Interagency Adaptive Management Coordination
Convened by the Delta Science Program, the Interagency Adaptive Management Integration Team (IAMIT) discusses and coordinates strategies for implementing adaptive management for conservation efforts in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and related areas.
The IAMIT serves as a technical team - made up of scientific and technical staff from local, state, and federal agencies, and key stakeholder groups - that crosscuts individual agency missions and provides high-level input and guidance on current and future adaptive management. Its activities are guided by the April 2019 Delta Conservation Adaptive Management Action Strategy. For more information on the group, view the IAMIT’s information sheet.
To learn more about the history of adaptive management in California’s Delta, see the 2016 Delta Independent Science Board Review, “Improving Adaptive Management in the Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta,” or contact adaptivemanagement@deltacouncil.ca.gov.
Adaptive Management Plan Development 101
These resources are intended to assist project proponents with Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) preparation for consistency with the Delta Plan and other regulatory processes. Use of these resources does not guarantee consistency with any regulatory decision-making process.
Unlinked documents in the table below are available upon request via archives@deltacouncil.ca.gov.
| Document | Description | Agency/Group |
|---|---|---|
| AMP Checklist (PDF) | Details what needs to be included in a basic AMP | IAMIT |
| Elements of Adaptive Management and Monitoring Plans with Examples | An outline of potential content to include in an AMP and examples of content from past Delta projects | IAMIT |
| Delta Plan Appendix C: Adaptive Management and the Delta Plan (PDF) | Description of AM and best available science in the context of the Delta Plan | DSC |
| Data Management Plan (PDF - coming soon) | Guide for managing data and developing data management plans | DSC |
| A Systems Approach to Ecosystem Adaptive Management : A US Army Corps of Engineers Technical Guide (PDF) | Implementation guidance for Sections 2036 and 2039 of WRDA 2007 and Section 1161 of WRDA 2016. | USACE |
| Adaptive Management: A U.S. Department of the Interior Application Guide (PDF) | Guide for applying adaptive management to restoration and other management projects | USDOI |
Conceptual Models
Conceptual models describe the interrelationships among key variables and consequences of alternative management actions and are a key component of adaptive management.
Conceptual models describing species, habitats, and ecological function in the Delta, Yolo Bypass, and Suisun Marsh can be used to identify key areas of uncertainty and potential restoration actions with respect to conservation projects, define monitoring needs, develop performance measures, and assess the likelihood of success for achieving the goals and objectives for conservation projects as well as the programs and plans under which the individual projects fall.
These conceptual models have been compiled by the IAMIT and are available as an Excel spreadsheet. If you have any questions or need assistance interpreting the content of this table, please email adaptivemanagement@deltacouncil.ca.gov. This spreadsheet includes conceptual models for the following topics:
- Aquatic Food Webs
- Aquatic Vegetation
- Riparian Vegetation
- Fish Habitat Linkages
- Transport
- Sediment
- Levees
- Human Use
- Chemical Stressors
- Organic Matter
- Low Dissolved Oxygen
- Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms
- Invasive Bivalve Control
Monitoring Resources
Monitoring is critical for evaluating progress towards restoration goals, refining conceptual models, and adapting management actions. Using accepted and widely used monitoring protocols improves sharing, combining, and comparing data across projects. Using comparable monitoring protocols allows for the contribution of project data to evaluating system-wide responses to restoration.
Environmental monitoring protocols, for both physical and biological assets, have been compiled by the IAMIT and are available as an Excel spreadsheet. If you have any questions or need assistance interpreting the content of this table, please email adaptivemanagement@deltacouncil.ca.gov
Environmental Data Resources
This table provides environmental resources that are relevant to restoration and conservation projects in the Delta and related areas.
| Resource | Description | Recurrence | Examples or Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topographic Resources | |||
| Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) | Topographic and bathymetric models derived from various sources (e.g., LIDAR, multibeam and single beam sonar, GPS, bathymetry) that are used to model a continuous elevation surface | Every 2-3 years |
|
| Bathymetry | Geospatial data collected using boat mounted sonar readings for the mapping of underwater topography such as a riverbed | Annually/ every 2-3 years | |
| Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) | Remote sensing that uses a pulsed laser to collect elevation data throughout the system. Most accurate for land elevations, with recent improved accuracy in shallow water (invasive vegetation) | Every 2-3 years, on an opportunistic bases | |
| Vegetation and Habitat Mapping Resources | |||
| Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program (VegCAMP) | A standardized vegetation mapping system derived for all vegetation and habitats in the state. Includes 3 main components: plant classification development, mapping, and field-based accuracy assessment | Every 2-3 years |
|
| Delta Aquatic Resource Inventory (DARI) | A derived geospatial inventory of aquatic resources (surface waters, riparian areas, wetlands) in the Delta | Every 5-10 years |
|
| Hydrologic Resources | |||
| Hydrodynamic models (tidal prism, tidal stage, flows, velocities, salinity) | These derived models are used to calculate a wide-variety of parameters such as water levels, flow, velocity, salinity, particle and sediment transport, etc. | Variable | |
| Tidal benchmarks and gauges | Raw tidal gauge data provides almost continuous water level information, tide predictions, and trends in extreme water and sea level elevation | Every 5-10 years | |
| Aerial Imagery | |||
| Hyperspectral aerial imagery (AVIRIS-NG) | Imagery for the classification of floating, submerged, and emergent vegetation with higher spatial and taxonomic resolution than standard satellite images | Annually | AVARIS Hyperspectral (Entire Delta and Liberty Island and Central Delta) |
| National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) | Aerial imagery collected during the agricultural growing season to provide digital ortho photography | Annually | NAIP Imagery is available for purchase |
| Landsat Imagery | Moderate-resolution satellite imagery which has been used for mapping vegetation cover and land cover determination in the Delta | Every 8 days for Landsat scene areas | Imagery is publically available through the USGS |
| TIGER data | Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER); contains geographic areas and features, roads, hydrography, and point features | Annually | Data files are publically available through the California Census |
| Other Resources | |||
| Biotelemetry Arrays | Used to monitor the movement rate, routing, and survival of fish along migration corridors in response to environmental conditions and management actions | Annual (with fish migration) | |
Example AM Plans
These plans cover a variety of example projects intended to fulfill the requirements of the Delta Plan and other regulatory structures. These documents can be used to guide adaptive management plan development, but following them does not guarantee consistency with any regulatory decision-making process.
| Adaptive Management Plan | Description | Agency/Group |
|---|---|---|
| City Of Antioch Brackish Water Desalination Project | Desalination facility | City of Antioch |
| Lower Marsh Creek Stream Corridor Restoration Program Adaptive Management and Monitoring Plan | Creek restoration and flood risk reduction programmatic AM Plan | Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District and American Rivers |
| Yolo Flyway Farms Restoration | Freshwater tidal wetland restoration project | DWR |
| Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project | Freshwater tidal wetland restoration project | DWR |
| South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project | Salt water tidal wetland restoration program | South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project |
