Indirect measurement of Delta outflow using ultrasonic velocity meters and comparison with mass-balance calculated outflow

A measurement of the quantity of water flowing from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into Suisun Bay (Delta outflow) has been desired by those studying and managing the San Francisco Bay/Delta estuary since the 1920s.  Historically, Delta outflow has been estimated using a mass-balance calculation that uses measured Delta inflows and exports, and imprecise estimates of consumptive use for the approximately 2,000 small agricultural diversions with the Delta.  The DWR has estimated Delta outflow for 1929 to present using the computer program DAYFLOW.