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Alternative Delta Conveyance as part of a comprehensive

Bay-Delta Conservation Plan __________

Delta Vision CommitteeJuly 31, 2007

Jerry JohnsDeputy Director

Department of Water Resources

The Bay/Delta System

many things to many people

Even changing

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Threats to Delta Uses

• Seismic issues• Sea Level rise• Subsidence • Random levee failure• Drinking water quality concerns• Fishery concerns and water supply

reliability - focus of this presentation

Delta smelt

Longfin smelt

Threadfin shadStriped bass

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0 . 1

1

1 0 2

1 0 3

0 . 1

1

1 0

1 0 0

1 0 2

1 0 3

1 0 4

1 0 5

1 9 7 0 1 9 8 0 1 9 9 0 2 0 0 00 . 1

1

1 0

1 0 2

1 0 3

1 0 4

1 9 7 0 1 9 8 0 1 9 9 0 2 0 0 0

1

1 0

1 0 3

1 0 4

Abu

ndan

ce In

dex

Cat

ch p

er T

raw

l

Y e a r

D e l t a S m e l t L o n g f i n S m e l t

S t r i p e d b a s s T h r e a d f i n s h a d

Source: Kimmerer and Nobriga (2005); Sommer et al. (In Press, Fisheries 32(6))

Exhibit DThe Pelagic Organism Decline

1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000

Abun

danc

e In

dex

Striped bass

Delta Smelt

Threadfin Shad

Longfin Smelt

FISH ABUNDANCE

PHYSICAL &

CHEMICAL FISH

HABITATPrior Fish Abundance

TOP-DOWN

BOTTOM-UP

WaterDiversions

Predation

Food availability Food quality

Temperature Turbidity SalinityContaminants

DiseaseToxic algae

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Invasive species

… CRASHED in Suisun Bay right after the 1987 Corbula invasion

0

10

20

30

40

50

Chl

a (m

g/m

3 )

0

2000

4000

6000

Cor

bula

(#/m

2 )ce1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

0

100

200

300

400

GP

P (m

g C

/m2 -

d)

Primary Production in Suisun Bay

Corbula amurensis

Phytoplankton Primary Production

Source: J. Cloern (USGS): Oral presentation at the 2007 Annual IEP Workshop, Asilomar, CA

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Phytoplankton Primary Production

… in Estuaries is typically very HIGH Narrangansett:

~310 g m-2 yr-1

Lower Hudson: ~800

Chesapeake: ~550

80

170

350

Source: S. Nixon, Limnology and Oceanography 1988

Phytoplankton Primary Production

… CRASHED in Suisun Bay right after the Corbulainvasion

Suisun Bay 1988:~20 g m-2 yr-1

Suisun Bay 1980: ~100 g m-2 yr-1

Sources: J. Cloern (USGS) & A. Jassby (UCD): Oral presentations at the 2007 Annual IEP Workshop, Asilomar, CA

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0

2000

4000

6000

8000

1972 1980 1988 1996 2004

0

6000

12000

18000

2400018??:Eurytemora

affinis

1978:Sinocalanus

doerri 1988:Pseudodiaptomus

forbesi

1993/1994:Acartiella sinensis

Limnoithona tetraspina

Cala

noid

Cope

pods

(CB

net

coun

t/m

3 )

Lim

noith

ona

tetr

aspi

na(P

ump

coun

t/m

3 )

Adult copepods at Chipps Island, yearly average densities with 5-year moving average lines

Zooplankton Species Invade in “Waves”

Source: A. Mueller-Solger, DWR; IEP data

54321

54321

2.0 2.5 3.0Log Delta outflow

Log

abun

danc

e longfin smelt

striped bass

POD Has Further Shifted Abundance-Outflow Relationships

POD

Post-Corbula

Pre-Corbula

Source: Kimmerer (2002); Sommer et al. (In Press, Fisheries 32(6))

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Toxics

Exhibit J Synopsis of Toxicity Test Findings

Four Dates Feb through April 2007

Site 711-indication of OP’s on 4/11Possibly both OP’s and Pyrethroidson 2/28

Sites of observed toxicity-Preliminary Indication of Organo-Phosphates

Sites of observed toxicity-Preliminary Indication of Pyrethroids Dr. Inge Werner-UCD-

Principle InvestigatorRich Breuer - DWRDr. Debra Denton-USEPA

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Exhibit KDistribution of Adult and Young

