Fish monitoirng in a newly created freshwater tidal wetland on Decker Island. The dataset includes beach seine and electrofishing fish catch and fork length data collected primarily from early spring through the fall. Fyke traps were used a couple of times experimentally. The project was required per conditions in a USACE 404 permit and USFWS and NMFS biological opinions. This data and metadata were submitted by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Staff though the Data Management Plan (DMP) framework with the id: DMP000385. For more information, please visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Sci-Data.

Major tidal wetland habitat restoration efforts are planned to benefit Delta Smelt and other imperiled species in the Sacramento-San-Joaquin Delta. However, successful implementation of habitat restoration is constrained by a paucity of information on the services and functions tidal wetlands provide for fishes. This knowledge gap is largely due to the difficulties of collecting ecological data in these challenging environments. For example, the dynamic nature of tidally influenced habitats requires high frequency sampling in order to accurately characterize environmental conditions and how fishes responses to them. We accomplished this by monitoring fish movements into and out of two tidal wetland habitats and examining the environmental drivers underlying our observations. The California Water Science Center hydrodynamic group collected water quality and flow information and this data was processed and stored in Aquarius.The California Water Science Center, Aquatic Ecology group collected observational footage of fishes at a commensurate frequency using imaging sonar devices. Imaging sonars are underwater devices that use sound waves to collect information regarding fish movement and behavior. Specific measurements provided by this technique include estimates of fish size, position, and speed of movement. This data was used to compare fish movements and behavior at the entrance points of two disparate tidal wetland habitats in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. We selected two adjacent, hydrodynamically-connected-but-geomorphically-distinct wetland study sites: Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island Conservation Bank (sometimes referred to as Wildlands). Little Holland Tract is a former agricultural tract that flooded due to levee failure in 1983. This site contains a large open water area with a broad expanse of intertidal mud flats and relatively small stands of tules along its periphery. In contrast, Liberty Island Conservation Bank is an engineered tidal wetland restoration project constructed in 2010 exhibiting shallow, dendritic tidal channels and tidal marsh plain. Our use of acoustic cameras in this study facilitated direct observations of fishes in these habitats commensurate with the rapid rate of environmental (tidal) change. Preliminary results revealed that fish densities are substantially higher than what had been inferred previously from traditional sampling approaches. Overall, we found that drivers of fish movement into and out of each habitat varied broadly as a function of the permanency of available wetted habitat area. Ultimately, this information will be used to optimize the design of tidal wetland restoration to achieve functional habitat for native fishes. This data release contains information about the fishes observed during this study.

Fish entrainment monitoring at the Spring Head of Old River Barrier, in the south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This project worked closely with the Vernalis Adaptative Management Plan (VAMP) studies. Fish data was collected using fyke nets attached to culverts in years that the barrier was installed and Kodiak Trawls in years with no barrier. Dataset also includes limited fish sampling using various methods prior to VAMP. Dataset spans 1992-2007. This data and metadata were submitted by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Staff though the Data Management Plan (DMP) framework with the id: DMP000386. For more information, please visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Sci-Data.

Fish entrainment monitoring at the Spring Head of Old River Barrier, in the south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This project worked closely with the Vernalis Adaptative Management Plan (VAMP) studies. Fish data was collected using fyke nets attached to culverts in years that the barrier was installed and Kodiak Trawls in years with no barrier. Dataset also includes limited fish sampling using various methods prior to VAMP. Dataset spans 1992-2007. This data and metadata were submitted by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Staff though the Data Management Plan (DMP) framework with the id: DMP000386. For more information, please visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Sci-Data.

