2015 Annual Monitoring Report

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | July 1st, 2016

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) is the primary source for long-term contaminant monitoring information for the San Francisco

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) is the primary source for long-term contaminant monitoring information for the San Francisco Bay. The RMP is an innovative and collaborative effort among the scientific community, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board), and the regulated discharger community. The Program was initiated by the Water Board as a pilot study in 1989 and has been collecting water, sediment, and bivalve tissue data since its official inception in 1993. Regular monitoring of sport fish tissue and bird eggs for toxic contaminants was incorporated into the Program in 1997 and 2006, respectively. The Program monitors the different matrices included in “status and trends” monitoring on varying schedules. Additional monitoring occurs as part of short-term “special studies” or pilot studies focused on new regions, matrices, or contaminants of immediate or increasing regulatory interest. In 2015, the RMP collected only water data as part of “status and trends” monitoring. A pilot study was also conducted to collect sediment data from the Bay margins. Bird egg monitoring was originally scheduled to be conducted in 2015, but was delayed until 2016. The purpose of this report is to document RMP monitoring activities in 2015. The report is organized into chapters on water and sediment. Each chapter contains information on: • The locations where these samples were collected, • The field sampling methods, • The target analytes, laboratories, and analytical methods for each matrix, and • Any problems encountered or non-conformances to planned procedures.

2016 Quality Assurance Program Plan for the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | September 14th, 2016

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) was created to provide longterm monitoring information on ecosystem health in the E

The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) was created to provide longterm monitoring information on ecosystem health in the Estuary. The impetus for the program development was a resolution by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board to require dischargers in the Bay Area regulated under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program to participate in regional monitoring. Contribution to the program constitutes compliance with the requirement to participate. Elimination of certain permit requirements for individual permits offset the requirement for continued participation.

2016 Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Bird Egg Samples Quality Assurance Report.

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | December 13th, 2017

 In 2016, bird egg samples were collected from 4 areas for terns with 84 individual samples analyzed for Hg and 12 composites analyzed for Se. Samples for cormorants wer

 In 2016, bird egg samples were collected from 4 areas for terns with 84 individual samples analyzed for Hg and 12 composites analyzed for Se. Samples for cormorants were collected from 3 areas, with 9 composites analyzed for Hg, Se, PFCs, PCBs, and PBDEs. The sampling and analysis was conducted by the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay. The details of the cruise and sample collection methods are described in the RMP Quality Assurance Program Plan, cruise plans, cruise reports, and field sampling reports. These documents are available from the SFEI website (http://www.sfei.org/programs/sf-bay-regional-monitoring-program). 

2016 Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Bivalve Samples Quality Assurance Report

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | December 31st, 2017

 In 2016, bivalve samples were collected from 8 stations (including a reference control/ bivalve source site) for the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in Sa

 In 2016, bivalve samples were collected from 8 stations (including a reference control/ bivalve source site) for the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay. The details of the cruise and sample collection methods are described in the RMP Quality Assurance Program Plan, cruise plans, cruise reports, and field sampling reports. These documents are available from the SFEI website.

2016 Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Sturgeon Derby Study Sampling & Analysis Plan

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | February 1st, 2016

A second year of Sturgeon Derby monitoring will be conducted in collaboration with the 32nd annual Original Sturgeon Derby held by the Foundation Sportsman’s Club out

A second year of Sturgeon Derby monitoring will be conducted in collaboration with the 32nd annual Original Sturgeon Derby held by the Foundation Sportsman’s Club out of Bay Point, CA. The sturgeon derby and tissue sampling will occur on February 67, 2016. Tissue samples from female white sturgeon will be collected, and samples from up to fifteen sturgeon will be analyzed. The Derby offers an opportunity to collect a variety of tissue samples from fish caught for the competition that are otherwise unavailable. This will allow for comparison between selenium concentrations measured in tissues that are easy to obtain nonlethally (muscle plugs, fin rays) and those that are not, but may be of greater interest toxicologically (ovaries, liver) or analyzed for microchemistry (otoliths, for comparison with fin rays). If approved, additional collection of muscle fillet samples will also contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between muscle fillet and muscle plug selenium concentrations. Analysis of tissue samples for stable isotopes will also provide information on diet and habitat use by the sturgeon. Otolith microchemistry will be conducted to support development of a method for fin rays, which can be collected from sturgeon nonlethally during future monitoring efforts. This study will be performed as a collaboration between SFEI (with RMP funding), USFWS, USGS, UC Davis, and Stantec. The purpose of this Sampling and Analysis Plan is to outline the details for how the samples will be collected, handled, and analyzed by the various parties involved with the study. Additional pathology samples taken by USFWS will not be included in this document, except where needed to inform the collection of other samples.

2016 Updated ambient concentrations of toxic chemicals in San Francisco Bay area sediments

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | February 26th, 2016

 The purpose of this memo is to communicate the most recent results for the ambient concentrations of mercury, Total PAHs and Total PCBs in San Francisco Bay area sedime

 The purpose of this memo is to communicate the most recent results for the ambient concentrations of mercury, Total PAHs and Total PCBs in San Francisco Bay area sediments.  Regulation of dredging and dredged material disposal or reuse under the San Francisco Bay Long Term Management Strategy for Dredging (LTMS) involves, in part, evaluation of sediment chemistry characteristics. For dredged material in California, for most chemicals, there are no numeric sediment quality standards or objectives that define chemical suitability for disposal or reuse at particular placement sites.1 Consequently, Bay dredged sediments are compared to various published screening values and other guidelines, to reference site chemistry, and where available and appropriate, to ambient sediment contaminant concentrations for the Bay as a whole. Therefore, starting in 2011, the LTMS agencies have asked SFEI to calculate the ambient concentrations for a small subset of sediment contaminants that are either subject to TMDL limits for in-Bay dredged material disposal or are relevant for bioaccumulation testing for dredging (DMMO, n.d.). 

2017 Bay Margins Sediment Study Cruise Plan

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | July 3rd, 2017

2017 Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Water Cruise Plan

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | August 1st, 2017

This report details plans associated with the annual Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) water cruise. The RMP water samplin

This report details plans associated with the annual Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) water cruise. The RMP water sampling program was redesigned in 2002 to adopt a randomized sampling design at thirty-one sites in place of the twenty-six base program stations sampled previously. In 2007, the number of sites was decreased to twenty-two stations, and it remains as such for 2017.

2017 Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Water Cruise Report

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | October 17th, 2018

This report details activities associated with the annual Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) water cruise. The RMP water sam

This report details activities associated with the annual Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) water cruise. The RMP water sampling program was redesigned in 2002 to adopt a randomized sampling design at thirty-one sites in place of the twenty-six “spine of the Estuary” stations sampled previously. In 2007, the number of sites was decreased to twenty-two stations and it remains as such for 2017. 

2017 Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) Water Samples Quality Assurance Report

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | June 1st, 2018

 In 2017, grab water samples were collected from 22 sites, with samples analyzed for select trace elements (Cu, MeHg, Se), ancillary water quality parameters (DOC, POC,

 In 2017, grab water samples were collected from 22 sites, with samples analyzed for select trace elements (Cu, MeHg, Se), ancillary water quality parameters (DOC, POC, SSC, hardness) and weak acid dissociable cyanide. Additionally, water samples were collected for toxicity tests from 7 sites, and one site (Golden Gate) sampled for nutrients (nitrogen species, silica). The sampling and analysis was conducted by the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay. The details of the cruise and sample collection methods are described in the RMP Quality Assurance Program Plan, cruise plans, cruise reports, and field sampling reports.