Adaptation Planning for the Bay Point Operational Landscape Unit

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | April 15th, 2022

This document is not a vision or an adaptation plan, but rather is meant to catalyze discussion and offer resources around nature-based opportunities for SLR adaptation a

This document is not a vision or an adaptation plan, but rather is meant to catalyze discussion and offer resources around nature-based opportunities for SLR adaptation along Bay Point’s shoreline. The engagement and leadership of community-based stakeholders is key to the success of any adaptation planning effort, especially around issues as long-term and far-reaching as SLR and associated storm and tidal flooding. Without transparency and intentional community engagement throughout the planning process, opportunities for creative solutions will surely be missed and might lead to new problems or exacerbate existing ones disproportionately felt by low-income communities and communities of color. At the time this memo was written, there was not an active SLR adaptation working group or equivalent effort happening along the Bay Point shoreline. Consequently, the intent of this memo is to offer useful resources and ideas to support meaningful dialogue among stakeholders about shoreline adaptation planning. The Bay Point OLU study area is a mix of open space and developed areas at the mouth of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, where the Delta meets the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Point OLU comprises unincorporated land known as Bay Point, a census-designated place within ContraCosta County, the City of Pittsburg, the spheres of influence of Pittsburg and Concord, and District V of Contra Costa County (Figure 2). Chapter 2 examines how Bay Point’s landscape has changed over time and Chapter 3 summarizes some of the vulnerability studies, habitat goals, and adaptation plans that have been developed for the study area. Chapter 4 offers more in-depth descriptions of the Bay Point OLU along with detailed maps that can be used to kick start SLR adaptation planning with a stakeholder working group along this reach of shoreline. Chapter 5 concludes with conceptual ideas that may be appropriate for different reaches of the shoreline, as a menu of possibilities to be further developed through a stakeholder process. Chapter 6 suggests ideas on next steps needed to move this work forward and offers a list of potential stakeholders as a starting place towards an adaptation working group to identify, evaluate, and prioritize adaptation strategies to manage flood risks along Bay Point’s shoreline.

Addressing Impediments and Incentives for Agricultural Reuse

Water Research Foundation | December 6th, 2023

Water systems across the United States are facing unprecedented levels of stress arising from challenges such as a changing climate, aging infrastructure, and shifting pa

Water systems across the United States are facing unprecedented levels of stress arising from challenges such as a changing climate, aging infrastructure, and shifting patterns of water supply and demand. Agricultural water reuse has the potential to increase the resilience of water and agricultural systems through benefits such as supply diversification, access to an additional water supply, nutrient management, and compliance with water quality permits. However, realization of these benefits and scaling reuse are hindered by broad ranging, but surmountable barriers and tradeoffs. Part 1 of this report (Literature Review) provides a synthesis of the health and agronomic risks of agricultural water reuse in the context of current regulatory frameworks. Part 2 of this report (Guidebook) highlights specific strategies for addressing barriers to agricultural water reuse and includes thirteen profiles of projects and programs advancing agricultural water reuse. This work (WRF 4956) directly builds on the lessons learned in WRF 4775, Agricultural Use of Recycled Water: Impediments and Incentives, (Sheikh et al. 2019) and WRF 4829, Economic and Environmental Benefits of Agricultural Water Reuse (Thebo 2021). While the specific drivers and challenges of agricultural water reuse projects vary widely across contexts, several common themes emerged in this work. The most successful agricultural water reuse projects invariably address multiple objectives and deliver co-benefits to diverse stakeholders. They do this through early, ongoing, and strategic stakeholder engagement and partnerships. State and federal agencies can support advancement of agricultural water reuse through robust capacity building programs and integration of co-benefits into funding programs. Science-based regulatory programs that are aligned with the needs of both water agencies and the agricultural sector can streamline permitting processes while remaining protective of human, agronomic, and environmental health. In combination, the research products developed in WRF 4956 aim to support water managers, regulators, and the agricultural sector in identifying and overcoming barriers to agricultural water reuse across diverse geographic and agricultural contexts in the United States.

