Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Temperature Study

RBI provided the lead role in conducting a comprehensive study of the thermal effects of the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant's (SRWTP) effluent discharge on aquatic life of the lower Sacramento River.  This temperature study, which was required by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board in the NPDES permit for the SRWTP, was conducted in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  The temperature study consisted of eight individual study elements to evaluate the potential direct and indirect thermal effects of the effluent discharge on aquatic life.  These study elements included monitoring of adult and juvenile fish movements and distribution using hydroacoustic and acoustic telemetry methods, evaluation of predation by examining stomach contents of predatory fishes, characterization of fish species composition using standardized angling methods, compilation of available information from other regional fish tracking studies, and assessments of thermal tolerances of fish species occurring in the lower Sacramento River.  RBI's primary responsibilities for the temperature study included project management and oversight, preparation of a work plan and development of the study approaches and experimental design, permitting and endangered species act consultation, coordination and oversight of all data collection efforts, and preparation of the final study report.