Applying Science to Management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Estuary
About the talk:
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is part of the largest estuary on the west coast of North America and presents some of the most challenging environmental management issues in the country. It has been severely impacted by habitat loss, changes to freshwater inflows, contaminants, invasive species, and more. These impacts have resulted in major reductions in multiple species in the Delta, including listed endangered species. Incorporating science into decision making is essential in order to address these issues and achieve California’s coequal goals of providing reliable water for the state and improving the Delta ecosystem. However, the complex ecological, political and social systems of the Delta presents major challenges for how we can effectively engage science to inform management. In addition to current challenges, multiple issues are in need of additional consideration, including climate change, integrating the public and social issues into decision making, and incorporating Delta management with watershed and San Francisco Bay concerns.
Biography:
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John Callaway is the Lead Scientist for the Delta Science Program and Delta Stewardship Council and also is a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of San Francisco. He is an ecologist with expertise in wetland plants and soils, focusing primarily on the restoration of tidal wetlands. He has been working on wetland issues in San Francisco Bay since the late 1980s and has published recently on carbon sequestration and climate change impacts on tidal wetlands. He has served on advisory boards for multiple organizations and programs, including for the use of modeling in development of the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, and South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. He also is on the editorial board of Estuaries and Coasts, one of the leading international journals on estuarine issues. |
