Open Water Processes of the San Francisco Estuary: From Physical Forcing to Biological Responses

Kimmerer, Wim; Francisco, San

doi:10.15447/sfews.2004v2iss1art1

Cited by 166 publications

(245 citation statements)

References 340 publications

(605 reference statements)

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“…Like many other urbanized estuaries around the world, the SFE has experienced perturbations in key ecosystem drivers, including sediment and nutrient loads (Schoellhamer 2011;Jassby 2008), quantity and diversity of toxic pollutants (Brooks et al 2012), decreased phytoplankton biomass, and a loss of diatoms (e.g., Alpine and Cloern 1992;Kimmerer 2004;Dugdale et al 2007), and changes in zooplankton and fish (Mueller-Solger et al 2002;Kimmerer 2005). Although the original authors of the light-utilization model for the SFE (Cole and Cloern 1984) predicted that the empirical efficiency factor y would likely respond to such changes, this parameter has been previously recalculated for the northern estuary only twice (Alpine and Cloern 1992;Jassby et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reevaluating the Generality of an Empirical Model for Light-Limited Primary Production in the San Francisco Estuary

Parker

Kimmerer

Lidström

2012

Estuaries and Coasts

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Depth-integrated primary production (ΣP, in grams of carbon per square meter per day) was measured using 14 C in the northern San Francisco Estuary (SFE) from March through August of 2006 and 2007. Determinations of ΣP were then used to calibrate a published light-utilization model that relates ΣP to a composite parameter of chlorophyll, solar irradiance, and photic zone depth. The resultant calibration coefficient, y, varied by a factor of nearly two between 2006 and 2007 and was lower than determined in previous calibrations for the estuary. The now chronically low chlorophyll concentrations in the SFE have resulted in lower predictive power of the lightutilization model. The variation in y was likely the result of interannual variation in phytoplankton assimilation number. These results suggest that using a single y may yield large errors in estimated estuarine production when applied overbroad spatial and temporal scales. Given the food-limited condition of the SFE, it appears that direct measurements of primary production are necessary for accurately characterizing the base of the estuarine food web.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reevaluating the Generality of an Empirical Model for Light-Limited Primary Production in the San Francisco Estuary

Parker

Kimmerer

Lidström

2012

Estuaries and Coasts

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“…The estuarine salinity gradient is generally steepest and many organisms have abundance maximums in Suisun Bay (Jassby and others 1995). The seasonal magnitude of outflow is positively correlated with abundance of aquatic species across trophic levels (Jassby and others 1995; Kimmerer 2004). Mechanisms for the relationship remain somewhat uncertain and are different from one species and life-stage to the next (Kimmerer 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salinity Trends, Variability, and Control in the Northern Reach of the San Francisco Estuary

Enright¹,

Culberson²

2009

SFEWS

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“…During winter or early spring, peak river discharge lasts several days to weeks and delivers the majority of fresh water to the Delta. The Delta discharge varies between 50-150 m 3 s −1 during summer and 800-4000 m 3 s −1 during the spring/winter (Kimmerer 2004). Apart from the intrayearly seasonality, the Delta experiences inter-annual variability with wetter (e.g., 2011) and drier years (e.g., 2013).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Water diversions for agriculture and human use are done via a pumping station located in the South Delta. In an average year, 200 m 3 s −1 of water is pumped to Southern California (Kimmerer 2004). The pumping rate is designed to keep the 2 psu (salinity) line landwards of Chipps Island to avoid salinity intrusion into the Delta.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

How can climate change and engineered water conveyance affect sediment dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta system?

et al. 2017

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Suspended sediment concentration is an important estuarine health indicator. Estuarine ecosystems rely on the maintenance of habitat conditions, which are changing due to direct human impact and climate change. This study aims to evaluate the impact of climate change relative to engineering measures on estuarine fine sediment dynamics and sediment budgets. We use the highly engineered San Francisco Bay-Delta system as a case study. We apply a process-based modeling approach (Delft3D-FM) to assess the changes in hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics resulting from climate change and engineering scenarios. The scenarios consider a direct human impact (shift in water pumping location), climate change (sea level rise and suspended sediment concentration decrease), and abrupt disasters (island flooding, possibly as the results of an earthquake). Levee failure has the largest impact on the hydrodynamics of the system. Reduction in sediment input from the watershed has the greatest impact on turbidity levels, which are key to primary production and define habitat conditions for endemic species. Sea level rise leads to more sediment suspension and a net sediment export if little room for accommodation is left in the system due to continuous engineering works. Mitigation measures like levee reinforcement are effective for addressing direct human impacts, but less effective for a persistent, widespread, and increasing threat like sea level rise. Progressive adaptive mitigation measures to the changes in sediment and flow dynamics Climatic Change (2017) resulting from sea level rise may be a more effective strategy. Our approach shows that a validated process-based model is a useful tool to address long-term (decades to centuries) changes in sediment dynamics in highly engineered estuarine systems. In addition, our modeling approach provides a useful basis for long-term, process-based studies addressing ecosystem dynamics and health.

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Open Water Processes of the San Francisco Estuary: From Physical Forcing to Biological Responses

Cited by 166 publications

References 340 publications

Reevaluating the Generality of an Empirical Model for Light-Limited Primary Production in the San Francisco Estuary

Reevaluating the Generality of an Empirical Model for Light-Limited Primary Production in the San Francisco Estuary

Salinity Trends, Variability, and Control in the Northern Reach of the San Francisco Estuary

How can climate change and engineered water conveyance affect sediment dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta system?

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