Endangered Species Act Compliance in the

Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta, California: Lessons

Learned for Strategic Planning

Lars Anderson

U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service- Davis, CA

Acknowledgements:

Terri Ely (California Dept. of Boating and Waterways)

Topics:

Section 7 Process for Aquatic Plant Management: Consultations and “Single Target Species” (Sacto/ SJ Delta)

Limitations of Current ESA “Risk” evaluationsa. Surrogate approachb. Rapid Response Actions b. ESA (NOAA& USFWS) AIS training and field experince

Moving toward a fully integrated “programmatic” ESA approacha. Landscape- scale perspectiveb. Matching Politics and Legislation with Ecological Realities

Recommendations

Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)Brazilian waterweed

(Egeria densa)

A Metaphor for Protecting

Endangered Species?

Biological

Opinon

Endangered

species

NGO/Stakeh

older

Pressure

Dazzling Delta Data492,000 acres (wetland, sloughs, farmlands)

Water Supply for > 23 million

$27 billion per year irrigated crops

Supports >500 species fish/wildlife, plants

Home of >20 Endangered species

SF Bay

Sacramento-San

Joaquin Delta

California Plumbing (National Geographic April 2010)

70 % Source is north

80 % Demand is south

>>25 million people !

85 % Used for Agriculture

Water in

CaliforniaSacramento-

San Joaquin

Delta

Franks

Tract

Annual management costs for

two invasive plant:

ca. $2.5 million (Operations)

ca. $2 million (NPDES & ESA

Compliance)

3,000 acres of Brazilian

Waterweed in Franks Tract

Sponsored by the California Department of Boating and Waterways (CDBW).

Dr. Susan L. Ustin, Principal Investigator

Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing (CSTARS), University of California, Davis.

Egeria densa ca. 6 to 8 thousand acres

In The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Franks Tract (ca. 3,000 acres)

Brief History of Waterhyacinth and Brazilian waterweed

Management in the Delta

1979-1981: Severe impacts from WH

1982-2000: Ca. Dept. of Boating and Waterways

given leg. Mandate to control WH

1998: Impacts from Brazilia waterweed >

mandate to include management

2000: Delta Keeper lawsuit (NPDES)

NPDES and ESA Consultations (2001) (USDA-

ARS as Federal Nexus under Section 7)

BO’s issued (5 yr); renewed again, now up for

renewal (2011/ 2012)

Successful Management (>80% reduction in

areal cover and biomass)

DBW Federally Threatened and Endangered Species

Requiring Biological Opinions/Incidental Take Permits

• US Fish and Wildlife Service

– Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) (T)

– Sacramento splittail (Pogonichtys macrolepidotus) (T)—DELISTED Aug. 2003

– Giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) (T)

– Valley elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus) (T)

• NOAA Fisheries

– Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (E)

– Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) (T)

– Central Valley steelhead trout (O. mykiss) (T)

NOAA-2011: Listed Species that may be affected by

Aquatic Plant Management project:Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon ESU

endangered (June 28, 2005, 70 FR 37160)

Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon designated critical habitat

(June 16, 1993, 58 FR 33212)

Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon ESU

threatened (June 28, 2005, 70 FR 37160)

Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon designated critical habitat

(September 2, 2005, 70 FR 52488)

California Central Valley steelhead DPS (referred to as Central Valley steelhead

throughout this biological opinion)

threatened (January 5, 2006, 71 FR 834)

Central Valley steelhead designated critical habitat

(September 2, 2005, 70 FR 52488)

Southern DPS of North American green sturgeon

Listed as threatened (April 7, 2006, 71 FR 17757)

Southern DPS of North American green sturgeon designated critical habitat

(October 9, 2009, 74 FR 52300)

Submersed Weeds:

Egeria densa (Brazilian waterweed)

Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil

Potamogeton crispus (Curlyleaf pondweed)

Ludwigia spp.

