the Delta Regional Monitoring Program
Documents
Past and present DRMP documentation
The foundational documents below will be updated in 2025.
DRMP Fact Sheet (2017)
DRMP Communication Plan (2016)
DRMP Data Management Plan (2023)
DRMP Long-Term Planning Direction – Years 2024-2029
The DRMP Charter document compiles three previously separate program documents (e.g., the DRMP’s Guiding Principles, Committee Roles, and Adequate Participation).
The DRMP Charter provides an Organizational Chart of the DRMP, the Steering Committee and Technical Advisory Committee rosters, and an attachment titled Guidance for Issuing and Evaluating Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the DRMP.
The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) is updated each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30):
- QAPP v7, covering FY21-22 monitoring, dated February 14, 2022
- Amendment, dated July 7, 2022
- QAPP v6, covering FY20-21 monitoring, dated May 13, 2021
- QAPP v5, covering FY19-20 monitoring, dated August 28, 2019
- QAPP v4, covering FY18-19 monitoring, dated November 19, 2018
- QAPP v3, covering FY17-18 monitoring, dated March 14, 2018
- QAPP v2, covering FY16-17 monitoring, dated September 30, 2016
- QAPP v1, covering FY15-16 monitoring, dated July 19, 2015
Constituents of Emerging Concern
- QAPP v3, dated October 9, 2023
- QAPP v2, dated October 11, 2021
- Amendment to the Suspended Sediment Concentration (SCC) Method Reference, dated November 3, 2021
- Amendment to the Data Management Procedures for Laboratory Blank Contamination, dated November 22, 2021
- Amendment to the Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC) Quality Control Sample Requirements, dated January 20, 2022
- Amendment to the Isotope Dilution Analogue reporting requirements and PPCP MDLs, dated May 12, 2022
- Amendment to Update the Station Location for San Joaquin River at Buckley Cove, dated May 27, 2022
- Amendment to Update Reporting Limit for Perfluorooctanesulfonate and Perfluorooctanoate in Sediment, dated
Current Use Pesticides
- QAPP v1, dated December 20, 2022
- Amendment to update pesticide MDLs and RLs, analyte names, and SOP reference, dated September 28, 2023
- Amendment to add high-conductivity toxicity testing procedures and update the copper MDL value, dated February 9, 2024
Nutrient Reduction Bioassay
- QAPP v1.1, dated August 26, 2025
Current Workplan and Budget
Past Annual Workplans and Budgets
- DRMP FY 15-16 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 16-17 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 17-18 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 18 -19 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 19 – 20 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 20-21 Q1 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 20-21 Q2-Q4 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 21-22 Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 22-23 Monitoring Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 23-24 Monitoring Workplan and Budget
- DRMP FY 24-25 Monitoring Workplan and Budget
Published reports regarding our Water Quality Monitoring work:
Constituents of Emerging Concern (CECs)
- DRMP CEC Pilot Study
- DRMP CEC Data Report Year 1
- This project received funding as a part of a Central Valley Water Board enforcement action.
- DRMP CEC Data Report Year 2 (2021-2022)
- DRMP CEC Data Report Year 3 (2023-2024)
Current Use Pesticides
- 2015-2016 Pesticides & Toxicity Monitoring Report
- 2018-2019 Pesticides & Toxicity Monitoring Report*
- 2019-2020 Pesticides & Toxicity Monitoring Report*
- WY 2021 Data Report and Quality Assurance Evaluation
- WY 2023 Data Report and Quality Assurance Evaluation with Appendices
- WY 2024 Data Report and Quality Assurance Evaluation with Appendices
*AHPL’s 2018-2020 midge survival data do not follow the current SWAMP business rule when there are missing organisms or pupae.
Mercury
- DRMP Mercury Data Report Year 1 (2016-2017)
- DRMP Mercury Data Report Year 2 (2017-2018
- DRMP Mercury Data Report Year 3 (2018-2019)
- DRMP Mercury Interpretive Report Year 1-3 (2016-2019)
- DRMP Mercury Quality Assurance Summary Year 4 (2019-2020)
- DRMP Mercury Interpretive Report Year 1-6 (2016-2022)
- DRMP Mercury Factsheet
Nutrients
- Analysis of spatial, seasonal, and temporal variability, and long-term trends in nutrient concentrations in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Bay during the period 1975 – 2013
- Assessment of Nutrient Status and Trends in the Delta in 2001 – 2016
- Modeling to Assist Identification of temporal and Special Gaps for Nutrient Monitoring – March 2018
- 2018-19 DRMP Nutrients Monitoring – Data Synthesis and Modeling
- 2018-19 DRMP Nutrients Monitoring – Intercalibration Study
- San Francisco Estuary Chlorophyll Sensor and Sample Analysis Intercomparison
- Delta-Suisun Biogeochemical Model: Calibration and Validation (WY2016, WY2011)
- Sacramento River Nutrient Change Study (2023)
- Role of benthic overwintering cyanobacteria seed stock on estuarine bloom dynamics
- This project received funding as a part of a Central Valley Water Board enforcement action.
- Assessing Spatial Variability of Nutrients, Phytoplankton, and Related Water-Quality Constituents in the California Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta; High Resolution Mapping Surveys across Years 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022
- This study was done in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Delta Regional Monitoring Program (DRMP), Delta Science Program, and State Water Contractors.
