Statements of Water Diversions and Use: Providing a Better Picture of Water Use in the Delta

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | April 5th, 2011

The purpose of this report is to outline the history of the Statements Program and explain recent statutory changes that will enable the program to more comprehensively f

The purpose of this report is to outline the history of the Statements Program and explain recent statutory changes that will enable the program to more comprehensively fulfill its original intent of providing meaningful information regarding water diversion and use, particularly in the Delta. The report also underscores a serious funding problem that threatens the integrity of the Statements Program and explores issues related to the new requirement for diverters to provide monthly records of water diversion based on the use of best available technologies.

Statistical Methods Development and Sampling Design Optimization to Support Trends Analysis for Loads of Polychlorinated Biphenyls from the Guadalupe River in San Jose, California, USA

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

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP), with guidance from its Small Tributaries Loading Strategy (STLS) Team, has been conducting s

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP), with guidance from its Small Tributaries Loading Strategy (STLS) Team, has been conducting small tributary loading studies at several sites in the Bay Area since 2003. A current priority for the STLS is developing a strategy for measuring trends in pollutant loadings from small tributaries to the Bay.  This technical report presents the work to develop a statistical model for trends in loads of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and estimate the power for proposed monitoring designs as a basis for detecting trends for the Guadalupe River watershed (San Jose, California). The statistical approach builds upon the turbidity surrogate methodology that has been employed in the STLS since 2003. A novel, two-stage statistical modeling approach was used to incorporate the significant turbidity-PCB relationships that exist, and evaluate climatic, seasonal, and inter-annual factors as additional potential drivers of PCB loads. The longest-running time series of tributary monitoring by the STLS on the Guadalupe River was selected as the case study for developing and testing the statistical approach. As a result of this effort, a multiple linear regression model for detecting trends in PCB loads in the Guadalupe River was developed. 

Status and Trends of Delta-Suisun Services

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | March 1st, 2007

Covering only about 1 percent of California’s area, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including Suisun Bay and Marsh (hereafter referred to as Delta-Suisun), contribute

Covering only about 1 percent of California’s area, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including Suisun Bay and Marsh (hereafter referred to as Delta-Suisun), contributes much more to the state and nation than one might expect from its small size. The Delta-Suisun provides a set of environmental and economic services whose benefits extend well beyond its borders. To help people gain a common understanding of these services, this report provides an overview of the existing status of these services and a perspective about how these services may change in the future. This report was prepared to highlight observations and to present a common understanding about the status and trends of key Delta-Suisun services. The Delta Risk Management Strategy (DRMS) is considering these observations while conducting a risk assessment for the Delta-Suisun and will report on its findings in spring 2007. Having a common understanding of the area’s services will benefit ongoing and new Delta-Suisun studies and initiatives. Information in this report will be considered by members of the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force and Stakeholder Coordination Group as they begin work on the Delta Vision and Strategic Plan.

Still Imperilled, Still Important: The Little Hoover Commission’s Review of the CALFED Program

Little Hoover Commission | November 17th, 2005

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a treasured and imperiled resource. And CALFED has been the best hope to restore it. The ambitious state-federal partnership is

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a treasured and imperiled resource. And CALFED has been the best hope to restore it. The ambitious state-federal partnership is proof that political will and leadership can resolve seemingly intractable conflicts. And yet in recent years, the program also has demonstrated the propensity for rudderless bureaucracies to get caught in inescapable eddies. It is not too late for the Delta, or for CALFED. But restoring the estuary and managing the resource in a sustainable manner will require continuous political support, expert leadership, and smart management.

Storage in California’s reservoirs and snowpack in this time of drought

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | June 30th, 2015

The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) are the recipients of inflows from a watershed that spans much of California and that has ties to nearly

The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) are the recipients of inflows from a watershed that spans much of California and that has ties to nearly the entire state. Historically, California has buffered its water supplies and flood risks both within—and beyond—the Delta’s catchment by devel-oping many reservoirs, large and small, high and low. Most of these reservoirs carry water from wet winter seasons—when water demands are low and flood risks are high—to dry, warm seasons (and years) when demands are high and little precipitation falls. Many reservoirs are also used to catch and delay (or spread in time) flood flows that otherwise might cause damage to communities and floodplains. This essay describes the status of surface-water and snow-pack storage conditions in California in spring 2015, providing context for better understanding where the state’s water stores stand as we enter summer 2015. 

Storing and managing water for the environment is more efficient than mimicking natural flows

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | June 27th, 2024

Storing Water for the Environment: Operating Reservoirs to Improve California’s Freshwater Ecosystems

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | August 23rd, 2022

Large reservoirs like those that rim the Central Valley are essential for managing water in California’s highly variable climate. They provide multiple benefits includi

Large reservoirs like those that rim the Central Valley are essential for managing water in California’s highly variable climate. They provide multiple benefits including water supply, hydropower, flood management, and recreation. However, construction and operation of these reservoirs have also imposed significant environmental costs, including native fishes’ loss of access to high-quality habitat above dams and degradation of freshwater ecosystems below them. Moreover, regulatory uncertainty for water users is rising as these ecosystems decline. California needs a new approach for managing environmental water in its large reservoirs, particularly as the climate warms and droughts become more intense.

Strategic Workplan for Activities in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | July 16th, 2008

Strategy for In-Bay Fate Modeling to Support Contaminant and Sediment Management in San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | August 15th, 2022

This report presents a strategy and multi-year workplan for modeling polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), and sediment in San Franci

This report presents a strategy and multi-year workplan for modeling polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), and sediment in San Francisco Bay (the Bay). Robust in-Bay fate modeling is needed to address priority management questions that have been identified for these constituents.

Stress Relief: Prescriptions for a Healthier Delta Ecosystem

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

California is at a critical juncture on policy for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This report summarizes the results of a wide-ranging study of cost-effective ways t

California is at a critical juncture on policy for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This report summarizes the results of a wide-ranging study of cost-effective ways to improve the health of the Delta ecosystem. It highlights the need for science-based, integrated management of the many sources of ecosystem stress. The report also recommends improvements to the highly fragmented system of oversight that now involves dozens of federal, state, and local agencies.