PROJECT HIGHLIGHT:
This project aims to improve and update a key mathematical model called SUBCALC that estimates how fast land is sinking and how much greenhouse gas is being released from drained farmland in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This essential information helps landowners and planners make decisions about converting farmland to wetlands to reduce these environmental impacts.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a crucial hub for California's water supply and agriculture, faces an ongoing challenge to its physical structure: Delta peat soils drained for agriculture are disappearing and releasing significant greenhouse gases. This process, known as subsidence, threatens levee stability, agricultural sustainability and emits approximately 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
To address these challenges, researchers are working to improve the SUBCALC model, a scientific tool that estimates both the rate of land subsidence and greenhouse gas emissions from Delta soils. The model has already proven valuable for planning wetland restoration projects and has been used to validate carbon offset credits in California's carbon market. However, with new data becoming available from advanced measurement techniques, including airborne monitoring and greenhouse gas sensors, there's an opportunity to further improve and refine the model.
The upgraded model will help landowners and resource managers make more informed decisions about land use changes, such as converting farmland to wetlands or rice fields — practices that can reverse or stop the effects of subsidence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This work is particularly timely as California seeks ways to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and as Delta landowners explore opportunities to participate in carbon markets, which could provide financial incentives for land use changes that benefit the environment.
Associated Project Personnel:
Marc Olds (HydroFocus)
This project is funded by the Delta Stewardship Council Delta Science Program under Agreement No. DSC23000, and is administered by California Sea Grant.
Steven Deverel