Water Wasted to the Sea?

Cloern, James E.; Kay, Jane Holtz; Kimmerer, Wim; Mount, Jeffrey F.; Moyle, Peter B.; Mueller–Solger, Anke

doi:10.15447/sfews.2017v15iss2art1

Cited by 20 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Freshwater flows through the Delta have been polemicized as “wasting water to the sea” to protect smelt instead of providing water for farmers (Cloern et al. ). Stakeholders most commonly invoke this sentiment when water exports from the delta are reduced for environmental purposes, including when significant numbers of Delta Smelt are detected in the vicinity of or are entrained at the pumps (USFWS ).…”

Section: Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Political narratives that attempt to pit fish against farmers disregard the importance of outflows to in‐delta farmers for salinity protection for water export; for maintaining public health standards; for fisheries for Chinook Salmon, steelhead O. mykiss , and other species; for ecosystem support for a diverse native biota; and for other ecosystem services that impact human well‐being (Cloern et al. ). Also obscured is the fact that water demand in California far exceeds supply under antiquated water policies based upon historical precedents (Hanak et al.…”

Section: Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Delta Smelt and Water Politics in California

Moyle¹,

Hobbs²,

Durand³

2018

Fisheries

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Delta Smelt Hypomesus transpacificus is a small translucent fish that lives in the heart of California's water distribution system. It is an endemic species that is on verge of extinction, largely because it is in direct competition with people for water. This article discusses the controversy surrounding this fish by describing (1) the biology of Delta Smelt; (2) California's complex water storage and distribution system; (3) the history of Delta Smelt, including conservation efforts; (4) the present controversies surrounding it; and (5) the future of Delta Smelt. The decline of Delta Smelt is a strong indicator that the ecosystem of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta has undergone large‐scale changes that make it an unfavorable environment for native fishes. Reversing the trajectory of the Delta Smelt toward extinction will require major shifts in California water policy and water use as well as active management of the smelt's habitat and life history.

show abstract

Section: Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delta Smelt and Water Politics in California

Moyle¹,

Hobbs²,

Durand³

2018

Fisheries

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The importance of the freshwater inflow to estuarine ecosystems is widely recognized [56][57][58]. Often the focus of concern is the upstream impoundment of streams for water supply or flood management [59,60] but in the estuarine basins discussed here, which have been essentially isolated from riverine inflows for more than a century due to river management in the delta plain, the key issue is where, when, and how much inflow is required to meet certain goals and avoid undesirable outcomes for other parts of the ecosystem [61].…”

Section: Effect On Estuarine Fisheriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitigating the Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Estuaries of the Mississippi Delta Plain Using River Diversions

White

Meselhe

Reed

et al. 2019

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Using the Mississippi River as a tool for restoration has been a key element of restoration planning in Louisiana for decades. The results of allowing river water and sediment back into the coastal system are manifested in a number of places in present day Louisiana, with additional plans for large scale sediment and water diversions from the Mississippi River. Many previous numerical modeling studies have focused on sediment delivery to Louisiana estuaries. This study examines the effects of river diversions on salinity gradients in receiving estuarine basins. The Integrated Compartment Model, a planning-level model that simulates multi-decadal change in estuarine hydrodynamics and wetland systems under assumed sea-level rise scenarios, was used to assess the estuarine salinity gradient under potential management regimes. The simulations for current conditions are compared to a future 50-year simulation with additional diversions, as well as cases with a variety of diversion options. This modeling analysis shows that without additional action, 50-years of sea-level rise could result in substantial increases in salinity throughout the Mississippi Delta Plain estuaries. This can be largely offset with additional large river diversions which can maintain variable salinity gradients throughout the estuary basins.

show abstract

Shepherding Nature

Scott

Wiens

Horne

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The toads were there, just where the people in the village had told them they would be. The scientists and their guide struggled up a muddy trail to a ridgeline. And then they saw them. First one, then a few, then hundreds, shining like amber amid the dark humus of the forest floor. Golden toads. A species new to science. This was in 1964. It turned out that the golden toad occurred only in a tiny, high-elevation area in the Monteverde cloud forest in Costa Rica. A reserve was established to protect the species within its known range. Surveys over the following years indicated a stable population of 1,000-2,000 toads. Then, suddenly, there were fewer than a dozen in 1988, and only one solitary male a year later. The species has not been seen since.Why did the toad disappear so suddenly? Perhaps it was a drying of breeding sites accompanying El Niño, or a shift of the cloud layer to higher elevations (both perhaps related to climate change), or fatal fungal infections. Regardless of the cause, the golden toad was extinct. 1 It didn't have to be that way. Conservation's agenda is to avoid such extinctions, to reverse the trends that bring plants and animals to the brink of extinction and return them to secure self-reliance.In this book, we will share stories and case studies to demonstrate how such outcomes can be achieved and the consequences if they are not. 1 The saga of the golden toad and the controversy over what led to its disappearance are recounted in McMenamin and Hannah (2012). The golden toad is shown in Figure 1.1.

show abstract

Water Wasted to the Sea?

Cited by 20 publications

References 8 publications

Delta Smelt and Water Politics in California

Delta Smelt and Water Politics in California

Mitigating the Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Estuaries of the Mississippi Delta Plain Using River Diversions

Shepherding Nature

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About