Largely supported by the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP), California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has operated a fish monitoring program in the Yolo Bypass, a seasonal floodplain and tidal slough, since 1998. The objectives of the Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring Program (YBFMP) are to: 1. Collect baseline data on water quality, chlorophyll, lower trophic level biota, and fish in the Yolo Bypass to monitor spatial and temporal changes in trends and abundance. 2. Analyze and communicate Yolo Bypass data with stakeholders and the scientific and management communities to address pertinent management-related questions. 3. Provide technical expertise on Yolo Bypass aquatic ecology and monitoring and sampling methods. The YBFMP operates a rotary screw trap and fyke trap and conducts biweekly beach seine and lower trophic surveys in addition to maintaining water quality instrumentation in the bypass. Only juvenile and adult fish catch with associated water quality are presented in this dataset. The rotary screw trap sampling objectives are to: (1) examine species abundance and life stage of juvenile outmigrants and resident small-bodied fishes, (2) identify temporal and spatial patterns in fish abundance and species composition, and (3) examine the effect of physical and environmental conditions on these patterns. The fyke trap sampling objectives are to: (1) examine abundance of migrating and resident adult fishes, (2) identify temporal and spatial patterns in fish abundance and species composition, especially with regard to anadromous species, (3) examine the effect of physical and environmental conditions on these patterns, and (4) provide data on the timing and duration of species captured in the Yolo Bypass for comparison to those captured in other Sacramento Valley tributaries. The beach seine surveys are conducted in the Yolo Bypass’s perennial channel (Toe Drain), inundated floodplain, disconnected inundated ponds, and perennial ponds. The objectives of Toe Drain and inundated floodplain beach seine sampling are: (1) to examine species abundance and composition in different water year types and inundation conditions, (2) to spatially compare fish abundance and diversity in the Yolo Bypass, and (3) to estimate growth rates and densities of salmon in the Yolo Bypass versus the Sacramento River. The objectives for beach seine sampling in disconnected inundated ponds are: (1) measure the diversity and abundance of fish species stranded in ponds located in different regions and habitats, (2) to compare relative densities of fish before and after floodplain drainage, (3) to examine the sources of fish mortality in ponds including temperature, desiccation and predation, (4) to develop long-term annual Yolo Bypass stranding indices for reference locations, and (5) to examine relationships between annual stranding indices and physical variables such as hydrology and temperature. The objectives for seine sampling in the perennial ponds are: (1) to examine seasonal fish species abundance and diversity in the Yolo Bypass versus the Sacramento River and (2) to examine species abundance and composition in different water year types. The YBFMP serves to fill information gaps regarding environmental conditions in the bypass that trigger migrations and enhanced survival and growth of native fishes, as well as provide data for IEP synthesis efforts. YBFMP staff also conduct analyses of YBFMP monitoring data to address pertinent management related questions as identified by IEP. The Yolo Bypass has been identified as a high restoration priority by the National Marine Fisheries Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinions for Delta Smelt, Winter and Spring-run Chinook salmon and by California EcoRestore. The YBFMP informs the restoration actions that are mandated or recommended in these plans and provides critical baseline data on the ecology of the bypass and how it interacts with the broader San Francisco Estuary. Key

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Fish catch, invertebrate catch, and water quality data from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta collected by the Fish Restoration Monitoring Program, 2015-2017. The Fish Restoration Program Monitoring Team is tasked with monitoring fish and food web resources in restored tidal wetland sites. These restored sites are located in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh pursuant to requirements in the 2008/2009 Biological Opinions for state and federal water project operations. Data on fish and invertebrate abundance on or near these sites was collected as baseline monitoring data and to determine the most efficient methods for monitoring wetlands.

Largely supported by the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP), California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has operated a fish monitoring program in the Yolo Bypass, a seasonal floodplain and tidal slough, since 1998. The objectives of the Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring Program (YBFMP) are to: 1. Collect baseline data on water quality, chlorophyll, lower trophic level biota, and fish in the Yolo Bypass to monitor spatial and temporal changes in trends and abundance. 2. Analyze and communicate Yolo Bypass data with stakeholders and the scientific and management communities to address pertinent management-related questions. 3. Provide technical expertise on Yolo Bypass aquatic ecology and monitoring and sampling methods. The YBFMP operates a rotary screw trap and fyke trap and conducts biweekly beach seine and lower trophic surveys in addition to maintaining water quality instrumentation in the bypass. Only juvenile and adult fish catch with associated water quality are presented in this dataset. The rotary screw trap sampling objectives are to: (1) examine species abundance and life stage of juvenile outmigrants and resident small-bodied fishes, (2) identify temporal and spatial patterns in fish abundance and species composition, and (3) examine the effect of physical and environmental conditions on these patterns. The fyke trap sampling objectives are to: (1) examine abundance of migrating and resident adult fishes, (2) identify temporal and spatial patterns in fish abundance and species composition, especially with regard to anadromous species, (3) examine the effect of physical and environmental conditions on these patterns, and (4) provide data on the timing and duration of species captured in the Yolo Bypass for comparison to those captured in other Sacramento Valley tributaries. The beach seine surveys are conducted in the Yolo Bypass’s perennial channel (Toe Drain), inundated floodplain, disconnected inundated ponds, and perennial ponds. The objectives of Toe Drain and inundated floodplain beach seine sampling are: (1) to examine species abundance and composition in different water year types and inundation conditions, (2) to spatially compare fish abundance and diversity in the Yolo Bypass, and (3) to estimate growth rates and densities of salmon in the Yolo Bypass versus the Sacramento River. The objectives for beach seine sampling in disconnected inundated ponds are: (1) measure the diversity and abundance of fish species stranded in ponds located in different regions and habitats, (2) to compare relative densities of fish before and after floodplain drainage, (3) to examine the sources of fish mortality in ponds including temperature, desiccation and predation, (4) to develop long-term annual Yolo Bypass stranding indices for reference locations, and (5) to examine relationships between annual stranding indices and physical variables such as hydrology and temperature. The objectives for seine sampling in the perennial ponds are: (1) to examine seasonal fish species abundance and diversity in the Yolo Bypass versus the Sacramento River and (2) to examine species abundance and composition in different water year types. The YBFMP serves to fill information gaps regarding environmental conditions in the bypass that trigger migrations and enhanced survival and growth of native fishes, as well as provide data for IEP synthesis efforts. YBFMP staff also conduct analyses of YBFMP monitoring data to address pertinent management related questions as identified by IEP. The Yolo Bypass has been identified as a high restoration priority by the National Marine Fisheries Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinions for Delta Smelt, Winter and Spring-run Chinook salmon and by California EcoRestore. The YBFMP informs the restoration actions that are mandated or recommended in these plans and provides critical baseline data on the ecology of the bypass and how it interacts with the broader San Francisco Estuary. Key