Addressing Multiple Stressors and Multiple Goals in the Delta Plan

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | January 26th, 2011

Addressing Stakeholder Science Needs for Integrated Drought Science in the Colorado River Basin

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | May 31st, 2022

Annual Report of Activities October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014, American River Group (ARG)

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | September 30th, 2014

Annual Report of Activities October 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014, Delta Operations for Salmonids and Sturgeon (DOSS) Technical Working Group

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | October 31st, 2014

Applied Aquatic Science: A Business Plan for EcoAtlas

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | March 7th, 2017

The EcoAtlas suite of tools represents a significant investment of time, energy, thought, scientific testing, technical innovation, and capital from a number of state and

The EcoAtlas suite of tools represents a significant investment of time, energy, thought, scientific testing, technical innovation, and capital from a number of state and federal public agencies, grant programs, and NGOs over the course of its 17-year existence. The toolset embodies the scientific and programmatic investments of the California Wetland Monitoring Workgroup (CWMW), its many related state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private consultants, as well as the goals of the growing set of stakeholders who have expanded the circle of interested parties over the years. It is known by many names -- “WRAMP” being most common -- but in its essence it comprises the following tools:  ● EcoAtlas map viewer ● Project Tracker ● The California Aquatic Resources Inventory (CARI) map and editor tool ● The California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) ● The Riparian Zone Estimator Tool (RipZET) Now highly capable, the toolset represents more than science and technology alone, but a distillation of both, customized to meet specific goals associated with the landscape-scale tracking and characterization of California’s aquatic resources. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), for instance, has supported the toolset through multiple development grants so that the collected tools might be complementary to a still-nascent, statewide wetland protection program. Meanwhile, the state’s Coastal and Delta Conservancies require the use of the tool, and regional water boards -- including SF Bay, Lahontan, and North Coast -- regularly employ the tool for mitigation and restoration project tracking. Essentially, EcoAtlas has proven critical to a variety of programs and represents a successful product of broad-based collaboration. However, it currently stands at a crossroads, and its stakeholders must direct the toolset’s future. The following plan is intended to ensure the continued vitality of the toolset. The plan’s success will depend upon the continued collaboration of the public agencies that have supported the toolset thus far, but it must also integrate principles of resilience as it accounts for the tensions that arise as organizations move in different strategic directions. 

Assessing and communicating the impacts of climate change on the Southern California coast

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | August 27th, 2018

 Over the course of this and the next century, the combination of rising sea levels, severe storms, and coastal erosion will threaten the sustainability of coastal commu

 Over the course of this and the next century, the combination of rising sea levels, severe storms, and coastal erosion will threaten the sustainability of coastal communities, development, and ecosystems as we currently know them. To clearly identify coastal vulnerabilities and develop appropriate adaptation strategies for projected increased levels of coastal flooding and erosion, coastal managers need user-friendly planning tools based on the best available climate and coastal science. In anticipation of these climate change impacts, many communities are in the early stages of climate change adaptation planning but lack the scientific information and tools to adequately address the potential impacts. In collaboration with leading scientists worldwide, the USGS designed the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) to assess the coastal impacts of climate change for the California coast, including the combination of sea level rise, storms, and coastal change. In this project, we directly address the needs of coastal resource managers in Southern California by integrating a vast range of global climate change projections and translate that information using sophisticated physical process models into planning-scale physical, ecological, and economic exposure, shoreline change, and impact assessments, all delivered in two simple, user-friendly, online tools. Our results show that by the end of the 21st century, over 250,000 residents and nearly $40 billion in building value across Southern California could be exposed to coastal flooding from storms, sea level rise, and coastal change. Results for the other major population center in California (the greater San Francisco Bay Area) are also available but not explicitly discussed in this report. Together, CoSMoS has now assessed the exposure of 95% of the 26 million coastal residents of the State (17 million in Southern California) 

Assumptions and Estimates for California Water Plan Update 2023 (Draft)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | October 14th, 2022

The draft Assumptions and Estimates for California Water Plan Update 2023 (draft A&E Report) describes key assumptions and estimates, data and data sources; improvements

The draft Assumptions and Estimates for California Water Plan Update 2023 (draft A&E Report) describes key assumptions and estimates, data and data sources; improvements to analytical tools, methods, and approaches; and the supporting documents and companion State plans being used to prepare California Water Plan Update 2023 (Update 2023), State government’s strategic plan for managing and developing water resources for sustainability and resilience. The draft A&E Report cites the statutory requirements for the California Water Plan (Water Plan), key legislative and policy drivers, assumptions, and estimates related to water data portfolios, future scenarios, water accounting, watershed resilience planning, and equity in water resource management. Also discussed are resource management strategies, the alignment of integrated watershed programs and plans, and integration and alignment of State plans.

Building water resilience in the face of cascading wildfire risks

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | September 15th, 2023