Smelt in April 2007In areas with Toxicity Events

2007 Early Adult Delta Smelt abundance a little higher than 2006

2007 Juvenile abundance about 1/10 of 2006 -- Toxicity ?

Water Project Operations

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January Analysis PeriodAll Data Points, 1993-2006

ln(Y+1) = -2.64129 * ln(X+10000) + 27.6812r2 = 0.885324

p = 0.00000054

-10000 -5000 0 5000 10000 15000 20000Average January Old & Middle Rivers Flow cfs, 1993-2006

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

Sum

Jan

Adu

lt D

elta

Sm

elt S

alva

ge, 1

993-

2006

06

05

04

03

02

01

00

9998 97

96

95

94

93

Adult January Total Delta Smelt Salvage at the State Water Project andCentral Valley Project South Delta Facilities and Average Old and Middle River Flows

Notes: Negative numbers indicate net upstream flow.Prepared by DWR adapted from analysis performed by USGS.

Adult Delta Smelt Salvage

Exhibit CFebruary Total Delta Smelt Salvage at the State Water Project and

Central Valley Project South Delta Facilities and Average Old and Middle River Flows

Notes: Negative numbers indicate net upstream flow.Prepared by DWR adapted from analysis performed by USGS.

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

Sum

Feb

Adu

lt D

elta

Sm

elt S

alva

ge, 1

993-

2006

February Analysis PeriodAll Data Points, 1993-2006

ln(Y) = -0.949365 * (X+10000) + 14.4161r2 = 0.299694p = 0.042735

-10000 -5000 0 5000 10000 15000 20000Average February Old & Middle Rivers Flow cfs, 1993-2006

0605

0403

02

01

00

99

98 97

96

9594

93

Adult Delta Smelt Salvage

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Juvenile Delta Smelt Salvage

The Bay/Delta System

• Biologically Complex• Changing

– Invasive species - Prevent, adapt and create new habitat opportunities

– Toxics - Address aggressively at source– Water Project - Location of operations

--------------------• Need a Holistic Approach• Bay/Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP)

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What’s the Purpose of the BDCP?

• Provides a plan to restore and protect water supply, water quality, and ecosystem health within a stable regulatory framework.

• FESA/CESA Compliance

• Long-term Incidental Take Permits for water project operations

• Assurance that future ESA listings will not result in additional environmental regulation and mitigation.

Early Question

• What is the one conservation measure that can improve Delta fisheries in the future?

-----------• “Change in Delta Water Conveyance Systems”

– Current System Concept Developed in 1920’s– Designed with 1950-60’s Technology and Science– Location of facilities - not so much the operation

• Flow alteration in the Delta• Fish Salvage facilities

– Separate the fish from the water early

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• Similar to PPIC Alternative 7 “Opportunistic Delta”

• Uses existing conveyance and pump facilities

• Operations focused on reducing take at the export facilities and improved hydrologic conditions for fish in the northern and western Delta

• Habitat restoration in northern and western Delta and Suisun Marsh

• Similar to PPIC Alternative # 6 “Armored-Island Aqueduct”

• Improvement of through-Delta conveyance by the constructing operable barriers and levee improvements along Middle River

• Separating water supply conveyance flows from SJR flows with a siphon connecting Victoria Canal and CCF

• Operations focused on reducing take at the export facilities and improvement of hydrologic conditions for fish in the northern, western, central, and southern Delta

• Habitat restoration in the northern, western, central, and southern Delta and Suisun Marsh

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• Similar to PPIC Alternatives # 4 and 6, “Armored-Island Aqueduct” and “Peripheral Canal Plus”

• Dual conveyance facilities –peripheral aqueduct with state-of-the-art positive barrier fish screen near Hood or Clarksburg and improved through Delta conveyance as in BDCP Option 2.

• Flexibility of dual-conveyance enables reduction in take at the export facilities and improved hydrologic conditions for fish in the northern, western, central, and southern Delta.

• Habitat restoration in the northern, western, central, and southern Delta and the Suisun Marsh

• Similar to PPIC Alternative # 4 “Peripheral Canal Plus”

• Peripheral aqueduct with state-of-the-art positive barrier fish screen near Hood or Clarksburg.

• Flexibility to improve hydrologic conditions for covered fish species throughout the Delta and to physically restore and enhance habitat opportunistically throughout the Delta and Suisun Marsh.

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What’s Next?Impact Analysis of the

four CSO’s(July-August 2007)

Draft Framework

Conservation Strategy(October 2007)

Final Framework

Conservation Strategy(December 2007)

BDCP Independent Science Input

Public Outreach

&

Public Scoping

Questions?