Rice Flows for Fish Food
Client
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Project Categories
Tags
monitoringData Analysis & Visualizationaccount_treeDatabase Management SystemsphishingFisheries ReportSalmonid RestorationBridging Information Gaps
California’s rice fields may be an innovative tool to provide food for juvenile salmon. However, the information gap around the system of natural channels, canals, and structures that move flows (and in some cases fish) to and from these fields made it difficult to manage fish food production effectively.
Mapping Waterways for Effective Fish Food Delivery
FlowWest worked with the Metropolitan Water District and California Rice Commission to tackle this challenge by mapping and analyzing the Sacramento Valley’s rice field drainage system to create a detailed spatial database.FlowWest developed an R package, riceflows4ff, that describes key factors influencing suitability for fish food production and delivery, such as outflow locations, distances to salmonid rearing streams, and invertebrate food mass production.
Data-Driven Management for Salmon Conservation
Through this comprehensive analysis and data accessibility, this project paves the way to improve fish food production management in the region. With FlowWest’s database, it is easier to pinpoint the best locations for food production, optimize delivery routes, and ensure a steady supply for California’s salmon populations.