Largely supported by the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP), California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has operated a fish monitoring program in the Yolo Bypass, a seasonal floodplain and tidal slough, since 1998. The objectives of the Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring Program (YBFMP) are to: 1. Collect baseline data on water quality, chlorophyll, lower trophic level biota, and fish in the Yolo Bypass to monitor spatial and temporal changes in trends and abundance. 2. Analyze and communicate Yolo Bypass data with stakeholders and the scientific and management communities to address pertinent management-related questions. 3. Provide technical expertise on Yolo Bypass aquatic ecology and monitoring and sampling methods. The YBFMP operates a rotary screw trap and fyke trap and conducts biweekly beach seine and lower trophic surveys in addition to maintaining water quality instrumentation in the bypass. Only juvenile and adult fish catch with associated water quality are presented in this dataset. The rotary screw trap sampling objectives are to: (1) examine species abundance and life stage of juvenile outmigrants and resident small-bodied fishes, (2) identify temporal and spatial patterns in fish abundance and species composition, and (3) examine the effect of physical and environmental conditions on these patterns. The fyke trap sampling objectives are to: (1) examine abundance of migrating and resident adult fishes, (2) identify temporal and spatial patterns in fish abundance and species composition, especially with regard to anadromous species, (3) examine the effect of physical and environmental conditions on these patterns, and (4) provide data on the timing and duration of species captured in the Yolo Bypass for comparison to those captured in other Sacramento Valley tributaries. The beach seine surveys are conducted in the Yolo Bypass’s perennial channel (Toe Drain), inundated floodplain, disconnected inundated ponds, and perennial ponds. The objectives of Toe Drain and inundated floodplain beach seine sampling are: (1) to examine species abundance and composition in different water year types and inundation conditions, (2) to spatially compare fish abundance and diversity in the Yolo Bypass, and (3) to estimate growth rates and densities of salmon in the Yolo Bypass versus the Sacramento River. The objectives for beach seine sampling in disconnected inundated ponds are: (1) measure the diversity and abundance of fish species stranded in ponds located in different regions and habitats, (2) to compare relative densities of fish before and after floodplain drainage, (3) to examine the sources of fish mortality in ponds including temperature, desiccation and predation, (4) to develop long-term annual Yolo Bypass stranding indices for reference locations, and (5) to examine relationships between annual stranding indices and physical variables such as hydrology and temperature. The objectives for seine sampling in the perennial ponds are: (1) to examine seasonal fish species abundance and diversity in the Yolo Bypass versus the Sacramento River and (2) to examine species abundance and composition in different water year types. The YBFMP serves to fill information gaps regarding environmental conditions in the bypass that trigger migrations and enhanced survival and growth of native fishes, as well as provide data for IEP synthesis efforts. YBFMP staff also conduct analyses of YBFMP monitoring data to address pertinent management related questions as identified by IEP. The Yolo Bypass has been identified as a high restoration priority by the National Marine Fisheries Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinions for Delta Smelt, Winter and Spring-run Chinook salmon and by California EcoRestore. The YBFMP informs the restoration actions that are mandated or recommended in these plans and provides critical baseline data on the ecology of the bypass and how it interacts with the broader San Francisco Estuary. Key

A report prepared for the California Ocean Science Trust on the first steps in developing an approach to leveraging existing monitoring programs