Attach_2_-_USFWS_Delta_Smelt_FTC_Master_Plan_Final_20181009.pdf

DELTA SMELT CONSERVATION FACILITY FISH TECHNOLOGY CENTER

Revision Description Author Quality Check Independent Review

0 Draft Whitbeck 3/6/18 Cutting 3/11/18 N/A

1 Final Draft Whitbeck 8/29/18 Cutting 8/30/18 C. Smith 8/31/18

2 Final Whitbeck 9/12/18 N/A N/A

3 Revised

Final

Whitbeck 10/9/18 N/A N/A

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... I

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 DELTA RESEARCH STATION

1.2 DELTA SMELT

2.0 CAPTIVE DELTA SMELT CULTURE

3.0 SITE CONSIDERATIONS

3.1 WATER SUPPLY AND DISCHARGE CONSIDERATIONS

3.1.1 Groundwater Study

3.1.2 Groundwater Quality

3.1.3 Surface Water

3.1.4 Discharge and Permitting Constraints

3.2 HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE

3.3 SITE SECURITY

3.4 UTILITIES

3.5 COORDINATION WITH ERS FACILITY

4.0 FTC GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS

4.1 FISH CULTURE AND RESEARCH GOALS

4.1.1 Delta Smelt Refugial Facility

4.1.2 Imperiled Species Refugial Facility

4.1.3 Delta Smelt Production Facility

4.1.4 Other Research Goals

4.2 TREATMENT SYSTEMS

4.2.1 Water Supply Treatment

4.2.2 Recirculating Systems

4.2.3 Effluent Treatment

4.3 PROJECTED WATER DEMAND

4.3.1 Delta Smelt Refugial Facility

4.3.2 Imperiled Species Refugial Facility

4.3.3 Delta Smelt Production Facility

5.0 CONCEPTUAL ALTERNATIVES

5.1 PROPOSED BUILDINGS

5.1.1 Administrative and Research Building

5.1.2 Delta Smelt Refugial Facility

5.1.3 Delta Smelt Adult Holding Shed

5.1.4 Imperiled Species Refugial Building

5.1.5 Imperiled Species Adult Holding Shed

5.1.6 Delta Smelt Production Facility

5.1.7 Delta Smelt Production Adult Holding Shed

5.1.8 Outdoor Research Ponds

5.1.9 Water Treatment Building

5.1.10 Head Pond

5.1.11 Effluent Treatment Building

5.2 CONCEPT 1 – FACILITY FOR DELTA SMELT RESEARCH ONLY

5.3 CONCEPT 2 – FACILITY FOR DELTA SMELT RESEARCH AND 2 ADDITIONAL

IMPERILED SPECIES

5.4 CONCEPT 3 – FACILITY FOR DELTA SMELT RESEARCH AND A DELTA SMELT

PRODUCTION FACILITY

6.0 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

7.0 REFERENCES

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2-1: Delta Smelt culture parameters at the UC Davis FCCL

Table 4-1: Delta Smelt Refugial Facilities proposed for FTC

Table 4-2: Summary of Water Supply Treatment Equipment

Table 4-3: Equipment summary (per system) for Delta Smelt recirculating systems

Table 4-4: Projected Water Usage for Delta Smelt Refugial Facility

Table 4-5: Projected Water Usage at Refugial Facility for Other Imperiled Species

Table 4-6: Projected Water Usage for Delta Smelt Production Facility

Table 5-1: Conceptual Alternative 1 Cost Estimate

Table 5-2: Conceptual Alternative 2 Cost Estimate

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Location of proposed DRS in the Sacramento Delta area

Figure 2: Picture of a Delta Smelt, USFWS photograph

Figure 3: Incubation columns used for smelt culture at FCCL

Figure 4: Photo of juvenile tank setup at UC Davis FCCL

Figure 5: Photo of adult holding tanks for Delta Smelt at LSNFH

Figure 6: Results of 4-Hour Step Test on Test Well, from CWE Groundwater Study

Figure 7: Photo of abandoned buildings at the existing RVARC site

Figure 8: Flow diagram of a recirculation system used for larval tanks at the FCCL

LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX A – Report Figures

APPENDIX B – Workshop No. 1Notes

APPENDIX C – Workshop No. 2 Notes i

Executive Summary

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposes to construct a Fish Technology Center (FTC) to study Delta Smelt and other imperiled species as part of a larger Delta Research Station located near Rio Vista, California. The Fish Technology Center is envisioned to operate as a stand-alone facility for maintaining a refugial population of Delta Smelt and for propagation research, conservation, and study of other imperiled fishes. In 2017, an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) was completed for a proposed project that included both an Estuarine Research Station

(ERS) and a Fish Technology Center (FTC), with a preferred alternative for citing the facility at the location of the former Army Reserve Center in Rio Vista (RVARC), California. This study builds on the EIS and presents a high level analysis of the buildings and facilities that would be needed in support of the research and fish rearing goals for the facility, which include (1) maintain a captive refugial population of Delta Smelt and (2) provide facilities to develop and test captive propagation technologies for the Bay-Delta’s imperiled fish species.

Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) are the primary species of concern in the Sacramento

Delta due to declining populations. Delta Smelt have been listed as Endangered under the

California Endangered Species Act (CESA) since 2009. As part of research and recovery efforts, Delta Smelt are currently being researched and cultured at the UC Davis Fish Conservation and

Culture Lab (FCCL) located near Byron, CA, as well as at the USFWS Livingstone Stone National

Fish Hatchery (LSNFH) near Redding, CA. The successful culture techniques have been extensively documented in manuals and scientific publications. From these successful culture techniques, culture facilities are proposed for the FTC to maintain a refugial population of Delta

Smelt.

Although the proposed site has existing buildings, the property has been abandoned for decades and shows signs of extensive deterioration and vandalism. Development of the RVARC site as proposed will require substantially new infrastructure and there are several considerations that factor into the feasibility to achieve the intended function. First, the site does not have a water source that could be used for fish rearing operations. A groundwater source will be required for the majority of the rearing operations being considered. A surface water source is also anticipated also be needed. USFWS previously conducted a groundwater investigation at a prospective well location on site to assess well water availability. The results of the investigation indicated, based on limited pump testing, that a well capacity of 500 gpm appears feasible.

Water quality samples taken as part of the pump tests indicated the water to generally be of good quality, very warm (70°F), low hardness, and with moderate alkalinity. The testing did not sample for dissolved oxygen or other dissolved gases.

Another consideration for development at the RVARC site is that the site may be eligible for the

California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). As a result, buildings for the FTC are proposed to be similar in character to the existing buildings on the site. New buildings will be single story ii with gable roofs, the walls will a combination of CMU and wood siding, and the roof material will be painted standing seam metal.

A major component of this study is consideration of the space and facility requirements to accommodate a Delta Smelt refugial program. The culture facilities at the FTC are proposed to be similar in quantity and configuration to the culture facilities currently used for successful research and propagation at the UC Davis FCCL facility; however, additional space for larval and juvenile rearing tanks are provided with the goal to reduce the number of multi-family groups that are reared in each tank during these early life stages. Due to the sensitive nature of

Delta Smelt, substantial levels of water treatment and conditioning are proposed for all rearing systems. USFWS is also considering use of the site for refugial programs for up to two other imperiled species or for a Delta Smelt production facility. For these potential programs, the space and facility requirements are substantially less well defined, including even the species that would be reared, and the proposed space and facility requirements are based on Delta

Smelt culture requirements and the remaining available site space.

Three conceptual alternatives are developed for proposed research and culture facilities. The three concepts are designed to meet the following objectives:

1. To support a refugial population of Delta Smelt only;

2. To support a refugial population of Delta Smelt and up to two other imperiled species, or;

3. To support a refugial population of Delta Smelt and production facilities for Delta Smelt stocking programs.

To meet the goals and objectives of the three conceptual alternatives, a series of buildings are required. These buildings will include an Administration and Research Building, a Delta Smelt

Refugial Facility, a Delta Smelt adult holding shed, a water treatment building, a head pond, an effluent treatment building, and outdoor research ponds. For conceptual alternatives 2 and 3, additional buildings will be required for the rearing and holding of other imperiled species or for

Delta Smelt production. The estimated costs for implementation of the conceptual alternatives are $19.5M for Alternative 1, and $34.6M each for Alternatives 2 and 3 as detailed in Sections 5.2, 5.3, and 0.

Based on the previous analysis of site considerations, goals, and requirements for the proposed facilities, Stantec concludes that development of an FTC at this site is feasible and agrees that there would be benefits to the proposed co-location with the ERS at the RVARC site. We believe that this analysis is suitable for capital budget planning and for use in evaluation of conceptual alternatives to establish project direction. The technical details of the proposed research spaces and culture systems are still at a high level and, as the project moves forward, we recommend further design development and discussions to verify the technical parameters in support of the project goals.

Introduction and Background

October 9, 2018

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta represents the primary water supply for about 25 million people and sustains a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry. Fisheries declines in the Delta have contributed to water resource conflicts of national importance. In particular, the population of

Delta Smelt in the Sacramento Delta has been a focus in recent years in response to continual decline.

1.1 DELTA RESEARCH STATION

To address this issue of declining fisheries populations, the California Department of Water

Resources (DWR) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) propose to construct a Delta

Research Station (DRS). The DRS would consolidate ongoing Interagency Ecological Program

(IEP) research and monitoring activities throughout the San Francisco Bay−Sacramento-San

Joaquin River Delta (Bay-Delta) and provide facilities for study and production of endangered

Delta fishes. In 2017, the Service completed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the

DRS. The proposed project included both an Estuarine Research Station (ERS) and a Fish

Technology Center (FTC), with a preferred alternative for citing the facility located at the former

Army Reserve Center in Rio Vista (RVARC), California, see Figure A-1 in Appendix A. Figure 1 below shows the location of the RVARC site within the Sacramento delta.

Figure 1: Location of proposed DRS in the Sacramento Delta area.

Introduction and Background

The objectives of ERS and FTC are slightly different. For the ERS, the primary objectives identified in the EIS are to (1) establish a research station in a central location within the Bay-Delta to facilitate conducting monitoring and research and (2) provide facilities to conduct monitoring and research on the Bay-Delta’s aquatic resources. For the FTC, the primary goals are to (1) maintain a captive refugial population of Delta Smelt to supplement or replace the existing

University of California at Davis (UC Davis) facility in Byron, CA and (2) provide facilities to develop and test captive propagation technologies for the Bay-Delta’s rare fish species. For both the ERS and the FTC, the proposed co-location of the facilities serves the greater goal of creating a collaborative environment for shared research on sensitive Bay-Delta species.

