Project Title:
Extending the Arc: Understanding the importance of freshwater tidal habitat and changing
environmental conditions to native fish populations of the Delta.
Principal Investigators
Peter Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, UC Davis
John Durand, Post-doctoral Scholar, Center for Watershed Sciences, UC Davis
William Fleenor, Research Scientist, Civil Engineering, UC Davis
Randy Dahlgren, Professor of Soil Science, Dept. of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis
Background:
Sloughs in the north Delta interact with hydrodynamics, wetland production and water quality to
create conditions that support food web production and distribution to benefit native fishes. The
timing and location of these conditions converge with fish life history requirements at times.
Influencing these local processes are global or regional drivers that include water regulation,
nutrients, habitat structure, restoration, climate and species invasions.
Because these processes are active in the north Delta, native fishes in the upper San Francisco
Estuary are concentrated along a northern “arc” of freshwater and brackish tidal wetlands and
sloughs along the Montezuma and Potrero Hills (Simenstad et al. 2000, Matern et al. 2002, Data:
Moyle et al. 2012-2014). This arc includes the Cache and Lindsey Sloughs, Liberty Island, the Yolo
Bypass and Suisun Marsh. The region includes an extensive network of remnant and altered tidal
wetlands, sloughs, and canals (Whipple et al. 2012). Zooplankton densities in the region are
sometimes an order of magnitude higher than the central Delta and Suisun Bay (Figure 2),
attracting planktivorous fish (Figure 3).
The Moyle laboratory believes the spatial complexity of the region, the connectivity to wetlands
and terrestrial subsidies, and high food concentration provide a seasonal and year round refuge
for both migratory and resident native fishes (e.g., delta smelt, juvenile Chinook salmon, splittail,
tule perch) (Data: Moyle et al. 2012-2014). Scientists and managers are thus interested in
restoring large tracts of tidal habitat in the region (ICF International 2013).
The Problem:
The UC Davis fisheries research program in Peter Moyle’s laboratory has sampled the Arc for the
last three years (2012-2015) during the drought, which includes one of the driest years on
record. However, fish catch data from an earlier study in 2011 suggests that wet years produce a
very different fish community, including many more native fishes than we have seen (Data:
Conrad et al. 2011) . In order to better understand the effects of flow, we propose to extend
duration of our current study through at least 2016, in order to capture ecosystem response to a
wet year. We think the contrast of conditions between wet and dry years will give us a much
improved understanding of the impact of restoration, slough function, and the regional response
to Yolo Bypass floodplain activity. Incorporating the effects of climate variability together with
regional variability will improve our recommendations for restoration design that will benefit
important native species, while reducing the impact of detrimental alien species.
Workplan:
The Moyle laboratory employs an interdisciplinary approach that couples hydrodynamic and
foodweb models with empirical data on the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton,
zooplankton, epibenthic invertebrates and juvenile and adult fishes across habitat types. We are
currently constructing a hydrodynamic model that will estimate changes in flow, stage, water
quality, chlorophyll a and zooplankton in the Nurse-Denverton complex of Suisun Marsh and the
Cache-Lindsey complex of the north Delta. We sample fish using a wide variety of techniques:
otter trawling, beach seining, minnow trapping, boat electrofishing, fyke netting, and markrecapture via passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Water quality, zooplankton and
epibenthic invertebrate sampling are concurrent with fish surveys in order to characterize prey
availability across each species’ life history.
Interaction with other studies:
This project supports and extends our ERP-CDFW research, extending it across the north Delta
and maintaining it in place to examine the effect of flows on fish and food concentrations. We
currently ground much of the research and management in the area, because we have been
monitoring for nearly three years.
We are the only group that is carrying out monitoring of a number of completed and proposed
restoration projects in the area, including the Lindsey Slough/Calhoun Cut project, the Lower
Putah Creek Realignment and Tidal Marsh, the Lower Yolo restoration (LYR), Liberty Island, the
Liberty Island North Beaver Ponds, the Liberty Island Conservation Bank, and Little Holland Tract.
Without the Arc Project, there would be almost no data on the outcome of these projects.
In the last year we provided background and some logistical support for other SFCWA research
being done in the area by Wim Kimmerer (SFSU) and Brian Bergamaschi (USGS) on zooplankton
fluxes; by Lori Smith (USFWS), Si Simenstadt (UW) and Emily Howe (UW) on delta smelt larval
abundance (we are assisting them with sampling in Cache Slough) and Don Weston (UCB) on
toxicology of run-off events in Cache Slough.
In addition, we have supported the Tidal Wetlands Monitoring group as they explore sampling
logistics. We are currently planning to run simultaneous sampling operations to help them
evaluate gear efficiencies of some of their new sampling protocols.
Budget
October 2015-September 2016 (12 months)
$254,641
See Table 1 for detailed budget. Only YR 2 is relevant; YR 1 has already been funded and will
conclude in September 2015.
