A Pilot Program for Monitoring, Stakeholder Involvement, and Risk Communication Relating to Mercury in Fish in the Bay-Delta Watershed(aka “The Fish Mercury Project”)

SFEIUC Davis

CDFG DHS/EHIB

OEHHA

Funding provided by CBDA

Presented at the 2006 Mercury Coordination Meeting

How can we minimize methylmercury exposure?

Longer Term Solution for Humans and Wildlife• Adaptive management of water quality and

restoration (actions and monitoring)• Tracking regional trends in biotic exposure• Tracking local trends near restoration and cleanup

projects

Shorter Term Solution for Humans Only• Identify high and low areas and species• Develop consumption advice• Communicate risk information to the public

Risk Commun-

ication

AdvisoryDevelopment

BiosentinelSampling

Sport FishSampling

Project Elements

Year 1 Sampling Plan

• Steering Committee input• Review Panel input• Discussions with restoration managers• Close coordination with other major programs• Fishing activity information• Review of historical sampling• Detailed tables (“matrices”) documenting site

selection

Sport Fish Sampling, 2005Type of Site Description Index Evaluating the potential regional impacts of

habitat restoration in the Delta Intensive Another type of index site where more

detailed investigation of temporal variation and mercury movement through the food web will be conducted

Restoration and Remediation

Evaluating the localized impacts of CBDA habitat restoration and remediation projects on food web mercury

Advisory Development

Providing the data needed to support consumption advisory development for the CBDA ecological management units

Sport Fish Sampling, 2005

Sport Fish Sampling, 2005

Sport fish species sampled (# sites)• largemouth bass (47)• white catfish (24)• striped bass • Sacramento pikeminnow (17)• Bluegill (34)• redear sunfish (40)• common carp (25)• Sacramento sucker (29)• channel catfish (25)• black crappie (11)• black bullhead• pumpkinseed• Sacramento perch

• rainbow trout• hitch• smallmouth bass • spotted bass• chinook salmon• Steelhead

• About 1600 fish collected

• 66 sites total (including Foe study and SRWP)

• 7 hatcheries

Biosentinel Sampling (UC Davis)

Biosentinel Sampling, 2005

• Also a few restoration sites further up in the watershed

• About 10,000 fish collected in 2005

Advisory Development, Years 1 – 3 (OEHHA)

• Linked with sport fish sampling, but primarily based on existing data

• Year 1 – south Delta, San Joaquin River, Cosumnes River and Mokelumne Rivers and associated reservoirs, Feather River

• Year 2 – north Delta, Sacramento River, Lake Shasta, other tribs and reservoirs in the Sacramento River watershed

• Year 3 – Tributaries, creeks, and reservoirs in the San Joaquin River watershed

• Advisories to be developed using an established protocol

• Advisory development workplan will undergo peer review

Stakeholder Involvement and Risk Communication, Years 1 – 3 (DHS – EHIB)

• Linked with sport fish sampling and advisory development• Stakeholder and risk communication workplan will undergo

peer review• Includes evaluation of effectiveness

Stakeholder Involvement, Years 1 - 3

• Fishing activity evaluation (prior to sampling each area)• Contact county health agencies• Contact DFG wardens and other fishing experts• Site visits• Focus groups

• Needs assessments: interviews, focus groups, surveys – focus on risk communication

Risk Communication, Years 1 - 3

• Communicate with community leaders (fact sheets, newsletters)

• Educational materials and activities (multi-lingual)• Posters, cards, fact sheets• Mini grants to CBOs• Delta advisory sign

• Training – building local capacity• Forum on fish contamination and

public health held in December 2005

• FMP Annual Meeting on June 13 and 14• Joint meeting of Steering

Committee and Review Panel (Knuth, Wiener, Bodaly, Grieb, McCann)

• Results of 2005 sampling• Plans for 2006 sampling • Progress and plans: advisory

development• Progress and plans: fishing activity

assessment, risk communication• Annual technical report

For more information:www.sfei.org/cmr/fishmercury

BiosentinelsDarell Slottondgslotton@ucdavis.edu

Stakeholder Involvement and Risk CommunicationAlyce Ujihara

AUjihara@dhs.ca.gov

Advisory DevelopmentRobert Brodbergrbrodber@oehha.ca.gov

Sport Fish Sampling & AnalysisGary Ichikawagichikawa@mlml.calstate.edu

Project Management and Sport FishJay Davis, Jennifer Huntjay@sfei.orgjhunt@sfei.org

THANK YOU!

Meg SedlakMax Delaney

Regional BoardAll of the speakers

The audience