Sediment Dynamics Drive
Contaminant Dynamics
David Schoellhamer
Greg Shellenbarger
Neil Ganju
U.S. Geological Survey
Jay Davis
Lester McKee
San Francisco Estuary Institute
NASA
Why study sediment dynamics?
Contaminants are associated with sediment
RMP
Sediment
Stations
Clean sensor
and cable
Data retrieval
in gage house
Fouled sensor
and cable
Van Dorn sampler
Point San Pablo SSC and Mercury
Point San Pablo, 4-day Average
25% above WQO
RMP Sources, Pathways, and Loadings Workgroup:
What is the loading from the Central Valley?
Mallard
Island
Delta Sediment Inflow
Gilbert, Porterfield, Krone, OBA, McKee et al.
Contaminant Distribution:
Petaluma River
2000 RMP Pulse of the Estuary
UCD/USGS
NASA
UCD/USGS
UCD/USGS
Petaluma River
• Trapped sediment mass
• Tidal oscillation
• Persists throughout year
• Large suspendedsediment concentration
• Sonoma Creek too
2000 RMP Pulse of the Estuary
Sediment and Contaminant Budgets
• Sources and sinks
• Legacy contaminants
• New data and studies
in bed
• Sediment supply decreasing • Add sediment and
• Proposed alterations
PCBs to salinity box
• Revising sediment budget
model
San Pablo Bay
1951-1983
Jaffe and Smith, in review
Uncles and Peterson 1995
Sedimentation Studies
Scientific Integration
•Physics
•Chemistry
•Ecology
•Watershed
•Wetlands
•Oceanography
Sedimentation Studies
Programmatic Integration
•U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (RMP)
•SF Regional WQ Control Board
•CV Regional WQ Control Board
•Calif. Coastal Conservancy/USFWS/DFG
•CALTRANS/UC Davis
•CALFED Bay/Delta Program
•Interagency Ecological Program
•USGS Place-based Program
•USGS Federal/State Coop Program
Future of RMP Sediment Studies
•Long-term data: watershed supply
•Variability of contaminants: Petaluma River
•Legacy contaminant trends: bed dynamics
•Development and restoration projects
Project staff 1993-present
Lee Bergfeld, Matt Brennan, Greg
Brewster, Paul Buchanan, Laurie
Campbell, Randal Dinehart, Trinia Dzurny,
Neil Ganju, Tom Hankins, Jessica Lacy,
Larry Lindsay, Megan Lionberger, Cathy
Ruhl, David Schoellhamer, Greg
Shellenbarger, Rob Sheipline, Brad
Sullivan, Ann Tobin, Rob Turner, John
Warner, and Scott Wright
Collaborators and Colleagues
Rick Adorador, Mike Barad, Curt Battenfeld, Brian
Bergamaschi, Matt Brennan, Jeremy Bricker, Jon
Burau, Melissa Carlozzi, Ralph Cheng, Jim Cloern, Jay
Cuetara, Jay Davis, Jim DeRose, Judi DeVarnne, Judy
Drexler, Jeff Gartner, Roger Fujii, Bruce Jaffe, Brian
Jennings, Noah Knowles, Jeff Koseff, Kathryn Kuivila,
Jessica Lacy, Lisa Lucas, Lester McKee, Kris May, Keith
Miles, Ed Moon, Steve Monismith, Rick Oltmann,
Francis Parchaso, Cathy Ruhl, Carol Sanchez, Geoff
Schladow, Mike Simpson, Larry Smith, Pete Smith, Rich
Smith, Mark Stacey, Robin Stewart, Rick Stumpf, John
Takekawa, Jan Thompson, John Warner, Jon Yokomizo,
Tom Young, and more …
Reports and Data
http://ca.water.usgs.gov/abstract/
sfbay/sfbaycontbib.html
http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/Fixed_sta/