$9,042
$49,192
$1,250
$500
$5,000
$6,750
$55,942
$1,250
$500
$5,000
$6,750
$70,997
$1,279.76
$3,791.66
$3,791.66
$47.90
$31.93
$27.38
$27.38
$44
$40,150
7528
$9,432
$9,432
$3,685
$2,457
$2,107
$2,107
$3,404
$2,311
$5,119
$7,583
$7,583
$192
$128
$110
$110
$88
$5,241
$28,464
$160,092
$1,155.55
$1,279.76
$29,316
$6,203
$6,203
$12,406
$194,275
$181,869
$36,374
$230,649
$27,827
$8,685
$8,685
$17,370
$45,986
$77,317
$62,478
$1,500
3000
3000
$7,250
$1,250
$1,000
$5,000
$1,500
$2,804
$24,816
$3,000
$3,000
$6,250
$5,000
$1,250
$11,889
$55,228
$5,731.24
$17,620
$71,067
$74.01
$16.45
$42.31
$14.10
$1,261.39
$1,395.68
$22,012
$5,693
$1,265
$3,255
$1,085
$2,961
$7,754
3000
3000
$1,500
$2,250
$3,800
$1,550
$1,395.68
4138.59
6207.89
$74.01
$16.45
$42.31
$14.10
$43,339
$10,108
$53,447
$1,395.68
4138.59
6207.89
$74.01
$16.45
$42.31
$14.10
$7,754
$9,715
$14,573
$5,693
$1,265
$3,255
$1,085
$7,754
$9,715
$14,573
$5,693
$1,265
$3,255
$1,085
$1,500
$1,527
$2,500
$1,000
$10,000
$2,250
$18,777
$2,804
$24,816
$74.01
$16.45
$42.31
$14.10
$1,261.39
$1,395.68
$22,012
$5,693
$1,265
$3,255
$1,085
$2,961
$7,754
TASK 3
TASK 4
INVERTEBRATE REPORTING
AND FISH
SURVEYS
$1,500
$2,570
$23,327
$47.90
$31.93
$27.38
$27.38
$20,757
$3,685
$2,457
$2,107
$2,107
$5,749
$30,112
$18,864
$18,864
$14,739
$9,826
$8,426
$8,426
$6,807
$9,814
$131,627
YR 1 TOTAL
REQUESTED YR 2 (Oct 2015 - Sept 2016)
TASK 1
TASK 2
PROJECT
WATER
MANAGEMENT QUALITY AND
HABITAT
MODELING
$2,875
7528
TASK 3
TASK 4
INVERTEBRATE REPORTING
AND FISH
SURVEYS
$1,279.76
$3,791.66
$3,791.66
$47.90
$31.93
$27.38
$27.38
$44
$5,240.68
$14,283
$64,247
7528
$9,432
$9,432
$3,685
$2,457
$2,107
$2,107
$3,404
$9,814
$49,964
YR 1 (Oct 2014- Sept 2015)
TASK 1
TASK 2
PROJECT
WATER
MANAGEMENT QUALITY AND
HABITAT
MODELING
Salaries
Project Manager (Lawrence)
$2,875
Postdoc (Durand)
7528
Jr. Specialist 1 (TBD)
Jr Specialist 2(TBD)
GSR (Young)
$3,685
GSR (Young)
$2,457
GSR (DeCarion)
$2,107
GSR (Decarion)
$2,107
Undergrad Student Asst
Technician Wang
Total Salaries
$20,757
Benefits
Project Manager (Lawrence)
$1,155.55
Postdoc (Durand)
$1,279.76
Jr. Specialist 1 (TBD)
Jr Specialist 2(TBD)
GSR (Young)
$47.90
GSR (Young)
$31.93
GSR (DeCarion)
$27.38
GSR (Decarion)
$27.38
Undergrad Student Asst
Technician Wang
Total Benefits
$2,570
Total Salary and Benefits
$23,327
Operating Expenses
Publication costs
Project management
1527
Field and lab supplies
Formalin and chemical Waste Disposal
Boat Costs
Truck Rental and Gas
2250
Total Supplies
$3,777
Travel
Domestic - food and lodging
Total Travel
Other Expenses
GSR Tuition & Fees
6203
GSR Tuition & Fees
6203
Total Other Expenses
12406
Total Direct Costs
$39,510
Indirect Cost Base (Excludes Tuition & Fees)
Indirect Costs (20% of Indirect Cost Base)
Total Direct and Indirect Costs
Moyle and Durand
SFCWA Proposal
"Extending the Arc"
$8,685
$8,685
$17,370
$215,096
$197,726
$39,545
$254,641
$3,000
$3,000
$1,500
$1,550
$2,500
$1,000
$10,000
$2,250
$18,800
$2,523
$5,583
$8,277
$12,416
$296
$66
$169
$56
$0
$5,731
$35,117
$175,926
$5,922
$31,015
$19,430
$29,145
$22,772
$5,060
$13,018
$4,339
$0
$10,108
$140,809
$14,888
$14,888
$29,776
$409,371
$379,595
$75,919
$485,290
$6,000
$6,000
$3,000
$3,077
$5,000
$2,000
$20,000
$4,500
$37,577
$4,834
$10,702
$15,861
$19,999
$488
$194
$279
$166
$88
$10,972
$63,582
$336,018
$11,671
$61,127
$38,294
$48,009
$37,511
$14,886
$21,444
$12,765
$6,807
$19,922
$272,436
YR 2 TOTAL GRAND TOTAL
REQUESTED REQUESTED
Table 1. Budget for October 2015-September 2016
References
ICF International. 2013. Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Public Draft, California Department of
Water Resources and California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento, CA.
Matern, S. A., P. B. Moyle, and L. C. Pierce. 2002. Native and Alien Fishes in a California Estuarine
Marsh: Twenty-One Years of Changing Assemblages. Transactions of the American Fisheries
Society 131:797–816.
Simenstad, C., J. Toft, H. Higgins, J. Cordell, M. Orr, P. Williams, L. Grimaldo, Z. Hymanson, and D.
Reed. 2000. Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Breached Levee Wetland Study (BREACH).
Preliminary Report, University of Washington, Seattle.
Whipple, A., R. M. Grossinger, D. Rankin, B. Stanford, and R. Askevold. 2012. Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta historical ecology investigation: exploring pattern and process.
http://www.sfei.org/DeltaHEStudy.