Protecting the Enviromental Quality of California

Our Bio-Monitoring Branch conducts field studies to determine sources of pollution, to investigate pollution effects on fish and wildlife and their habitat and to investigate fish and wildlife die-offs. Some of their projects are listed below. Contact the Branch at (916) 414-6590.

• Grassland Bypass Project
  Historically, farmers in the Grasslands area of the western San Joaquin Valley have discharged subsurface agricultural drainwater through wetland channels in the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex to the San Joaquin River. This drainage contains elevated concentrations of selenium, salt, boron and other trace elements. More
  
• Mercury in Bay/Delta birds
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, with assistance from the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, are conducting a variety of studies to assess the impact of mercury on birds in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. This study is funded by the California Bay/Delta Authority.
  
• Agroforestry
  The need for agricultural wastewater disposal in the San Joaquin Valley is rapidly approaching a crisis point. One of the most feasible disposal alternatives at present, is the irrigation of various combinations of salt tolerant crops, shrubs, and trees with drainage wastewater. More
  
• Evaporation Pond Mitigation
  In the Tulare Basin of California some farm operators have constructed large basins to evaporate drainwater high in salts. These basins have provided highly productive feeding and nesting habitat for shorebirds in this wetland-sparse region, but the water also contains toxic amounts of selenium and boron, which cause severe embryonic deformities and reproductive failure in this population of birds. More
  
• Stone Lake Contaminants Investigation
  In May 1994, during a routine survey of nesting colonial waterbirds, a cormorant nestling with a deformed bill (no lower mandible) was observed at North Stone Lake.  Full report  More
  
• Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge lead shot
  Poisoning of birds by lead shot has been a recognized problem for more than100 years. Poisoning occurs when birds feed in hunted areas and inadvertently swallow spent lead pellets. In wetlands underlain by hardpan clay layers, pellets are prevented from settling beyond the level of availability to ducks and swans, and may result in persistent lead poisoning in these areas. Full report  More
  
• National Irrigation Water Quality Program (NIWQP)
  The NIWQP is an intra-departmental program that evaluates Department of the Interior irrigation projects; considers drainwater contamination and related impacts to endangered species and/or migratory birds; assesses legal responsibilities that are associated with environmental laws; and develops and implements alternatives for remediation. Learn more from the Bureau of Reclamation NIWQP page.
  
• Evaluation of the Clean Water Act Section 304(a) Criterion for Methylmercury (pdf)
  In January 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a new recommended water quality criterion for methylmercury, under section 304(a) of the federal Clean Water Act. In proposing this criterion, the EPA must complete a biological evaluation of the effects of the proposed action on federally listed and proposed threatened and endangered species and critical habitat within California. Read our report (pdf). Read the EPA formal peer review (126 kb pdf) of our report.
  

FWS employee ocating a gadwall nest to check eggs for selenium, Mud Slough