Jacob A Fleck
Jacob A Fleck - California Water Science Center
Science and Products
Remote Sensing of Mercury Pollution in South San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay has a long history of being subject to natural resources exploitation and pollution. Ongoing flux of contaminants into the bay, legacy pollution from the Gold Rush era and structural modifications still influence the natural ecosystem today. This project aims to map multiple forms (i.e. species) of mercury -- one of the major contaminants in the bay -- to help inform restoration...
High Resolution Temporal and Spatial Mapping of Mercury and Methylmercury in Surface Waters of the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta
Mercury (Hg) is a contaminant of significant concern in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary and watershed (Bay-Delta). The formation, fate, and transport of methylmercury (MeHg), a particularly toxic organic form of Hg that readily bioaccumulates in wildlife, has been studied extensively throughout the system. However, there is widespread recognition of the need for more comprehensive monitoring...
Assessment of environmental impacts of mercury treatability test using suction dredging, South Yuba River
The goals of the BLM suction dredging treatability study are to (1) assess the effectiveness of suction dredging in removing mercury from the environment and (2) assess potential impacts of suction dredging with regard to discharging mercury-contaminated suspended sediment to the aquatic environment.
Mercury and Dissolved Organic Matter in Delta Wetlands
Between 1860 and 1914, hydraulic mining activities sent more than 800,000,000 cubic yards of mercury-laden sediment into the Delta altering the landscape, water flows, and contributing to the leveeing and reclamation of the Delta's marshes. Transport of mercury from historic mining areas continues today. The sedimentary supply of mercury to the Delta and in Delta sediments (cinnabar, metacinnabar...
A Non-Point Source Of Contaminants To The Estuarine Food Web: Mobilized Particles From The Intertidal Zone
The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay-Delta) region is a highly urbanized and contaminated estuary with a valuable commercial and recreational fishery (Nichlos et al., 1986; SFEI, 2004). Many fish and birds in the San Francisco Estuary exhibit high levels of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants), which have been shown to affect their behavior and reproductive success...
Methylmercury cycling and export from agricultural and natural wetlands in the Yolo Bypass
The purpose of the work conducted by the USGS California Water Science Center is to help guide Yolo Wildlife Area management practices by identifying the relationships between management effects on dissolved organic matter properties and the resulting role of dissolved organic matter in mercury methylation and biotic uptake measured by the cooperating USGS scientists. The information gathered will...
Investigation of Linkages Between Management Practices Used in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Rice Production and Loads of Dissolved Organic Matter and Disinfection Byproduct Precursors
The primary objective of this study is to expand our current understanding of how to manage rice production in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in a manner that minimizes loads of water quality contaminants to Delta waters.
Evaluating coagulation techniques to reduce the transport of Hg from mine-affected and active geothermal Hg-source watersheds
Our objective is to determine the effectiveness of coagulation and adsorption techniques in removing mercury from contaminated surface waters of the Cache Creek watershed.
Assessment of methyl mercury (MeHg) release from sediment formed in wetland treatment cells designed to remove mercury from surface waters using in situ coagulation
Our objective is to determine the relative propensity of sediment material formed under two different in situ coagulation treatments (iron sulfate, polyaluminum chloride) to release MeHg into surface waters under environmentally relevant conditions that may affect flocculant stability and MeHg production rates.
Monitoring Mercury and Methylmercury in Water, Sediment and Biota in Combie Reservoir Before and After Dredging and Mercury Removal
Dredging to maintain water storage capacity by the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) occurred at Lake Combie reservoir, one of several reservoirs along the Bear River, California over the past 40 years on an as-needed basis to maintain water storage capacity. Maintenance dredging operations were halted by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) in 2002 because of elevated...