The EIS included conceptual design of facilities associated with ERS, but not for the FTC. USFWS retained Stantec under Order No. F17PD01795 to provide a master plan for a future Delta Smelt

Conservation Facility at the FTC location in Rio Vista. This report presents the results of that effort.

1.2 DELTA SMELT

Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) are a primary species of concern due to declining populations and are anticipated to be a major focus of the research at the proposed FTC and

ERS. Delta smelt are slender-bodied fish that grow to approximately 5.0 to 7.0 cm long. They are classified in the Osmeridae family (smelts), feature a steely blue sheen on the sides, and appear almost translucent1. Delta Smelt were once one of the most abundant fish in the Delta could be found year-round in Suisun Marsh, Napa River, and in the waterways of the south and central

Delta1.

Figure 2: Picture of a Delta Smelt, USFWS photograph.

Delta Smelt were listed as threatened 1993 on both Federal Register 58:12854 and under CESA. In

2009, CESA changed the status from Threatened to Endangered. A number of threats are thought to have contributed to the decline of the species including the following1:

• Direct entrainments by State and Federal water export facilities

• Summer and fall increases in salinity

• Summer and fall increases in water clarity

Captive Delta Smelt Culture

• Effects from introduced species

USFWS has further identified that ammonium (NH4+) may constitute a significant water quality threat to the Delta Smelt1. Additional potential threats include predation, entrainment into power plants, contaminants and small population size1. Existing regulatory mechanisms have not proven adequate to halt the decline of Delta Smelt since the time of listing as a threatened species.

2.0 CAPTIVE DELTA SMELT CULTURE

Delta Smelt are currently being cultured at the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Lab

(FCCL) located near Byron, CA, as well as at the USFWS Livingstone Stone National Fish Hatchery

(LSNFH) near Redding, CA. The FCCL maintains a genetic refugial population for the species.

The LSNFH receives and maintains a genetic copy of the refugial population from the FCCL. Both facilities use surplus fish from the rearing operations to perform research on a limited basis.

At the FCCL, UC Davis has extensively researched intensive culture techniques for Delta Smelt for over 10 years. The successful culture techniques have been documented in a manual (Manual for Intensive Culture of Delta Smelt, Baskerville-Bridges et al, 2005). The following paragraphs provide an overview of the culture techniques as documented in the manual and as observed at the FCCL and LSNFH. For additional details, refer to the manual.

Delta Smelt can be reared to reproductive maturity in a single year. Mature adults are artificially spawned and the eggs incubated in vertical column-style incubators, see Figure 3. The hatched eggs rise with water flow to the surface and are discharged into a 5-gallon holding container.

The hatchlings are held in the holding container for up to 10 days post hatch (dph).

Figure 3: Incubation columns used for smelt culture at FCCL.

Larval and juvenile Delta Smelt are reared in 130 liter and 400 liter tanks circular tanks, respectively and are reared on recirculating water. Delta Smelt will not initiate feeding in clear water and, as a result, the larval tanks are “greened” to a turbidity of 5.5-9 NTU with the addition of a concentrated algae solution. The juvenile tanks are also greened initially when fish are transferred to them from the larval tanks, but the turbidity is then allowed to decline to background levels. In the larval and juvenile tanks, Delta Smelt are fed a live feed consisting of rotifers and artemia. Between approximately 120 and150 dph they are gradually transitioned to dry feed.

Figure 4: Photo of juvenile tank setup at UC Davis FCCL.

The sub-adults are transferred to 1,100 liter tanks for grow out to maturity. At FCCL, the 1,100 liter tanks are located in an outdoor covered area. The adult tanks are also typically operated with recirculating water for temperature control purposes, but are also plumbed for flow-through operation. In general, 10% to 15% of the fertilized eggs will survive to the sub-adult stage. Sub-adults in excess of those needed for future broodstock are culled or utilized for experimental purposes.

Table 2-1 summarizes the facility requirements for each life stage in the refugial population facility at the FCCL. Water requirements are relatively modest at all life stages due to the use of highly intensive recirculating systems. Recirculating systems are used for the larval and juvenile systems due to the need for green water for feeding, as described previously, as well as due to the energy cost of temperature control. Recirculating systems are used for the adults due to the operational (energy) cost of temperature control.

Table 2-1: Delta Smelt culture parameters at the UC Davis FCCL.

Tank/Life Stage Egg Larval Juvenile Adult

General

Number 250,000 125,000 62,500 51,000

Size (mm) 1 5-13 13-27 >27

Age 0 – 10 dps 10 – 40 dph 40 – 80 dph >80 dph

Tank Parameters

Size (liters) 2 130 400 1,100

Diameter (in) 17 24 36 60

Depth (in) 20 18 24 24

No. Tanks per

Reuse System N/A 20 16 12

Total # of Tanks 14 40 36 34

Density (fish/liter) N/A 38-43 6.25 5

Exchange rate Static 3 L/min 6L/Min 10 L/min

Water System Static Recirculating Recirculating Recirculating or

Flow Thru

Water Quality

Temperature2 16 16 16 16

Turbidity (NTU) <5 5.5 0 0

Feed Yolk sac Rotifer &

Artemia

Artemia & dry diet Dry diet

The number of tanks is dictated by the need to maintain the fish in separate multi-family groups in order to maximize the genetic diversity of the resulting adults. The current program revolves around 250 single-pair crosses that are combined into 32 multi-family groups (MFG) of 8 full-sibling groups. These 32 MFGs are then moved sequentially from the larval tanks to the juvenile tanks and finally to the adult tanks. The population of each MFG is reduced at each live stage either through natural attrition or by thinning to avoid having an excess number of fish at any life stage. The availability of 40 adult tanks provides tanks for each of the 32 MFGs plus extra tanks for use in holding and sorting the adults to be spawned as they are selected for use and reach sexual maturity.

