Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and Policy
<p>doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2016v14iss4art6" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2016v14iss4art6</a></p><p>The State of Bay–Delta Science 2008 highlighted seven emerging perspectives on science and management of the Del...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2016-12-01
|
| Series: | San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7jz6v535 |
| _version_ | 1828765384567685120 |
|---|---|
| author | Michael Healey Michael Dettinger Richard Norgaard |
| author_facet | Michael Healey Michael Dettinger Richard Norgaard |
| author_sort | Michael Healey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2016v14iss4art6" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2016v14iss4art6</a></p><p>The State of Bay–Delta Science 2008 highlighted seven emerging perspectives on science and management of the Delta. These perspectives had important effects on policy and legislation concerning management of the Delta ecosystem and water exports. From the collection of papers that make up the State of Bay–Delta Science 2016<em>,</em> we derive another seven perspectives that augment those published in 2008. The new perspectives address nutrient and contaminant concentrations in Delta waters, the failure of the Delta food web to support native species, the role of multiple stressors in driving species toward extinction, and the emerging importance of extreme events in driving change in the ecosystem and the water supply.</p> <p>The scientific advances that underpin these new perspectives were made possible by new measurement and analytic tools. We briefly discuss some of these, including miniaturized acoustic fish tags, sensors for monitoring of water quality, analytic techniques for disaggregating complex contaminant mixtures, remote sensing to assess levee vulnerability, and multidimensional hydrodynamic modeling.</p> <p>Despite these new tools and scientific insights, species conservation objectives for the Delta are not being met. We believe that this lack of progress stems in part from the fact that science and policy do not incorporate sufficiently long-term perspectives. Looking forward half a century was central to the Delta Visioning process, but science and policy have not embraced this conceptual breadth. We are also concerned that protection and enhancement of the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place, as required by the Delta Reform Act, has received no critical study and analysis. Adopting wider and longer science and policy perspectives immediately encourages recognition of the need for evaluation, analysis, and public discourse on novel conservation approaches. These longer and wider perspectives also encourage more attention to the opportunities provided by heavily invaded ecosystems. It is past time to turn scientific and policy attention to these issues.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:46:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-285ad457c5f947e981de94978d8b18f4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1546-2366 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:46:50Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | eScholarship Publishing, University of California |
| record_format | Article |
| series | San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-285ad457c5f947e981de94978d8b18f42022-12-22T01:17:02ZengeScholarship Publishing, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science1546-23662016-12-01144ark:13030/qt7jz6v535Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and PolicyMichael Healey0Michael Dettinger1Richard Norgaard2University of British Columbia, Vancouver BCU.S. Geological Survey, Carson City, NVUniversity of California, Berkeley<p>doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2016v14iss4art6" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2016v14iss4art6</a></p><p>The State of Bay–Delta Science 2008 highlighted seven emerging perspectives on science and management of the Delta. These perspectives had important effects on policy and legislation concerning management of the Delta ecosystem and water exports. From the collection of papers that make up the State of Bay–Delta Science 2016<em>,</em> we derive another seven perspectives that augment those published in 2008. The new perspectives address nutrient and contaminant concentrations in Delta waters, the failure of the Delta food web to support native species, the role of multiple stressors in driving species toward extinction, and the emerging importance of extreme events in driving change in the ecosystem and the water supply.</p> <p>The scientific advances that underpin these new perspectives were made possible by new measurement and analytic tools. We briefly discuss some of these, including miniaturized acoustic fish tags, sensors for monitoring of water quality, analytic techniques for disaggregating complex contaminant mixtures, remote sensing to assess levee vulnerability, and multidimensional hydrodynamic modeling.</p> <p>Despite these new tools and scientific insights, species conservation objectives for the Delta are not being met. We believe that this lack of progress stems in part from the fact that science and policy do not incorporate sufficiently long-term perspectives. Looking forward half a century was central to the Delta Visioning process, but science and policy have not embraced this conceptual breadth. We are also concerned that protection and enhancement of the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place, as required by the Delta Reform Act, has received no critical study and analysis. Adopting wider and longer science and policy perspectives immediately encourages recognition of the need for evaluation, analysis, and public discourse on novel conservation approaches. These longer and wider perspectives also encourage more attention to the opportunities provided by heavily invaded ecosystems. It is past time to turn scientific and policy attention to these issues.</p>http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7jz6v535Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, scientific advances, new science perspectives, new scientific tools, policy perspectives, novel conservation methods |
| spellingShingle | Michael Healey Michael Dettinger Richard Norgaard Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and Policy San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, scientific advances, new science perspectives, new scientific tools, policy perspectives, novel conservation methods |
| title | Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and Policy |
| title_full | Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and Policy |
| title_fullStr | Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and Policy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and Policy |
| title_short | Perspectives on Bay–Delta Science and Policy |
| title_sort | perspectives on bay delta science and policy |
| topic | Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, scientific advances, new science perspectives, new scientific tools, policy perspectives, novel conservation methods |
| url | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7jz6v535 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelhealey perspectivesonbaydeltascienceandpolicy AT michaeldettinger perspectivesonbaydeltascienceandpolicy AT richardnorgaard perspectivesonbaydeltascienceandpolicy |