Science and Products
Ecosystem Engineers: Impacts of Invasive Aquatic Vegetation on the Delta’s Critical Ecosystems
Variability of Salinity and Temperature In San Francisco Bay
Improved Lower South Bay suspended-sediment flux measurements
Understanding Influences on Habitat Quality for Delta Smelt and Other Imperiled Fish Populations
Erodibility Data from Gust Erosion Chamber Experiments in Grizzly Bay and San Pablo Bay, California, Winter 2020
Erodibility Data from Gust Erosion Chamber Experiments in Grizzly Bay and San Pablo Bay, California, Summer 2019
Sediment Concentration, Water Velocity, and Suspended Particle Size and Settling Data to Estimate Estuarine Sediment Flux at Dumbarton Bridge, San Francisco Bay, CA from 2018 - 2019
Sediment Concentration and Velocity Data to Assess Trapping by Submerged Vegetation
ADCP Data in Support of Water and Suspended-Sediment Flux Measurements at the Golden Gate, 2016-2017
South San Francisco Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—A synthesis of Phase-1 mercury studies
Suspended-sediment Flux in the San Francisco Estuary; Part II: the Impact of the 2013–2016 California Drought and Controls on Sediment Flux
Trapping of suspended sediment by submerged aquatic vegetation in a tidal freshwater region: Field observations and long-term trends
A summary of water-quality monitoring in San Francisco Bay in water year 2017
State of the network: Long-term, high-frequency flow and water quality data in the San Francisco Estuary, California
The USGS California Water Science Center is heavily involved in the measurement of flow and water quality parameters in the San Francisco Estuary, with support from many partner agencies. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), through the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) is one of those agencies. This article describes the resulting efforts and methodologies and provides examples
Continuous water-quality and suspended-sediment transport monitoring in the San Francisco Bay, California, water years 2016–17
Stratigraphic analysis of Corte Madera Creek flood control channel deposits
Continuous water-quality and suspended-sediment transport monitoring in the San Francisco Bay, California, water years 2014–15
Review of suspended sediment in lower South Bay relevant to light attenuation and phytoplankton blooms
Record-high specific conductance and water temperature in San Francisco Bay during water year 2015
Dissolved oxygen: Chapter 6
Record-high specific conductance and temperature in San Francisco Bay during water year 2014
Science and Products
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Ecosystem Engineers: Impacts of Invasive Aquatic Vegetation on the Delta’s Critical Ecosystems
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is home to a diverse community of plants and animals and is the hub of California’s freshwater delivery system. The Delta supplies water for over 25 million Californians and supports millions of acres of farming, commercial and sport fishing, shipping and ports, and recreational boating.Variability of Salinity and Temperature In San Francisco Bay
The USGS has been collecting specific conductance (salinity) and water temperature data in San Francisco Bay (SF Bay) since 1990. Data are typically collected at 5-10 fixed locations throughout the bay, every fifteen minutes, every minute of the day.Improved Lower South Bay suspended-sediment flux measurements
Tidal marshes provide animal habitats and prevent erosion. Expanding towns and cities have claimed major parts of San Francisco Bay’s marshland. Sediment deposits are essential to rebuilding tidal marshes and keeping existing marshes intact. In the southern part of the Bay, the largest tidal wetland restoration project on the west coast is underway. Sediment flux measurements are key in deciding...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. - Data
Erodibility Data from Gust Erosion Chamber Experiments in Grizzly Bay and San Pablo Bay, California, Winter 2020
A Gust erosion chamber was used to apply horizontal shear stress to sediment cores obtained from San Pablo and Grizzly (within Suisun) Bays in California. A pair of sediment cores were collected from the same approximate locations in each bay five times between January 22nd, 2020 and March 11th, 2020 for a total of 10 experiments and 20 sediment core results. Locations were chosen to capture the bErodibility Data from Gust Erosion Chamber Experiments in Grizzly Bay and San Pablo Bay, California, Summer 2019
A Gust erosion chamber was used to apply horizontal shear stress to sediment cores obtained from San Pablo and Grizzly (within Suisun) Bays in California. A pair of sediment cores were collected from the same approximate locations in each bay six times between June 12th, 2019 and August 15th, 2019 for a total of 12 experiments and 24 sediment core results. Locations were chosen to capture the bentSediment Concentration, Water Velocity, and Suspended Particle Size and Settling Data to Estimate Estuarine Sediment Flux at Dumbarton Bridge, San Francisco Bay, CA from 2018 - 2019
Measurements of suspended sediment concentration, water velocity, suspended-sediment particle size, and suspended-sediment particle settling velocity were collected to estimate suspended-sediment flux and investigate sediment transport processes at Dumbarton Bridge in San Francisco Bay (NWIS station 373015122071000) from calendar year 2018 to 2019. Data were collected using: stationary and boat-moSediment Concentration and Velocity Data to Assess Trapping by Submerged Vegetation
The acoustic Doppler current meter (ADCP) used in this study outputs binary data files containing measurement scheme, location, time, velocity, backscatter, boat heading, depth, and other parameters. These data are provided here in the manufacturer's "classic ASCII" format, as described in READMEforADCP.txt file associated with this data release. We also collected water samples for suspended-sedimADCP Data in Support of Water and Suspended-Sediment Flux Measurements at the Golden Gate, 2016-2017
Field observations of water and suspended-sediment fluxes at the Golden Gate were made over one ebb tide and one flood tide on three occasions: 1) 21-22 March 2016, following a large storm event that triggered the first flow into Yolo Bypass flood control structure since 2011; 2) 23 June of 2016, during a period of low freshwater inflow and 3) 27-28 February 2017, following several large storms of - Multimedia
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South San Francisco Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—A synthesis of Phase-1 mercury studies
