of the last glacial epoch), the sea had risen to nearly its present level and filled what is now San Francisco Bay, allowing marshes to form and maintain themselves (Atwater 1979). More recently, humans have changed the shape of the shoreline. During the 1850s, many marshes expanded extensively due to increased sediment supply from hydraulic mining in the Sierra Nevada (Gilbert 1917, Goals Project 1999). Diking, dredging, and filling of marshes for agricultural and urban development began in the late 19th century and continued through the first half of the 20th century.  Today, humans continue to reshape the shoreline through continued diking, dredging and filling as well as restoration projects, urbanization of watersheds, ferry wakes, and many other means. The most wide-ranging impact of human activity on the shape of shorelines is global climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions, which is accelerating the rate of sea level rise worldwide (OPC 2018). Sea level rise is likely to cause much more dramatic changes in the shape of shorelines than have been seen in recent centuries. The magnitude and pace of change will depend on the rate of sea level rise, existing shoreline conditions, and the ability of shorelines to adapt. 

New San Francisco Bay Contaminants Emerge

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | July 2nd, 2020

 In 2016, the RMP launched a novel investigation to detect new or unexpected contaminants in Bay waters, as well as treated sewage (or wastewater) discharged to the Bay.

 In 2016, the RMP launched a novel investigation to detect new or unexpected contaminants in Bay waters, as well as treated sewage (or wastewater) discharged to the Bay. This study used non-targeted analysis, a powerful tool that provides a broad, open-ended view of thousands of synthetic and naturally-derived chemicals simultaneously. We identified hundreds of contaminants, and the results have opened our eyes to urban stormwater runoff as an important pathway for emerging contaminants to enter the Bay. 

North American diadromous fishes: Drivers of decline and potential for recovery in the Anthropocene

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | January 28th, 2022

Diadromous fishes migrate between freshwater and marine habitats to complete their life cycle, a complexity that makes them vulnerable to the adverse effects of current

Diadromous fishes migrate between freshwater and marine habitats to complete their life cycle, a complexity that makes them vulnerable to the adverse effects of current and past human activities on land and in the oceans. Many North American species are critically endangered, and entire populations have been lost. Major factors driving declines include overfishing, pollution, water withdrawals, aquaculture, non-native species, habitat degradation, over-zealous application of hatcheries designed to mitigate effects of other factors, and effects of climate change. Perhaps, the most broadly tractable and effective factors affecting diadromous fishes are removals of the dams that prevent or hinder their migrations, alter their environment, and often favor non-native biotic communities. Future survival of many diadromous fish populations may depend on this.

North Delta Water Management Program

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | March 1st, 1988

Water management issues surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta continue to challenge water resource planners in California. Many agree there are problems and urge

Water management issues surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta continue to challenge water resource planners in California. Many agree there are problems and urge that they be corrected, but a consensus on how best to solve them has not yet been reached. Problems include frequent flooding due to unstable levees and constricted channels, flow patterns that are unfavorable for fish and water quality, and water level and circulation patterns that hinder irrigation. During the last several years, various water resources problems have been corrected through application of the public environmental documentation and regulatory permit process. This process has also shown the importance of Federal permit regulations in governing projects in the Delta estuary. To facilitate planning, the estuary has been divided into three study areas for evaluation of problems and needs unique to each area -- North, South, and West. This report discusses concepts for a North Delta Water Management Program. The long-term planning and environmental documentation process will includeother reports and will take about three years to complete. Planning flexibility afforded by the environmental documentation and regulatory permit process is expected to allow many of the concerns surrounding Delta water management to be resolved.

North-of-the-Delta Offstream Storage Investigation (Sites Reservoir) 2013 Progress Report

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | January 1st, 2015

The North-of-the-Delta Off Stream Storage (NODOS) Investigation is a Feasibility Study being performed the Bureau of Reclamation and Sites Project Authority, in partnersh

The North-of-the-Delta Off Stream Storage (NODOS) Investigation is a Feasibility Study being performed the Bureau of Reclamation and Sites Project Authority, in partnership with local interests and pursuant to the CALFED Bay-Delta Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/Report Record of Decision. The NODOS Investigation is evaluating potential offstream surface water storage projects in the upper Sacramento River Basin that could increase surface water storage capacity in the Sacramento River Basin as one of several actions to improve water supply reliability, renewable power integration, Delta water quality, and critical fish populations within the Bay-Delta watersheds. The NODOS Investigation is one of five surface water storage studies recommended in the CALFED PEIS/EIR Record of Decision.

Notes on Gold Milling in California

Scientific American | December 28th, 1895

Notice of Preparation of Environmental Impact Report for the Delta Conveyance Project

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 15th, 2020

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will initiate the preparation of an Environmental Impact R

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will initiate the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. DWR is the lead agency under CEQA. The Delta Conveyance Project will also involve federal agencies that must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), likely requiring the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS). Federal agencies with roles with respect to the project may include approvals or permits issued by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and United States Army Corps of Engineers. To assist in the anticipated federal agencies’ NEPA compliance, DWR will prepare an EIR that includes relevant NEPA information where appropriate. Once the role of the federal lead agency is established, that federal lead agency will publish a Notice of Intent to formally initiate the NEPA process.