Sediment Transport
Sediment Transport
Sediment supply is important to the health of estuarine ecosystems, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay (Bay-Delta). Sediment from watersheds is delivered downstream by rivers and streams and is deposited in deltas, mudflats and tidal wetlands. This process can help maintain wetlands and helps protects against coastal erosion and the effects of sea-level rise. Sediment also plays a crucial role in the preservation of habitat for wildlife such as birds and fish.
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Assessing Deposit Build-up in Corte Madera Flood Control Channel
The Corte Madera Flood Control Channel was designed to prevent waters from overflowing Corte Madera Creek in a highly populated area of Marin County. Since the channel was last dredged in 1990 approximately 5,400 cubic feet of sediment has accumulated. The accumulation of sediment is of concern because the sediment may reduce the effectiveness of the channel, posing a flooding threat to...
Analysis of Factors Causing Mercury Impairment in Water Bodies of the Sierra Nevada, California
The SWRCB has requested assistance from the USGS in analyzing the factors that control Hg concentrations in fish tissue in the Sierra Nevada. Specifically, the SWRCB wants to know whether Hg and (or) MeHg in bed sediment and (or) suspended sediment could be potentially useful in the future as a 303(d) listing criteria. The SWRCB has requested that the USGS perform an analysis of existing data for...
Improved Monitoring of Water Quality and Pelagic Organism Decline in the Delta with Continuous In Situ Sensor Measurements
Newly-developed, commercially-available sensors permit real-time collection of water quality data that may help identify ecosystem processes that affect the health of pelagic food webs in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta. In particular, the simultaneous measurement of nutrients, organic matter and algal abundance along with the basic water quality variables such as temperature and salinity -...
Understanding Influences on Habitat Quality for Delta Smelt and Other Imperiled Fish Populations
USGS scientists work to provide information needed to evaluate the efficacy of ongoing U.S. Burueau of Reclamation water management efforts in Bay-Delta.
New Methods to Measure Reservoir Storage Capacity and Sedimentation in Loch Lomond Reservoir
A new method of measuring the storage capacity and sedimentation of Loch Lomond Reservoir, Santa Cruz shows promise to help water managers more effectively assess changes in water-storage capacity in similar basins with steep, narrow drainages in mountainous terrain. The method employs a combination of bathymetric scanning using multibeam-sidescan sonar, and topographic surveying using laser...