Site Considerations

Figure 5: Photo of adult holding tanks for Delta Smelt at LSNFH.

3.0 SITE CONSIDERATIONS

The EIS evaluated potential sites for the proposed Delta Research Station and recommended the abandoned Rio Vista Army Reserve Center (RVARC) site in the City of Rio Vista adjacent to the active U.S Coast Guard base. As discussed previously, this site is proposed for a combined facility of both an Estuarine Research Center (ERS) and Delta Smelt Fish Technology Center (FTC).

The proposed location for the FTC is on the west side of the site. The following section describes considerations that will impact the design of the FTC including water supply and effluent discharge, historic architecture, site security, utilities, and coordination with the proposed ERS facility.

3.1 WATER SUPPLY AND DISCHARGE CONSIDERATIONS

A groundwater source is required for the majority of the proposed rearing operations at the proposed FTC. In addition, a connection to city water is needed to provide potable water for staff facilities and cleaning. A surface water source, cleaned and disinfected, is also anticipated be necessary for rearing and research purposes or to be used for acclimation in the event that fish are ultimately allowed to be collected from or stocked back into the Delta, as a backup to the groundwater source, or for other purposes.

3.1.1 Groundwater Study

In 2016, USFWS contracted with the engineering firm CWE to conduct a groundwater study to assess well water availability at the RVARC site. The study included drilling and pumping a 12-inch diameter test well located near Beach Drive at the southwest corner of site. The test well was drilled to 600 feet below ground surface (bgs) and included well screens at 440-480 feet bgs and 560-600 ft bgs. Following installation, pumping tests were performed to evaluate the potential capacity and water quality of the groundwater at the site. CWE performed a 4-hour step test, a 4-hour constant rate pumping test, and a recovery test. The goal of the tests were to determine whether the aquifer can maintain a long-term production rate of 500 gpm.

The 4-hour step test included pumping at one-hour increments at flow rates of 250, 375, 500, and

625 gpm and the drawdown level in the well was monitored throughout. The drawdown varied from 75-76 feet bgs for the 250 gpm test to 105-109 ft bgs for the 625 test, see Figure 6. CWE’s analysis was that the 4-hour step test indicated sufficient productivity to sustain several pumping rates.

Figure 6: Results of 4-Hour Step Test on Test Well, from CWE Groundwater Study.

The constant rate pump test evaluated the drawdown in the well at a 625 gpm pumping rate for four hours. The results showed relatively stable drawdown level of approximately 110 feet bgs over the course of the test, other than during a mechanical issue that occurred. Immediately following the constant rate test, the pumps were shut down and the well recovery was monitored over the course of the next 60 minutes. The groundwater level in the well recovered to within 95% of the initial static level within 30-40 minutes.

Following review of the groundwater study, Stantec concurs that the testing indicates a 500 gpm capacity appears feasible for the installed well based on the limiting testing. We recommend that additional groundwater investigation be conducted in a future phase of work as the CWE study did not consider the effect of long-term pumping on the aquifer or include a safety factor to account for degradation of the well over time. Furthermore, the FTC is likely to need multiple wells on site to provide redundancy and to reduce the risk of flow disruptions in the event of a well pump failure. Multiple wells may also be necessary if the role of the FTC develops to the point that more than 500 gpm are required for its operation. Multiple wells on site will reduce the production capacity of each individual well, due to proximity to the other wells, and the effect of this will need to be determined.

3.1.2 Groundwater Quality

As part of the 2016 groundwater study, samples of the water quality from the test well were evaluated for number of parameters including pH, temperature, conductivity, alkalinity, and other constituents. The water quality samples showed the water to generally be of good quality.

From our evaluation, the quality can be characterized as very warm (70°F), low hardness (<26 mg/L as CaCO3), and moderate alkalinity (250-265 mg/L). The test samples also showed a relatively high amount (though not exceeding typical thresholds for aquaculture) for total dissolved solids, sulfate, and arsenic. Finally, one of the samples showed the dissolved concentration of aluminum to be very high, greatly exceeded the recommended standards for aquaculture. Only one of the three water quality samples showed the exceedingly high concentration, however, so it is unclear if this was an anomalomous sample. We recommend further sampling and testing be conducted to confirm the aluminum concentration.

Several parameters important for hatchery operations were not sampled including dissolved oxygen content, total gas pressure, and carbon dioxide concentration. Groundwater is typically low in dissolved oxygen and high in dissolved nitrogen, requiring aeration and degassing prior to use. We recommended additional sampling be performed during the next phase of the project to evaluate these parameters.

