EFT

Criterion

Explanation

General Description

The Ecological Flows Tool (EFT) is a database-centered decision support system for linking flow, gravel and channel management actions to changes in the physical habitats for selected species of concern.  EFT emphasizes clear communication of trade-offs for key ecosystem targets associated with alternative conveyance, water operations and climate futures in the Sacramento River and San Francisco Delta eco-regions. It enables the practical integration of multi-species, multi-habitat needs in the evaluation of water operation scenarios, thereby facilitating the inclusion of a broad suite of ecological considerations into water use planning exercises. 

Model Domain

EFT's focal species and performance indicators (PIs) are frequently split into two geographic regions: the Sacramento River ecoregion, where SacEFT is applied between Keswick (RM 301) and Colusa (RM 143); and the Delta ecoregion defined from a location just above Fremont Weir (RKI 182) and extending downstream into the Delta west and east of the mainstem river, where DeltaEFT is applied.

Developer

ESSA Technologies

Hardware computing requirements

To use the EFT Reader, you must have:

• An active internet connection in order to connect to the remote EFT database.
• Disk Space – a minimum of 50MB of space is recommended for the program itself including dependencies. Disk space requirements depend on the number of Excel reports generated where each one is ~ 850KB per indicator and year, as well as the cache size limit set for base maps, which is by default 10MB .
• Microsoft Excel – Microsoft Excel 2007 (or higher) is required to generate non-spatial reports.
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 - If it is not present on your system, the installation will prompt you to obtain and install it.

Code language

Water Resources Simulation Language (WRESL), C#

Original application

Between 2004 and 2008 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) conducted the Sacramento River Ecological Flows Study in which TNC and its project partners developed a decision analysis tool that incorporates physical models of the Sacramento River with biophysical habitat models for six Sacramento River species.

Public/proprietary and cost

Licensing costs not reported

Physically or empirically based

Physical and empirical

Mathematical methods used

25 site specific, functional flow algorithms (conceptual models) for 13 representative species and key habitats across the Sacramento River and Delta ecoregions, with widely used hydrogeomorphic models; Mixed integer linear programming solver; Index of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) and other metrics of the degree of pre- and post-regulation/depletion change to flow regime, or other measures comparing unimpaired flows/historic flows with current flows

Input data requirements

Multiple physical hydrogeomorphic models of flow, water temperature, salinity, channel migration, and sediment transport (CALSIM, USRDOM, SRWQM, DSM2, The Unified Gravel-Sand sediment transport model, Meander Migration Model)

Outputs

EFT software provides output that spans the range from location- and daily-detail through to high level ("rolled up") overviews of multiple indicators and scenarios: relative suitability summary, effect size summary, multi-year rollup (R/Y/G), annual year rollup (R/Y/G), physical changes summary, XL reports, effect size boxplots, water year characterization boxplots, spatial visualizations, X2 animations, meander migration animation

Pre-processing and post-processing tools

The EFT Reader software is a viewer of EFT scenarios and model output.  Users who do not have an analysis copy of the EFT database cannot create new scenarios or edit existing scenarios using the Reader. The EFT Reader links with a centralized copy of the EFT database located on a remote server.  The public EFT Reader database currently (as of August 2012) contains a suite of fully configured scenarios, derived from the Sacramento River Ecological Flows Study and from test scenarios supplied by DWR and project partners.

Representation of uncertainty

No mention of stochasticity or uncertainty in documentation

Prevalence

One peer-reviewed publication. Used in San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta Conservation Plan, BDCP, and NODOS Admin EIS/R.

Ease of use for public entities

Ease of obtaining information and availability of technical support

No user group. No explicit commercial help desk but could contract with ESSA Technologies for help with model.

Source code availability

Source code is not available

Status of model development

Model is mature. Future versions of the EFT Reader database may include EFT results for simulations based on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan's proposed conveyance and habitat restoration measures (once these data sets enter public domain). Future versions of the EFT Reader database will include results for simulations based on other effects analysis investigations, as they move into the public domain.

Challenges for integration

Model is already highly integrated