- Cyanotoxin Monitoring in the Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta Study; Years 2020-2022 – Coming Soon
Pathogens
Annual Reports:
DRMP 2020-2021 Fiscal Year Annual Report
DRMP 2021-2022 Fiscal Year Annual Report
Overview
The development of a Delta Regional Monitoring Program (DRMP) has been an ongoing process since 2008. This section includes documents related to the development process prior to the formation of the Steering Committee in the fall of 2012. Materials on this page will not be updated and are considered archived materials.
Early Reports
- Summary of Current Water Quality Monitoring Programs in the Delta (Draft Final report prepared by the Aquatic Science Center)
- Contaminants Synthesis Report (Final report prepared by Mike Johnson et al, UC Davis)
- 2013 Pulse of the Bay
- 2012 Pulse of the Delta
- 2011 Pulse of the Delta
Early Framework Documents and Other References
- DRMP Monitoring Design
- DRAFT Proposal for a Regional Monitoring and Assessment Framework and its Implementation
- Comments Received on Draft Proposal for Framework
- Draft Program Plan
- DRMP: Developing a Delta Regional Monitoring Program for Contaminants
(poster presented at the State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference, 29 September – 1 October 2009) - DRMP: Developing a Delta Regional Monitoring Program for Contaminants
(poster presented at the Interagency Ecological Program Annual Workshop, 25 May 2010) - Fact Sheet Describing the Stakeholder Process
Stakeholder Meeting – 15 August 2012
This stakeholder meeting was in response to the comments received on the Draft Proposal for a Regional Monitoring and Assessment Framework that was released to stakeholders in June. The meeting summary highlights the main concerns addressed in the comments and the responses to those comments from the Regional Board, Aquatic Science Center, and Brock Bernstein. Additionally, the meeting began initial discussions about the establishment of a steering committee for the Delta RMP. Future development will be guided by the steering committee.
- Meeting Summary (includes agenda and list of attendees)
- Meeting Presentation Slides
- San Francisco Bay RMP 2012 Multi-year Plan, for discussion purposes
NPDES Stakeholder Meeting – 16 November 2011
This stakeholder meeting was in response to the various interviews conducted by Thomas Jabusch (ASC) and Brock Bernstein (consultant) about the monitoring, reporting, and data management programs of specific dischargers, regulated by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The issues and opportunities identified (see Discharger Interview Summary) provided a useful starting point for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of monitoring as part of the initial implementation of the Delta RMP.
Stakeholder Meeting – 12 August 2010
- Agenda
- Proposal to Develop a California Estuaries Portal Initially Focused on the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary
- Meeting Summary
- Presentations
- Interagency Ecological Program for the San Francisco Estuary, A. Mueller-Solger
- The Bay RMP: Lessons Learned in Two Decades, R. Hoenicke
- An Overview of CEDEN, K. Larsen
- Maximizing the Effectiveness of Water Quality Data Collection and Dissemination, J. Marshack
Stakeholder Meeting – 12 May 2010
This stakeholder meeting was intended to re-engage stakeholders, begin implementation of the Regional Monitoring Program through a pilot project phase, and initiate technical work to address limitations with current monitoring and data management systems. This meeting began with presentations in the morning providing overviews of the work completed to date, the draft program strategy, Current Water Quality Monitoring Programs and the Lessons Learned from the POD Synthesis Analysis. A facilitated discussion followed in the afternoon (Please see the meeting summary for details).
- Sign-in Sheet
- Agenda
- Meeting Summary
- Presentations:
- Overview of DRMP Plan and Overall Strategy, M. Sullivan Presentation
- Summary of Existing Monitoring in the Delta, Overview of the Central Valley Watershed Monitoring Directory, T. Jabusch Presentation
- Lessons Learned from the POD Synthesis Analysis, M. Johnson Presentation
Stakeholder Kick-off Meeting – 30 September 2008
Recognizing that stakeholder involvement and coordination will be critical to the success of the Delta RMP planning effort, Central Valley Regional Water Board staff scheduled a stakeholder kick-off meeting on 30 September 2008. During the initial session of the meeting, staff provided an overview of the impetus for the DRMP planning effort, elements of a successful RMP, existing delta monitoring programs, existing regional monitoring program models (e.g., San Francisco Bay RMP), and a facilitated discussion regarding potential constraints that may impede development of the RMP and potential benefits that could be realized should the RMP be successfully implemented. The second session consisted of a summary and further discussion of the key issues (as identified during the first session) that will need to be resolved as the RMP planning effort proceeds forward.
- Sign-in Sheet
- Meeting Summary
- Invitation Letter, Distribution List, and Agenda
- Presentations
- Eight Elements of a Successful Regional Monitoring Program, S. Ritchie Presentation
- Overview of Existing Delta Monitoring Programs, T. Jabusch Presentation
- Regional Monitoring Models, B. Bernstein Presentation
Stakeholder Working Groups – from 2008
One outcome of the stakeholder kick-off meeting was the formation of stakeholder working groups to assist the Water Boards in addressing the following aspects of the RMP framework: governance, monitoring questions, coordination with other programs, data integration, and funding. In an effort to facilitate this process, the project planning team (comprised of Water Boards and Aquatic Science Center staff, and Dr. Brock Bernstein) will prepare straw-man proposals for each of these issues, which will be provided to the working groups and other interested parties for review and comment.
- Governance
- Working Group Meeting – 20 November 2008
- Revised Governance Straw-man Proposal (26 November 2008)
- Monitoring Questions
- Funding
- Data Integration
- Draft Data Integration Straw-man Proposal (20 November 2009)
- Working Group Meeting – 12 August 2010