From the water quality samples, Stantec believes that pre-treatment of groundwater is likely to be needed for aeration and gas balance. The water is also “soft” (i.e. low hardness), which can be an issue with egg hardening. When used for this application, additional calcium is recommended to be added to increase the total hardness to at least 100 mg/l (as CaCO3). If further water quality sampling continues to indicate high concentrations of dissolved aluminum, mechanical filtration or other treatment processes to remove the aluminum will need to be considered.

3.1.3 Surface Water

A surface water source is not necessarily required for the FTC assuming adequate groundwater is available. Development of a surface water source is recommended, however, to expand options for research and testing, to provide a backup in the event that one or more groundwater wells are unavailable, or in the event that future operations allow for wild brood collection or stocking into the Delta for which surface water may be needed for acclimation. A riparian water right needs to be confirmed for the surface water intake. If a riparian right does not exist, a water right would need to be obtained through the California State Water Board in accordance with California Water Code.

A surface water supply system for the FTC would consist of an automatic self-cleaning intake screen located in the river, a pump station, and a supply pipeline. Numerous suppliers offer self-cleaning intake screens utilizing various forms of technology to clean the screens. For smaller applications, options include cylindrical screens cleaned with either a brush or air burst cleaning system and cone-shaped screens utilizing a brush system. For larger applications, the previous options still apply plus flat plate or traveling screen systems with air, brush, or water back spray systems may be considered. For any intake screen technology, a location with suitable depth and sweeping velocity would need to be identified. With the marina facilities proposed for the

ERS, a suitable location for the screen and an access point for maintenance is likely available along the adjacent river frontage. In coordination with the ERS marina, the screens could be located in the river with access from the dock.

Surface water delivered to the FTC would likely require treatment prior to use. Recommended treatment systems include filtration to remove suspended solids and UV disinfection reactors for pathogen control. Research applications may also desire temperature adjustment of the surface water that would create the need for heating, chilling, or both.

3.1.4 Discharge and Permitting Constraints

NPDES discharge permits are typically required for aquaculture facilities that exceed an annual production of 20,000 pound of fish or feeds more than 5,000 lbs. of feed in a month. The FTC is not anticipated to exceed these thresholds due to the small size of the refugial program, but it is possible that a permit will be required if a production program is ultimately implemented, see concept alternatives. Regardless of the need for a discharge permit, it is good practice to manage and minimize the discharge of solids (primarily fecal material and uneaten fish feed) with an effluent treatment facility.

The proposed effluent treatment facility will consist of filtration of normal hatchery discharge through a series of microscreen drum filters. The filters will be located in a 1,500 square foot building. Because the fish planned to be cultured at the FTC are all native to the Sacramento

Delta, no effluent disinfection systems are anticipated to be required. If disinfection of the entire effluent stream is determined to be necessary during the design and permitting process, a chlorination / dechlorination system or similar process could be utilized. This could be provided by injecting a sodium hypochlorite solution into the effluent pipeline followed by the injection of a dechlorination agent such as sodium dioxide immediately prior to discharge to the

Sacramento River.

Concentrated effluent from pond and rearing vessel cleaning, drum filter backwash, and biofilter backwash will be discharged directly into the sanitary sewer, if allowed, or directed to a holding cell for storage prior to hauling off site. Advanced treatment is likely to be necessary for some waste streams, particularly those that include chemicals such as formalin, malachite green, or others. For these waste streams, a discharge treatment facility equipped with activated carbon filtration, sodium hypochlorite, or ozone will be required.

3.2 HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE

The Rio Vista site is a former Army Reserve Center originally referred to as the U.S. Engineers

Storehouse. The property included fifteen buildings and six structures that were constructed between 1919 and 1960. The buildings included ship repair facilities, warehouses, barracks, piers, wharfs, a water tower, and ancillary buildings such as sheds and pump houses. The site currently contains 13 buildings and 6 structures, including 2 wharves, 2 piers, a water tower and marine ways. The property has been abandoned for decades and shows signs of extensive deterioration and vandalism. Paved areas and roads are overgrown with vegetation, vines have engulfed several buildings, and trees have grown through some roofs from the inside. There have been studies to determine the property’s eligibility for the California Register of Historical

Resources (CRHR), but the property has never been determined to be eligible for the historic register. Although the buildings are in disrepair, the City of Rio Vista has noted the presence of the “U.S. Engineer Storehouse Historic District” on the property and has stated that “the 12 buildings and structures nevertheless appear to be collectively eligible for the California Register of Historic Resources”. As a result the portion of the site, approximately 11.8 acres, which contains the existing buildings will remain and will not be impacted by the proposed ERS and FTC development.

All of the existing buildings remaining on the site are wood frame construction and either single or two-story. The majority of buildings have gabled or shed roofs with either asphalt shingle or corrugated metal roofing. There are two building with flat roofs. The building walls are sided with wood, corrugated metal and a significant number of the building with asbestos siding. The foundations are concrete slab on grade. All of the buildings are severely deteriorated with broken windows and holes in the roofs. Many of the buildings are inaccessibility due to overgrown vegetation.

Figure 7: Photo of abandoned buildings at the existing RVARC site.

The buildings proposed for the FTC will be similar in character to the existing buildings on the site.

The new buildings will be single story with gable roofs. The walls will a combination of CMU and wood siding. The roof material will be painted standing seam metal.

3.3 SITE SECURITY

USFWS desires a secure perimeter fence around the entire facility, particularly the rearing buildings, ponds, and sheds. Features such as security cameras and alarms will be confirmed during the design phase.