(Primrose willows)

Arundo donax

(Giant Reed)

New Delta Invader: South American Sponge plant –

Limnobium laevigatum

Egeria densa*

Myriophyllum spicatum

Myriophyllum aquaticum

Potamogeton crispus

Cabomba carolinana

Ceratophyllum demersum

Potamogeton nodosus

Potamogeton pussilus

Stuckenia pectinatus

Stuckenia filiformis

Elodea canadensis

Eichhornia crassipes*

Limnobium laevigatum

Ludwigia spp.

Hydrocotyle rannuculoides

Submersed plants: Floating plants:

Emergent plants:Arundo donax

Phragmites (?- hybrid?)

Lythrum salicaria

Lepidium latifolia

Typha latifolia

Schoenoplectus californicus

Spartina alterniflora*

Invasive Aquatic Plants Affect Waterfowl, Fish and

Invertebrate Habitat

Predator/Prey Refuge (shading, camouflage)

Temperature gradients

Dissolved oxygen, other water chemistry

Physical structure (“scaffolding”/egg substrate)

Water flows (velocity and direction)

Sedimentation (turbidity and microbial population)

Access to benthic organisms (FOOD!)

Navigation and water conveyance

Also

Affects

Listed

Species !

Ecosystem

Functions

Invasive

Species

Ecosystem

Demands

Ecosystem or Aquatic Site

Balancing Risk and Benefits

Linkage

Resistance:

Resiliency

Management Action?

Multiple Interacting Adaptive Management Actions

Problem Assessment Risk Assessment Management

Biology and

Ecophysiology of

Target Invasive Plants

Environmental

Conditions

(NPDES)

Management

Efficacy

Listed

Species

Integrative Technologies for E. densa Management in the

Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta

Monitoring/Assessment

:

(Pre-Post Actions)Aerial Hyperspectral Analysis

Hydro acoustic Analysis

Point- Sampling

Herbicide Residues

Regulatory Compliance:NPDES

Endangered Species Act

(Section 7 NOAA/ FWS)

Herbicide Label (FIFRA, CAL

DPR)

Public Notice/ Outreach

Control Technologies:Phenology/life cycle

Herbicide formulation(s)

Herbicide Application(s)

Water Movement Effects

(Rhodamine Dye & Tidal

Influence)

History of Herbicide Applications for Control of E. densa

• 2001 - Operational Treatments Begin

• 2005 - Early Start Dates

• 2006 - Multi-year Control at 14 Mile Slough

• 2007 & 2008 - Franks Tract

• 2009 NE Region (Intakes & Dye Study) – Continued success at 14 Mile

• 2010 NE Region & Partial Franks Tract

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Ac

rea

ge

Year

First April

Applications

Permitted

Change in BO Due to

new studies on

herbicide toxicity to

salmonids

2004

2005

2006

2007

Submersed plant distribution maps from hyperspectral imagery collected in June

500m

Multiple meetings with NOAA staff: Clarify project

Negotiate how to fill ―data gaps‖ (e.g. salmon, Delta smelt)

Field trips by NOAA staffer: Critically Important!

Atmosphere of collaboration, not confrontation

Timely data exchange and review

Negotiated compliance criteria

Timely compliance

Summary

Successful Strategies for Managing Aquatic Plants in the

Delta

High turn-over in reviewer staff (NOAA and USFWS)

Over-loaded Reviewer staff

Inexperienced Reviewers: Aquatic Invasive Species ?

Highly complex ecological interactions with Uncertainties

Lack of available toxicological data on listed species

Inadequate criteria for use of surrogates

Insufficient knowledge basis to balance risk/benefits

No clear policy to deal with Rapid Response action

Summary

Impediments to Timely and Constructive Consultation

Recommendations to Improve Consultation Process

1. Provide NOAA & FWS Reviewers with

adequate training on AIS realities*

2. Encourage “Landscape scale”

Programmatic Consultations and

flexible BO’s (minimize redundancy)

3. Require at least 2 field-site visits as part

of the consultation*

4. NOAA & FWS host on-site AIS seminars

series annually (HDQ and Regional)*

5. Develop accepted surrogate for classes of

active ingredients (e.g. modes of action)

6. Issue “Interim BO’s” to hasten RR