North/Central Delta Salmon Out-migration Study

The Department of Water Resources is coordinating a high-level study of out-migrating Chinook salmon smolt on the Sacramento River through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from November 2008 through February 2009. Coordinating participants include U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Resource Management Associates, Inc. and Natural Resource Scientists, Inc.  The goal of this experiment, led by USGS, is to understand route selection and survival of the Sacramento River winter run of juvenile salmon in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta.  Analysis from the study data will provide management tools capable of predicting impacts on salmon out-migrants considering operations of existing facilities in the delta, such as the Delta Cross Channel, and proposed conveyance alternatives.  This field experiment is inherently interdisciplinary, involving the use of emerging technologies in fisheries science and hydrodynamic measurement within bends and junctions to discover the mechanisms that control route selection.

The salmon investigation is composed of two main elements:

1. Acquire a regional database, of out-migration movement, flows, and salinity, leading to a statistical analysis of route selection behaviors and reach specific survival rates, and
 
2. At the Sacramento River junctions of Georgiana Slough and the DCC acquire the salmon and hydrodynamic data in a 3-dimensional array to develop a modeling tool(s) estimating localized juvenile salmon behavior response to project induced junction hydrodynamics.  

In January 2008 the principle investigators (PI’s) presented the draft study plan to a CALFED Independent Science Review Panel of experts in fields related to Delta fish and hydrodynamics.  Considering the study plan and PI presentations, the CALFED panel documented concerns and suggested improvements in their panel review.  The panel recommendations were carefully investigated by the PI’s to formulate a unified response along with study alterations.

Please explore the right sidebar for links to detailed information. For further information please contact:

Zaffar Eusuff, Ph.D., P.E.
Senior Engineer, Fishery Improvements Section
California Department of Water Resources
Bay-Delta Office, Delta Conveyance Branch
1416 Ninth Street
P.O Box 942836
Sacramento, CA 94236-0001

Email: meusuff@water.ca.gov
Telephone: (916) 651-9239
Fax: (916) 653-9574