3.4 UTILITIES

The EIS considered connections to the City of Rio Vista water and sewer systems in the vicinity of the RVARC site. City water is currently available in an 8-inch water main within Beach Drive adjacent to the proposed FTC site. The EIS did not identify any restrictions on connection of the new facilities, but did note that a 1998 study indicated the infrastructure is inadequate to serve new development and would need to be replaced. It is unclear at this time if the City would require replacement of the water main as part of the contract for FTC construction or if the City would perform the upgrades independently of the project. For the purpose of this report, it is assumed that the 8-inch main has sufficient capacity for the needs of the FTS and ERS facilities and recommend that replacement of the water main, if necessary, should be confirmed as part of future phase of design.

The City of Rio Vista also maintains a sanitary sewer main within the Beach Drive. The existing main conveys sewage to the existing Beach Drive wastewater treatment plant. Similar to the city water supply, the EIS did not identify any restrictions to connection of new facilities into the existing sewer main, but noted that the Rio Vista collection system is generally in need of upgrades. We recommend that further discussions with the City should be conducted during future design phases to confirm capacity issues or other requirements that may affect the ability to connect into the City’s wastewater system.

3.5 COORDINATION WITH ERS FACILITY

The ERS facility will have similar needs to the FTC, such as for water supply, utilities, and security. A surface water intake constructed for the ERS marina may have adequate capacity to serve the surface water needs at the FTC. Coordination between the designs of the two facilities could be advantageous in terms of reducing capital costs and for consolidated operations and maintenance efforts in the future. There may be logistical challenges to confirm design parameters if the implementation of the two projects (ERS and FTC) are not aligned, but this coordination is highly recommended for the potential long-term benefits.

FTC Goals and Requirements

4.0 FTC GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS

The Fish Technology Center is envisioned to operate as a stand-alone facility for maintaining a refugial population of Delta Smelt and for propagation research, conservation, and study of other imperiled fishes. Following discussions with USFWS, this plan considers space and facility requirements to accommodate a Delta Smelt refugial program, refugial programs for up to two other imperiled species, or for a Delta Smelt production facility. The goal of a Delta Smelt production facility would be to raise Delta Smelt for ultimate stocking back into the Delta to bolster wild populations.

4.1 FISH CULTURE AND RESEARCH GOALS

4.1.1 Delta Smelt Refugial Facility

The Delta Smelt refugial program at the FTC is proposed to be similar to the FCCL, but with two changes from current operations. First, the number of full-sibling groups in each multi-family group (MFG) for the larval and juvenile tanks the goal is decreased from 8 to 4. Decreasing the number of full-sibling groups in each MFG will increase the ability to monitor and control the family populations through the rearing process and will decrease the risk of catastrophic results from a system failure. The second recommended change is to increase the total number of adult brood fish held per multi-family group from approximately 200 to 400 or more. The total number of brood fish would increase by approximately double. Increasing the number of adults will increase the size of the genetic pool and provide increased protection against a biological or mechanical failure and the resulting fish and biodiversity loss. In addition, this will provide a greater likelihood of selecting adults that represent all the full-sibling groups for spawning.

These changes will increase the number of containers of each size required to 64 for the larval and juvenile systems. Space for an equivalent number of egg incubation columns will also be provided. For the larval and juvenile tanks systems, the number of recirculation systems will increase corresponding with the increased number of tanks, with a similar number of tanks maintained per reuse system. This will require a total of four reuse systems within each of the larval and juvenile tank rooms, respectively.

The total number of adult tanks will remain the same at 34 tanks. Six additional tanks will be provided, for a total of 40 tanks, to allow for temporary holding or for other research. The adult tanks are proposed to be configured into 3 reuse systems with 12 tanks in each system. The remaining 4 tanks will be plumbed for single-pass water only. Each of the systems, including the 4 extra tanks, will be configured to run using groundwater, surface water, or a mixture thereof.

Table 4-1 summarizes the total of number of tanks and number of reuse systems proposed for the

FTC. Other tank parameters such as fish density, flow, feed, and water quality are anticipated to the same as described previously for the FCCL, see Table 2-1. See Figure A-2 for a process flow diagram for the Delta Smelt Refugial Facility and Figure A-3 for details of room configurations for the egg incubation room, larval tank room, juvenile tank room, and adult holdings shed.

Table 4-1: Delta Smelt Refugial Facilities proposed for FTC.

Life Stage Egg Larval Juvenile Adult Tank Parameters

Size (liters) 2 130 400 1,100

No. of Tanks. 64 64 64 40

No. of Reuse Systems N/A 4 4 3

No. of Tanks per Reuse System N/A 16 16 12

Associated with the Delta Smelt Refugial Facility will be two outdoor ¼-acre earthen ponds. The ponds are assumed to be used for research purposes to better mimic the natural environment in the Delta. Flow to these ponds will be first-pass groundwater and no recirculation is assumed at this time. Alternatively, a surface water source could potentially be utilized with these ponds.

4.1.2 Imperiled Species Refugial Facility

Goals for refugial programs for other imperiled species that may be reared or researched at the

FTC are not well defined at this time. Species that have been considered for potential research include Longfin Smelt (spirinchus thaleichthys), Sacramento perch (Archoplites interruptus), and

Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris). For the purposes of this study, the space requirements for holding larval, juvenile, and adult age classes for these species are assumed to be similar to those required for Delta smelt. Due to the larger size and longer life span, far fewer green sturgeon or Sacramento perch could be accommodated in the facilities than the Delta smelt program.

