Abstract
The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) population of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has declined approximately 80% since the mid-1970s. This decline has been attributed to factors such as water diversions, pollution and reduced abundance of food organisms. One source of potential pollutants is agricultural return water. The Colusa Basin Drain discharges water from over 150 000 acres and can account for over 20% of the flow of the Sacramento River. Because discharge occurs at the same time striped bass are spawning, early developmental stages could be adversely affected. Toxicity studies conducted over a 3 year period consistently demonstrated acute toxicity to striped bass larvae and to opossum shrimp (Neomysis mercedis), an important food organism for juvenile striped bass. Acute toxicity was also demonstrated with striped bass embryos. In addition, a model based on pesticide use more effectively predicted striped bass recruitment during the period of decline than did a model based on historically important river flows and delta diversions. These studies indicate that agricultural return water should not be disregarded when considering potential causes of the decline of striped bass.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
APHA (1989) Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.
CDFA (1970–1988) Pesticide Use Reports. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Chadwick, H.K., Stevens, D.E. and Miller, L.W. (1977) Some factors regulating the striped bass population in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary. In VanWinkle, W. ed. Proceedings of the Conference on Assessing the Effects of Power-Plant Induced Mortality on Fish Populations. New York: Pergamon Press, pp. 18–35.
Cooper, K. (1991) Effect of pesticides on wildlife. In Handbook of pesticide toxicology, pp. 463–96. New York: Academic Press.
Cornacchia, J.W., Cohen, D.B., Bowes, G.W., Schnagl, R.J. and Montoya, B.L. (1984) Rice Herbicides: Molinate and Thiobencarb. Sacramento, CA: California State Water Resources Control Board.
Eagleson, K.W., Lenat, D.L., Ausley, L.W. and Winborne, F.B. (1990) Comparison of measured instream biological responses with responses predicted using the Ceriodaphnia dubia chronic toxicology test. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 9, 1019–28.
EPA (1985) Short-term Methods for Estimating the Chronic Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater Organisms. Cincinnati, OH: US Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory.
EPA (1988) Methods for Aquatic Toxicity Identification Evaluations: Phase I Toxicity Characterization Procedures. Duluth, MN: US Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory.
EPA (1991) Technical Support Document for Water Quality Based Toxics Control. Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water.
Farley, T.C. (1966) Striped bass spawning in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system during 1963 and 1964. Cal. Dept Fish Game Fish Bull. 136, 28–43.
Finlayson, B.J., Harrington, J.M., Fujimura, R. and Isaacs, G. (1993) Identification of methyl parathion toxicity in Colusa Basin Drain water. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 12, 291–303.
Foe, C. and Connor, V. (1989) 1989 Rice Season Toxicity Monitoring Results (memorandum). Sacramento, CA: Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Foe, C. and Connor, V. (1991) 1989 Rice Season Toxicity Monitoring Results. Sacramento, CA: Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Hall, L.W.Jr (1991) A synthesis of water quality and contaminants data on early life stages of striped bass, Morone saxatilis. Rev. Aquatic Sci. 4, 261–88.
IESP (1987) Factors Affecting Striped Bass Abundance in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River System. Sacramento, CA: Interaency Ecological Study Program for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary. California Department of Fish and Game.
Ludwig, J.A. and Reynolds, J.F. (1988) Statistical Ecology. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Mac, M.J. (1988) Toxic substances and survival of Lake Michigan salmonids: field and laboratory approaches. In Evans, M.S. ed. Toxic contaminants and ecosystem health: a Great Lakes focus, pp. 389–401. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Moyle, P.B. (1976) Inland Fishes of California. Berkeley, CA: California University Press.
Norberg-King, T.J., Durhan, E.J., Ankley, G.T. and Robert, G. (1991) Application of toxicity identification evaluation procedures to the ambient waters of the Colusa Basin Drain, California. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 10, 891–900.
Rand, G.M. and Petrocelli, S.R. (1985) Fundamentals of Aquatic Toxicology: Methods and Applications. Washington, DC: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.
Rutger, J.N. and Brandon, D.M. (1981) California rice culture. Sci. Am. February, 42–51.
RWQCB (1991) Consideration of Approving Dept. Food and Agriculture's 1991 Management Practices for Rice Pesticides. Sacramento, CA: Regional Water Quality Control Board.
RWQCB (1992) Consideration of Approving of Dept. of Pesticide Regulation's 1992 Management Practices for Rice Pesticides. Sacramento, CA: Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1969) Biometry. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company.
Stevens, D.E. (1977) Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) monitoring techniques in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary. In VanWinkle, R. ed. Proceedings of the Conference on Assessing the Effects of Power-Plant Induced Mortality on Fish Populations. New York: Pergamon Press, 91–109.
Stevens, D.E., Kohlhorst, D.W., Miller, L.W. and Kelley, D.W. (1985) The decline of striped bass in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary, California. Trans. Am. Fisheries Soc. 114, 12–30.
SWRCB (1990) Sacramento River Toxic Chemical Risk Assessment Project. Sacramento, CA: California State Water Resources Control Board.
Turner, J.L. (1976) Striped bass spawning in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in Central California from 1963 to 1972. Cal. Fish Game. 62(2), 106–18.
Whipple, J.A., Eldridge, M.B. and Benville, P.Jr (1981) An ecological perspective of the effects of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on fishes. In Biological monitoring of marine pollutants, pp. 483–551. New York: Academic Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bailey, H.C., Alexander, C., Digiorgio, C. et al. The effect of agricultural discharge on striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin drainage. Ecotoxicology 3, 123–142 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143410
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143410