Mercury cycling, bioaccumulation, and risk across western North America: a landscape scale synthesis linking long-term datasets
Mercury (Hg) is a serious environmental problem that is impacting ecological and human health on a global scale. However, local and regional processes are largely responsible for producing methylmercury, which drives ecological risk. This is particularly true in western North America where the combination of diverse landscapes, habitat types, climates, and Hg sources may disproportionally impact t
Science and Products
Remote Sensing of Mercury Pollution in South San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay has a long history of being subject to natural resources exploitation and pollution. Ongoing flux of contaminants into the bay, legacy pollution from the Gold Rush era and structural modifications still influence the natural ecosystem today. This project aims to map multiple forms (i.e. species) of mercury -- one of the major contaminants in the bay -- to help inform restoration...
High Resolution Temporal and Spatial Mapping of Mercury and Methylmercury in Surface Waters of the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta
Mercury (Hg) is a contaminant of significant concern in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary and watershed (Bay-Delta). The formation, fate, and transport of methylmercury (MeHg), a particularly toxic organic form of Hg that readily bioaccumulates in wildlife, has been studied extensively throughout the system. However, there is widespread recognition of the need for more comprehensive monitoring...
Assessment of environmental impacts of mercury treatability test using suction dredging, South Yuba River
The goals of the BLM suction dredging treatability study are to (1) assess the effectiveness of suction dredging in removing mercury from the environment and (2) assess potential impacts of suction dredging with regard to discharging mercury-contaminated suspended sediment to the aquatic environment.
Mercury and Dissolved Organic Matter in Delta Wetlands
Between 1860 and 1914, hydraulic mining activities sent more than 800,000,000 cubic yards of mercury-laden sediment into the Delta altering the landscape, water flows, and contributing to the leveeing and reclamation of the Delta's marshes. Transport of mercury from historic mining areas continues today. The sedimentary supply of mercury to the Delta and in Delta sediments (cinnabar, metacinnabar...
A Non-Point Source Of Contaminants To The Estuarine Food Web: Mobilized Particles From The Intertidal Zone
The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay-Delta) region is a highly urbanized and contaminated estuary with a valuable commercial and recreational fishery (Nichlos et al., 1986; SFEI, 2004). Many fish and birds in the San Francisco Estuary exhibit high levels of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants), which have been shown to affect their behavior and reproductive success...
Methylmercury cycling and export from agricultural and natural wetlands in the Yolo Bypass
The purpose of the work conducted by the USGS California Water Science Center is to help guide Yolo Wildlife Area management practices by identifying the relationships between management effects on dissolved organic matter properties and the resulting role of dissolved organic matter in mercury methylation and biotic uptake measured by the cooperating USGS scientists. The information gathered will...
Investigation of Linkages Between Management Practices Used in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Rice Production and Loads of Dissolved Organic Matter and Disinfection Byproduct Precursors
The primary objective of this study is to expand our current understanding of how to manage rice production in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in a manner that minimizes loads of water quality contaminants to Delta waters.
Evaluating coagulation techniques to reduce the transport of Hg from mine-affected and active geothermal Hg-source watersheds
Our objective is to determine the effectiveness of coagulation and adsorption techniques in removing mercury from contaminated surface waters of the Cache Creek watershed.
Assessment of methyl mercury (MeHg) release from sediment formed in wetland treatment cells designed to remove mercury from surface waters using in situ coagulation
Our objective is to determine the relative propensity of sediment material formed under two different in situ coagulation treatments (iron sulfate, polyaluminum chloride) to release MeHg into surface waters under environmentally relevant conditions that may affect flocculant stability and MeHg production rates.
Monitoring Mercury and Methylmercury in Water, Sediment and Biota in Combie Reservoir Before and After Dredging and Mercury Removal
Dredging to maintain water storage capacity by the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) occurred at Lake Combie reservoir, one of several reservoirs along the Bear River, California over the past 40 years on an as-needed basis to maintain water storage capacity. Maintenance dredging operations were halted by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) in 2002 because of elevated...
Mercury cycling, bioaccumulation, and risk across western North America: a landscape scale synthesis linking long-term datasets
Mercury (Hg) is a serious environmental problem that is impacting ecological and human health on a global scale. However, local and regional processes are largely responsible for producing methylmercury, which drives ecological risk. This is particularly true in western North America where the combination of diverse landscapes, habitat types, climates, and Hg sources may disproportionally impact t