4.1.3 Delta Smelt Production Facility

A Delta smelt production facility co-located with the FTC is envisioned to use culture methods and techniques specific to Delta smelt but is assumed to be operated more like a conventional intensive aquaculture operation. The goal of the facility would be to produce a specific number of juvenile or sub-adult fish for stocking into the wild. Co-locating a production facility with the

FTC would provide ancillary benefits at the FTC including: the production program would provide further backup to the refugial facilities, surplus fish from the refugial operations could be transferred for use with the production program, and it would allow for collaborative research and study of different rearing and culture techniques targeted towards higher density production.

Goals for a production facility are not well defined. Previous studies considered production of up to 6 million Delta Smelt annually at a size of 40-50 mm at release. For this study, it is assumed that remaining space on the site not used for the FTC functions are available for the production facility. Due to specific culture requirements for Delta Smelt, larval and juvenile rearing systems are anticipated to be similar for a production facility as for the refugial facility and are anticipated to use similar size tanks. Adult tanks are also assumed to be similar size (5-ft diameter) as the refugial facility due to the difficulty of rearing Delta Smelt in larger tanks; however, operation of the adult tanks is assumed to be changed. At the FTC, rearing density in the adult tanks is very low because the goal is only to maintain a refugial population. For a production facility, it is assumed that Delta Smelt can be stocked at higher densities similar to culture techniques used for other species.

For this study, it is assumed that the production facility will raise Delta Smelt to 40-50 mm prior to release. The weight of a Delta Smelt at this size is approximately 1 gram. Adult tanks are assumed to be loaded to 30 kg/m3 (0.25 lbs/gal). Based on space available on site, a total of 80 adult tanks are available for production, twice as many as for the FTC, which would allow the production facility to raise up to 2.6 million Delta Smelt annually for stocking purposes.

Methods for fish transfer and release from the facility are assumed to be developed and confirmed in future phases of design. Any fish reared for the purposes of release are assumed to be transported off station. Given the topography of the site, a loading dock could be constructed on the south (river) side of the production facility that would allow for forklift loading and unloading of transport tanks directly into a truck.

4.1.4 Other Research Goals

USFWS intends to perform research of many forms at these facilities, potentially on other species.

As an example, research to mimic more natural conditions similar to conditions found in the Bay-

Delta may include:

• Supplementing dry feed with natural live foods during later life stages

• Maintaining some degree of turbidity throughout adulthood (not just to induce larval feeding)

• Facility flexibility to house larger species

4.2 TREATMENT SYSTEMS

Delta Smelt are sensitive species and the FTC will require substantial levels of water treatment and conditioning for all rearing systems. As noted previously, successful intensive culture of Delta

Smelt has been achieved at other facilities using closed recirculation systems with minimal makeup water (<5%/day), particularly for the larval and juvenile life stages. At the FCCL, even the adult tanks at the FCCL are operated under high levels of recirculation as a means to reduce chilling costs. LSNFH operates the adult tanks with a flow-through (single pass) model. The following sections describe the water treatment systems that are anticipated to be needed at the FTC in support of the concept alternatives presented in Section 5.0.

4.2.1 Water Supply Treatment

The primary water supply for the FTC is assumed to be groundwater. Surface water will also be available and configured as a backup or alternative source for certain systems or for research purposes. Groundwater is typically low in dissolved oxygen and high in dissolved nitrogen, requiring aeration to strip the excess nitrogen and bring the oxygen to saturation levels. The groundwater study (CWE, 2016) did not sample for oxygen or nitrogen concentrations, but it is assumed that this will be necessary at the FTC.

The groundwater study (CWE, 2016) detected one sample indicating a high concentration of dissolved aluminum that would greatly exceed recommended standards for aquaculture.

Stantec recommends that additional sampling be performed to confirm if the sample was an outlier, or if persistent high dissolved aluminum is actually present. If removal is ultimately required to manage the dissolved aluminum concentrations, processes to remove aluminum include reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or coagulation and mechanical filtration. For this application, coagulation and mechanical filtration is recommended as it would be the least cost for both initial capital outlay and operations and maintenance. Aluminum sulfate (alum) or ferric chloride are recommended for use as the coagulant.

Following the filtration step, a UV disinfection system is recommended. Although UV is often not necessary for a groundwater supply, a UV system is recommended to provide protection and insurance for potential research projects at the facility.

Table 4-2: Summary of Water Supply Treatment Equipment

Aeration/Degas Column Type Packed Column

Filtration (If necessary) Type Pressurized Vessel

Coagulant Alum or Ferric Chloride

Media Anthracite and Sand

UV Disinfection Units No. of Units 3

Redundancy 50%

Minimum UV Dose (mJ/cm2) 60

4.2.2 Recirculating Systems

4.2.2.1 Delta Smelt

For the Delta Smelt refugial program, the proposed larval, juvenile, and adult holding tanks will all be configured to operate with primarily under extensive water reuse. Systems will also be capable of operating in flow through mode, if desired, and using groundwater, surface water, or a mixture thereof. At the FTC, each of the recirculating systems are proposed to be similar to those currently utilized at the FCCL (see Figure 8) and LSNFH and will include a settling tank or microscreen drum filter, sump, recirculation pumps, in-line chiller, biofilter, and UV disinfection reactor. Microscreen drum filters are not used at the FCCL or LSNFH but are recommended to provide an automated way to remove solids from the system. The size of the screen material for the drum filter needs to be confirmed to allow algae used for greening the tank to pass without being removed. The following tables provide a summary of treatment equipment required for each reuse system.

