Physical and Biological Drivers of Fish Populations in the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel, California, 2016-2018

Publication Date

2020-02-27

Start Date

2016-08-23

End Date

2018-05-17

Larwood, V.L., Steinke, D.A., Young, M.J., and Feyrer, F.V., 2020, Physical and Biological Drivers of Fish Populations in the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel, California, 2016-2018: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VCNYAZ.

The Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel (SDWSC) is a man-made channel located in the Northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (North Delta). It functions ecologically as a terminal channel because closed radial gates disconnect the upstream end from the Sacramento River. Terminal channels and dead-end sloughs are presently rare in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta but were a common habitat feature in the historical landscape prior to physical habitat modifications Terminal channels are known to support higher abundances of fishes in the North Delta, and could be why the SDWSC supports higher abundances of pelagic species and zooplankton compared to open-ended channels. An apparent mixing zone has been observed in the middle reaches of the SDWSC at the extent of tidal excursion. This mixing zone has elevated turbidity values and higher densities of pelagic fish and zooplankton. This concept was tested by integrating physical measurements to characterize the dynamics within and outside of the mixing zone with comprehensive sampling of pelagic organisms. The goal of this study is to determine if the variability in the density of pelagic organisms, feeding success and primary energy sources of pelagic organisms in the SDWSC is a function of the position and size of the mixing zone.

• USGS California Water Science Center
• USGS Data Release Products