The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) encompasses over 6,000 hectares of former salt production ponds along the south edge of the San Francisco Bay and represents the largest wetland restoration effort on the west coast of North America. A series of studies associated with Phase 1 (2010–2018) restoration activities that are focused on a historically mercury contaminated slough and sAuthorsMark Marvin-DiPasquale, Darell Slotton, Josh T. Ackerman, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Bruce E. Jaffe, Amy C. Foxgrover, Fernanda Achete, Mick van der WegenSuspended-sediment Flux in the San Francisco Estuary; Part II: the Impact of the 2013–2016 California Drought and Controls on Sediment Flux
Recent modeling has demonstrated that sediment supply is one of the primary environmental variables that will determine the sustainability of San Francisco Estuary tidal marshes over the next century as sea level rises. Therefore, understanding the environmental controls on sediment flux within the San Francisco Estuary is crucial for optimal planning and management of tidal marsh restoration. HerAuthorsDaniel N. Livsey, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, David H. Schoellhamer, Andrew J. ManningTrapping of suspended sediment by submerged aquatic vegetation in a tidal freshwater region: Field observations and long-term trends
Widespread invasion by non-native, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) may modify the sediment budget of an estuary, reducing the availability of inorganic sediment required by marshes to maintain their position in the tidal frame. The instantaneous trapping rate of suspended sediment in SAV patches in an estuary has not previously been quantified via field observations. In this study, flows of watAuthorsPaul A. Work, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Judith Z. DrexlerA summary of water-quality monitoring in San Francisco Bay in water year 2017
This report summarizes the activities of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) San Francisco Bay Water-Quality Monitoring and Sediment Transport Project during water year 2017, including an explanation of methods employed, stations operated, and a graphical summary of data for the period of record for stations operational in water year 2017. In cooperation with partner agencies, the USGS maintains a nAuthorsDaniel N. Livsey, Maureen A. Downing-KunzState of the network: Long-term, high-frequency flow and water quality data in the San Francisco Estuary, California
The USGS California Water Science Center is heavily involved in the measurement of flow and water quality parameters in the San Francisco Estuary, with support from many partner agencies. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), through the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) is one of those agencies. This article describes the resulting efforts and methodologies and provides examples
AuthorsPaul A. Work, Maureen A. Downing-KunzContinuous water-quality and suspended-sediment transport monitoring in the San Francisco Bay, California, water years 2016–17
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water quality and suspended-sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay (Bay) as part of a multi-agency effort to address estuary management, water supply, and ecological concerns. The San Francisco Bay area is home to millions of people, and the Bay teems with plants and both resident and migratory wildlife, and fish. Freshwater mixes with salt water inAuthorsDarin C. Einhell, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Daniel N. LivseyStratigraphic analysis of Corte Madera Creek flood control channel deposits
Sedimentation in a channel can reduce flood conveyance capability and potentially place nearby property and life at risk from flooding. In 1998, Marin County Public Works dredged the concrete-lined segment of Corte Madera Creek, which drains a hilly and largely urbanized watershed that terminates in San Francisco Bay, California. From then through 2015, approximately 4,100 cubic meters of sand andAuthorsDaniel N. Livsey, Paul A. Work, Maureen A. Downing-KunzContinuous water-quality and suspended-sediment transport monitoring in the San Francisco Bay, California, water years 2014–15
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water quality and suspended-sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay (bay) as part of a multi-agency effort to address management, water supply, and ecological concerns. The San Francisco Bay area is home to millions of people, and the bay teems both with resident and with migratory wildlife, plants, and fish. Freshwater mixes with salt water in the baAuthorsPaul A. Buchanan, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, David H. Schoellhamer, Daniel N. LivseyReview of suspended sediment in lower South Bay relevant to light attenuation and phytoplankton blooms
Lower South Bay (LSB), a shallow subembayment of San Francisco Bay (SFB), is situated south of the Dumbarton Bridge, and is surrounded by, and interconnected with, a network of sloughs, marshes, and former salt ponds undergoing restoration (Figure ES.1). LSB receives 120 million gallons per day of treated wastewater effluent from three publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) that service San Jose aAuthorsDavid H. Schoellhamer, Gregory Shellenbarger, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Andrew J. ManningRecord-high specific conductance and water temperature in San Francisco Bay during water year 2015
The San Francisco estuary is commonly defined to include San Francisco Bay (bay) and the adjacent Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (delta). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has operated a high-frequency (15-minute sampling interval) water-quality monitoring network in San Francisco Bay since the late 1980s (Buchanan and others, 2014). This network includes 19 stations at which sustained measureAuthorsPaul A. Work, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Daniel N. LivseyDissolved oxygen: Chapter 6
Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration serves as an important indicator of estuarine habitat condition, because all aquatic macro-organisms require some minimum DO level to survive and prosper. The instantaneous DO concentration, measured at a specific location in the water column, results from a balance between multiple processes that add or remove oxygen (Figure 6.1): primary production produces O2AuthorsDavid Senn, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Emily NovickRecord-high specific conductance and temperature in San Francisco Bay during water year 2014
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has operated a water-quality monitoring network in San Francisco Bay since the late 1980s (Buchanan and others, 2015). This network includes 19 stations in the bay; currently, 8 stations are in operation (fig. 1). All eight stations are equipped with specific conductance (which can be related to salinity) and water-temperature sensors that record measurements at 1AuthorsMaureen A. Downing-Kunz, Paul Work, Gregory Shellenbarger - News