Table 4-3: Equipment summary (per system) for Delta Smelt recirculating systems.

Recirculating Pumps Type Horizontal Centrifugal

Configuration 1 Duty + 1 Standby

Chiller Type In-Line delta T (°C) 5-9°C

Rating per system, tons 10-40

HP 5-10

Biofilter Type Bead Filter

No. of Units per System 1

Backwash Type Air Scour

UV Disinfection Units No. of Units 2

Redundancy 100%

Minimum UV Dose (mJ/cm2) 60

Microscreen Drum Filter No. of Units 2

Screen Opening Size, micron 90

Air stones or air bubbler systems will also be provided in the tanks for additional aeration, if needed, and to provide gentle movement of larvae and live prey that helps to keep them suspended in the water column.

Figure 8: Flow diagram of a recirculation system used for larval tanks at the FCCL.

4.2.2.2 Other Species

At this time, specific requirements for treatment systems for other imperiled species are not known without a specific species or program in mind. For the purposes of this report, it is assumed that high level recirculation systems similar to those previously described for the Delta Smelt will be adequate for future research on other species.

4.2.3 Effluent Treatment

Effluent streams from the FTC will include the normal water discharge from fish rearing processes

(incubation, larval, juvenile, and adult), tank and pond cleaning effluent, backwash from microscreen drum filters and biofilters associated with reuse treatment systems, flushing flows from pump sumps, and water used for laboratory research purposes. Some waste streams are constant, such as the effluent from rearing tanks, and others are intermittent. Treatment to remove chemicals for disease control is also anticipated to be necessary. The FCCL uses a mixture of formalin and malachite green for treating eggs.

Normal water discharge from fish rearing processes is assumed to be discharged back to the river at a location along the property waterfront adjacent to the FTC. The facility discharge is anticipated to qualify under a General NPDES discharge permit (No. CAD135001) for aquaculture facilities that do not exceed certain biomass thresholds. Discharge under this NPDES permit often does not require a specific effluent treatment facility for normal hatchery effluent as long as the discharge conditions are achieved; however, it is assumed that an effluent treatment facility will be desired to treat chemicals and minimize the discharge of solids from the facility.

For effluent treatment, normal water discharge from the tanks is assumed to be filtered through a set of microscreen drum filters prior to release back to the river. The microsceen drum filters will be located in a small building. Concentrated waste streams from the drum filter will be sent to a holding vault for periodic removal to a landfill or will discharged directly into the sanitary sewer.

Chemicals are anticipated to be used for research purposes, for treating eggs, or for disease control in other rearing tanks. As noted previously, a mixture of formalin and malachite green is used to treat eggs at the FCCL. For waste streams with chemicals, piping configurations will be changed to direct these flows to separate effluent treatment facilities located within their respective building. Treatment to disinfect or remove the chemicals may include an activated charcoal filter, sodium hypochlorite, or ozone. Treated effluent streams will be directed into the normal water discharge (as allowed) or collected in a sump and trucked off station.

4.3 PROJECTED WATER DEMAND

4.3.1 Delta Smelt Refugial Facility

Water usage at the refugial facility is anticipated to be modest due to the high levels of recirculation employed for Delta Smelt culture. As discussed previously, the egg incubation, larval, and juvenile tank systems all operate with nearly 100% reuse and turnover rates by volume of approximately 5% per day. Under these conditions, water is required only for intermittent fill operations following a flush to remove solids from the sump or water loss from backwashing the biofilter or microscreen drum filter. The adult tanks are also proposed to be operated in a similar fashion, but the tanks will also be configured to operate in flow-through mode. In flow-through mode, a continuous flow of approximately 106 gpm would be needed to maintain the target exchange rate of 10 L/min per tank. Water usage is anticipated to primarily be groundwater, but the facility will be capable to run on groundwater, surface water, or a combination thereof.

Table 4-4: Projected Water Usage for Delta Smelt Refugial Facility.

Life Stage/Tank Qty Water System Exchange Flow per tank

Total

Fresh/

Make up

Flow

Notes

(Lpm) (gpm) (gpm)

Egg Incubation 64 Static - - - Water used only to fill tanks initially

Larval Tanks 64 Recirculating 3 0.8 0.08 Based on turnover rate of 5% per day by volume

Juvenile Tanks 64 Recirculating 6 1.6 0.23 Based on turnover rate of 5% per day by volume

Adult Tanks 40 Flow Through 10 2.6 106 Adult tanks are also configured to operate in recirculating mode with substantially reduced water demand

1/4-acre ponds 2 Flow Through - 100 200

4.3.2 Imperiled Species Refugial Facility

For this study, a refugial facility for research on other imperiled species is assumed to have similar total volume of tanks for each species as proposed for the Delta Smelt refugial facility. While it may be possible to operate these tanks using nearly 100% recirculation, similar to the Delta

Smelt, higher levels of exchange may be desirable. Systems will also be capable of operating in recirculation mode or flow through mode and using groundwater, surface water, or a mixture thereof.