SALSIM

Criterion

Explanation

General Description

SalSim is a life cycle model for fall-run Chinook in the San Joaquin River Basin. SalSim is a "backcast model" that overlays current year operational strategies on historical water operations to see what salmon production effect might have occurred given current scientific understanding. [Note: This document is based on the most recently available documentation for SalSim, but the model is currently in a state of transition. See 'Status of model development' below.]

Model Domain

The model includes the San Joaquin River and its salmon-bearing tributaries (Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers), the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the Pacific Ocean.

Developer

AD Consultants for California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Hardware computing requirements

Not specified

Code language

SalSim model engine is written in C++. The reservoir operations model is written in Python. Web interface written with standard web technologies (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP).

Original application

Develop a management planning tool to evaluate the impacts of current and possible future San Joaquin River water management policies on the long-term viability and preservation of San Joaquin fall-ran Chinook salmon.

Public/proprietary and cost

SalSim is a public domain model accessible through the internet. Therefore, no authentication is required. However, in order to provide the public with the best possible support in using the model, California Department of Fish and Wildlife would like to keep track of the profile of SalSim's users. It is therefore appreciated if users send information about themselves, their organization, purpose of use, and any feedback and comments about the model to Dale Stanton at: dale.stanton@wildlife.ca.gov.

Physically or empirically based

Physical and empirical

Mathematical methods used

Discrete time simulation model with a daily time step. Available empirical data combined with expert opinion and use of mathematical and statistical procedures and formulations. Model parameters are functions of barrier placement, flow, water temperature, accumulated degree days, fish length, fry density, floodplain encroachment, predator abundance, and ocean conditions. Functional used include linear, logistic, exponential, and power forms.

Input data requirements

Average daily flow at pre-defined locations in the SJR basin. Maximum daily water temperature at the same locations. Average daily diversion from each tributary. Average daily exports from the Delta (combined CVP and SWP). Daily information about the status of the Head of Old River Barrier (HORB). Planting of Merced River Hatchery fish throughout the system.

SalSim was designed to be compatible with the output that is generated by the SJR Basin-wide Water Temperature Model (aka HEC-5Q). Using this model, the user can generate hypothetical operational scenarios of reservoirs along the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers and at Friant Dam on the upper SJR (e.g. for simulating alternatives for the Friant Restoration Project). Results of HEC-5Q consist of flow and temperature response at discrete points throughout the SJR system. However, SalSim also can accept results from any other operations-temperature models, as long as the data is stored in CSV files with the appropriate format.

Outputs

Smolt cohorts arriving to Delta by day, annual smolt production, annual adult escapement by age class, redd distribution by week and reach for each tributary, number of fish returning to the Merced River Hatchery, and spawner counts at various locations. Outputs can be downloaded as HEC-DSS or CSV files.

Pre-processing and post-processing tools

Because the model engine and web interface were written as a separate components, the web interface could be regarded as a pre- and post-processing tool.

Representation of uncertainty

Uncertainty not incorporated

Prevalence

No peer reviewed publications. Used in San Joaquin River Restoration Program, Bay-Delta Plan Update, and Waterfix.

Ease of use for public entities

SalSim is intended as a user-friendly web-based application. Users can interactively perform simulation runs for different water management scenarios, view results on the screen (GUI output), and then download results for further analysis using third party software, such as, HEC-DSS (USACE Data System Storage) and Excel (via CSV output files).

Ease of obtaining information and availability of technical support

No user group or commercial help desk

Source code availability

Source code is not publicly available

Status of model development

The model was previously accessible through a web interface (www.salsim.com), but CDFW shut down the web version of the model. CDFW is now working with the model developer on a desktop version of SalSim that has fewer "bells and whistles" but additional flexibility.

Challenges for integration

The primary barrier to integration is that the model is under development with an unspecified timeline for completion.