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Article
Toward improved sediment management and coastal resilience through efficient permitting in California
The value of sediment for hel** coastal habitats and infrastructure respond to sea level rise is widely recognized. Across the country, coastal managers are seeking ways to beneficially use sediment sourced ...
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Article
Establishing Targets for Regional Coastal Wetland Restoration Planning Using Historical Ecology and Future Scenario Analysis: The Past, Present, Future Approach
Regional approaches to coastal wetland restoration are one of the best ways to ensure that these threatened habitats persist in the face of sea level rise. Regional approaches provide a mechanism for prioritiz...
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Article
Open AccessEffects of Elevated Sea Levels and Waves on Southern California Estuaries During the 2015–2016 El Niño
The 2015–2016 El Niño provided insight into how low-inflow estuaries might respond to future climate regimes, including high sea levels and more intense waves. High waves and water levels coupled with low rain...
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Article
Improving Effective Impervious Estimates to Inform Stormwater Management
Sizing stormwater runoff control facilities and their performance relies on the amount of runoff generated from impervious cover in the watershed. Total impervious area (TIA) often overestimates unit runoff va...
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Article
Beyond Metrics? The Role of Hydrologic Baseline Archetypes in Environmental Water Management
Balancing ecological and human water needs often requires characterizing key aspects of the natural flow regime and then predicting ecological response to flow alterations. Flow metrics are generally relied up...
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Article
Development of Restoration Performance Curves for Streams in Southern California Using an Integrative Condition Index
Determining success of stream restoration projects is challenging, due to the disconnection between required monitoring periods and the actual time necessary to achieve ecological success. Performance curves c...
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Article
How accurate are probability-based estimates of wetland extent? Results of a California validation study
Estimates of wetland and stream extent and distribution form the basis for state and federal monitoring and management programs and guide policy development decisions. The current default approach, comprehensi...
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Article
Selecting the optimum plot size for a California design-based stream and wetland map** program
Accurate estimates of the extent and distribution of wetlands and streams are the foundation of wetland monitoring, management, restoration, and regulatory programs. Traditionally, these estimates have relied ...
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Article
Development and comparison of stream indices of biotic integrity using diatoms vs. non-diatom algae vs. a combination
Stream algal indices of biotic integrity (IBIs) are generally based entirely or largely on diatoms, because non-diatom (“soft”) algae can be difficult to quantify and taxonomically challenging, thus calling in...
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Article
Evaluation of Design-Based Sampling Options for Monitoring Stream and Wetland Extent and Distribution in California
Accurate estimates of the extent and distribution of wetlands and streams are the foundation of wetland monitoring, management, restoration, and regulatory programs. Traditionally, theses estimates have relied...
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Article
Demonstration of an integrated watershed assessment using a three-tiered assessment framework
Watersheds are useful templates for wetland protection and land use planning because they integrate cumulative effects that better inform site-specific management decisions. The goal of this study was to demon...
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Article
Evaluating performance of stormwater sampling approaches using a dynamic watershed model
Accurate quantification of stormwater pollutant levels is essential for estimating overall contaminant discharge to receiving waters. Numerous sampling approaches exist that attempt to balance accuracy against...
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Article
Historical Ecology as a Tool for Assessing Landscape Change and Informing Wetland Restoration Priorities
Vast resources are devoted annually to watershed management and wetland restoration. Historical wetland losses are often cited as a motivation for prioritizing ambitious wetland restoration efforts. However, a...
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Article
Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) levels during dry weather from Southern California reference streams
High levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in surface waters is a common problem in urban areas that often leads to impairment of beneficial uses such as swimming. Once impaired, common management and regul...
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Article
How effective has the Clean Water Act been at reducing pollutant mass emissions to the Southern California Bight over the past 35 years?
The Clean Water Act (CWA) has regulated discharges of contaminants since 1972. However, evaluations of the CWA’s effectiveness at improving regional water quality are lacking, primarily because integration of ...
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Article
Validation of a wetland Rapid Assessment Method: Use of EPA’s level 1-2-3 framework for method testing and refinement
Wetland rapid assessment has become popular in a variety of applications. Because rapid assessments rely on observable field indicators as surrogates for direct measures of condition, they must be validated ag...
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Article
Integrating probabalistic and targeted compliance monitoring for comprehensive watershed assessment
Environmental monitoring typically falls into one of two broad categories. Targeted designs, utilizing fixed stations, focus on describing and quantifying impacts, tracking trends, and assessing compliance wit...
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Article
Dry Weather Flow Contribution of Metals, Nutrients, and Solids from Natural Catchments
Dry weather flow can be a substantial source of pollutants, particularly in urbanized areas such as southern California. To effectively evaluate and manage watershed-based pollutants, it is essential to unders...
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Article
Application of color infrared aerial photography to assess macroalgal distribution in an eutrophic estuary, Upper Newport Bay, California
Newport Bay is a large estuary in southern California that is subject to anthropogenic nutrient loading, eutrophication, and hypoxia. Ground-based methods of assessing algal extent for monitoring and managemen...
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Article
Dry-Weather Metals and Bacteria Loading in an Arid, Urban Watershed: Ballona Creek, California
Dry-season urban runoff from watersheds in arid regions can contribute substantial concentrations and loads of bacteria and metals to downstream receiving waters. However, there are few studies that have evalu...
