Technical Support and Synthesis of Data Collected on the Health and Status of Delta Smelt
USGS scientists work to provide data to UC Davis researchers on health and growth of smelt population in Bay-Delta.
The delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a species endemic to the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), California, which is listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act and as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act. In fall 2011, a large scale investigation was implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in cooperation with the Interagency Ecological Program to explore hypotheses about the ecological role and importance of low-salinity habitat (LSH) in the SFE to the biology of delta smelt. As part of this large scale investigation, data on the health and growth parameters of delta smelt were collected across the SFE during 2011-2013.
The overall objective of this effort is to examine the data on delta smelt health and growth collected across the SFE during 2011-2013 to identify any spatio-temporal variability in the measured parameters and produce an overall synthesis of the data.
The USGS has been asked by researchers at UC Davis to provide technical assistance in the analysis, synthesis and interpretation of data on delta smelt health and growth collected across the SFE during 2011-2013. USGS will provide expert technical assistance to UC Davis researchers in the form of analysis, summary, and synthesis of a complex set of data collected on the health and status of delta smelt during FY2015. The primary product of this effort will be at least one peer reviewed journal manuscript which will be coauthored by UC Davis and USGS researchers in FY2015.
The overall large-scale study implemented by Reclamation was motivated by a Biological Opinion (BiOp) issued by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in on Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) operations. The BiOp concluded that aspects of those operations jeopardized the continued existence of delta smelt and adversely modified delta smelt critical habitat. One of the actions stipulated in the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) issued with the BiOp called for the adaptive management of outflow in the SFE to avoid adverse modification of delta smelt critical habitat. An adaptive management plan was prepared by Reclamation to guide implementation of the required outflows and to reduce scientific uncertainty about their effects. This research will contribute new information on the spatio-temporal variability in delta smelt health and growth to the adaptive management plan and help to conserve delta smelt in the SFE.
USGS scientists work to provide data to UC Davis researchers on health and growth of smelt population in Bay-Delta.
The delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a species endemic to the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), California, which is listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act and as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act. In fall 2011, a large scale investigation was implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in cooperation with the Interagency Ecological Program to explore hypotheses about the ecological role and importance of low-salinity habitat (LSH) in the SFE to the biology of delta smelt. As part of this large scale investigation, data on the health and growth parameters of delta smelt were collected across the SFE during 2011-2013.
The overall objective of this effort is to examine the data on delta smelt health and growth collected across the SFE during 2011-2013 to identify any spatio-temporal variability in the measured parameters and produce an overall synthesis of the data.
The USGS has been asked by researchers at UC Davis to provide technical assistance in the analysis, synthesis and interpretation of data on delta smelt health and growth collected across the SFE during 2011-2013. USGS will provide expert technical assistance to UC Davis researchers in the form of analysis, summary, and synthesis of a complex set of data collected on the health and status of delta smelt during FY2015. The primary product of this effort will be at least one peer reviewed journal manuscript which will be coauthored by UC Davis and USGS researchers in FY2015.
The overall large-scale study implemented by Reclamation was motivated by a Biological Opinion (BiOp) issued by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in on Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) operations. The BiOp concluded that aspects of those operations jeopardized the continued existence of delta smelt and adversely modified delta smelt critical habitat. One of the actions stipulated in the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) issued with the BiOp called for the adaptive management of outflow in the SFE to avoid adverse modification of delta smelt critical habitat. An adaptive management plan was prepared by Reclamation to guide implementation of the required outflows and to reduce scientific uncertainty about their effects. This research will contribute new information on the spatio-temporal variability in delta smelt health and growth to the adaptive management plan and help to conserve delta smelt in the SFE.