Media Contact: Nancy Vogel, Deputy Secretary for Communications, (916) 653-9402, nancy.vogel@resources.ca.gov August 31, 2016

NewStrategytoImproveConditionsforDeltaSmeltShowsPromisingResults

ComprehensiveApproachSeekstoReverseDeclineinSmeltPopulationYOLOBYPASSWILDLIFEAREA–TheinitialmonitoringofanewstrategytoimproveconditionsfortheendangeredDeltasmeltshowssignificantpromiseincreatingabloomintheplanktonthatnourishtheseimperiledfish.StateandfederalleaderswerejoinedtodaybySacramentoValley farmers and water providers along the banks of the Yolo Bypass to describe thesuccessful experiment anddeliver the first updateon the State’s comprehensiveDelta SmeltResiliency Strategy. The effort is intended to improve ecosystem conditions so more youngDeltasmeltsurvivethisyearandreproduce.“ActingonascientifichunchwithcooperationthatextendeddeepintotheSacramentoValley,wemovedquicklytoseeifwecouldboosttheDeltasmeltfoodsupplyinthewesternDeltainthis fifthyearofdrought,”saidCharltonH.Bonham,DirectoroftheCaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlife.Headded,“TheresultssurpassedourexpectationsandgiveushopethatinfutureyearswecanrelativelyquicklyandeasilytakeadvantageoftheYoloBypassfloodplaintoimproveconditionsforaspeciesonthebrinkofextinction.”State,federalandlocalwaterdistrictofficialspartneredthissummertosendwaterthroughawetlandandtidalsloughcorridoroftheSacramentoRiversystemandintotheDeltawhereitcreated a phytoplankton bloom, the critical base of the food web for smelt. The plan wasdevelopedbasedonobservationsby agency scientists in the fall of 2011and2012 followinglarger-than-normalagriculturaldrainageflowsfromtheYoloBypass.Theseflowsproducedanunusual plankton bloom in the Rio Vista area of the lower Sacramento River. ScientiststheorizedthatthisproductionofplanktoncouldbegeneratedinotheryearsiftheconditionsintheYoloBypasscouldberepeated.This finding led to a cooperative effort earlier this summer between state and federalgovernments and various water agencies along the Sacramento River including the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, Reclamation District 108, Reclamation 2035, Knaggs Ranch, andConaway Ranch. The Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

assisted, along with many other local agricultural partners in the Valley. The result was aredirection of water from the Sacramento River down the Colusa Basin Drain, through theKnights Landing Ridge Cut Slough, pastWallaceWeir, through the Yolo Bypass and into theDelta to provide the optimal conditions to create the critical food source for growing Deltasmelt. ArecentsubstantialDeltaplanktonbloomatRioVista indicatesthatthisstrategywaseffectiveinboostingdownstreamfoodwebresourcesforsmelt.“This effort provides a good example of the application of scientific research to addresscomplex management issues,” said Dr. Ted Sommer, lead scientist for the CaliforniaDepartmentofWaterResources.Headded,“Theoverallstrategyofthesmeltplanwasbasedonanintensiveeffortbyamulti-agencyteamtoisolatethemajorfactorsaffectingdifferentlifestagesofDeltasmeltandtoidentifythehabitat,environmentalandlandscapeconditionsthatcouldbeimprovedtosupportbettergrowth,healthandreproduction.”Other actions included in the Delta Smelt Resiliency Strategy include treatment of invasiveaquaticweedsincriticalsmelthabitatintheDelta;generatingmorebrackishwaterhabitatatcertain times of the year; studying the potential of re-operating salinity control gates in theSuisun Marsh to attract smelt into high-quality habitat; assessing the feasibility of addingsediment to certain zones in the Delta to create the turbidity smelt need to hide frompredators;andstudyingthefeasibilitytoaddsandincertainareasoftheDeltawhichisusedbysmelttospawn. Inaddition,anumberofhabitatrestorationprojectsthatarehighly-likelytobenefitDeltasmeltareplannedorunderway.“Thereisnotonesimplesolutiontosavethesmelt,butacomplexsetofchallengeswhichmustbe identified and addressed to secure smelt survival,” said Lewis Bair, general manager,ReclamationDistrict108.Headded,“Thisiswhyweareactivelyworkingtoimplementthispartof theDelta SmeltResiliency Strategy in theSacramentoValley—providing vital nourishmentandimprovinghabitatintheYoloBypassforsmelttothriveandreproduce.Weareveryproudofthispartnershipbetweenstateandfederalagencies,theenvironmentalcommunityandlocalwaterdistrictsbecausetheseactionsaremakingadifferenceforbirds,fishandfarms.”TheDeltaSmeltResiliencyStrategyisbeingimplementedbytheCaliforniaDepartmentofFishand Wildlife, the California Department of Water Resources, the Division of Boating andWaterways,theU.S.FishandWildlifeServiceandtheU.S.BureauofReclamation. Thesmeltfoodproductionplanisbeingexecutedthroughapartnershipinvolvinglocal,stateandfederalagenciesteamingupwithSacramentoValleyagriculturalwaterusersandfarmers. Thisisthelatestchapterofcooperationinvolvingacoalitionoffarmers,waterproviders,conservationistsandregulatorswhoaredrivenbythemindsetto“fix it”ratherthan“fight it”to improvefishandwildlifehabitatthroughouttheSacramentoRiverregion.“It is critical – and possible with these partnerships – to improve fish and wildlife habitatthrough the efficient use of our region’swater resourceswhilemanaging a productive farmeconomy,”saidDavidGuy,PresidentoftheNorthernCaliforniaWaterAssociation.Headded,“Thedroughthasnotonlyimpactedsmelt,butithasalsoaffectedtheabilitytodeliverwater

for farms, wildlife refuges and recreation throughout the region. Farmers and the ruralcommunitiesthroughouttheSacramentoValleycaredeeplyaboutourrivers,theyunderstandhowtheriversfunctionandtheyhavemadesignificantinvestmentsineffortstopreserveandimprovefishandwildlifehabitat.ThiscooperationisuniqueandtrulybenefitsallCalifornians.”TolearnmoreaboutCaliforniaEcoRestoreandotherhabitatrestorationprojectsunderwayintheDelta,gotohttp://resources.ca.gov/ecorestore/.

Todownloadvideorelatedtothepulseflowandplanktonbloom,visitftp://ftp.wildlife.ca.gov/OCEO/Wallace%20Weir/.

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EveryCalifornianshouldconservewater.Findouthowat:

SaveOurWater.com ·· Drought.CA.gov

Delta Smelt Food Web Flow ActionSummer 2016

Yolo Bypass

Knights Landing Ridge Cut

Base map courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

RECLAMATIONDISTRICT

RECLAMATIONDISTRICT

Project Coordination

Reoperationof KLOG

Additionalpumping

Delivery ofSac RiverFlow

Wallace WeirCoordination

Knaggs Ranch

IncreasedKeswickFlows

Additionalpumping

Hungry Smelt

Phytoplankton at Rio Vista