2027 IEP Workshop Planning and Newly Published IEP Datasets and Papers
Greetings IEP Community Members,
Please see below for information on our 2027 IEP Workshop planning invitation, IEP data updates, and scientific papers.
2027 IEP Workshop - Call for Planning Volunteers
IEP is starting the planning for the 2027 IEP Annual Workshop. The workshop is scheduled for March 2-4, 2027 at the California Natural Resources Agency headquarters in Sacramento.
If you are interested in participating on the planning team, send an email to iep@wildlife.ca.gov and cc Adam Nanninga (Organizing Chair) adam_nanninga@fws.gov. There will be 8 planning meetings from September to January to complete the event planning process. Our first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Meeting details are in the workshop planning calendar. If you cannot make the first meeting and want to participate, send us an email to be added to the list.
Background Materials
IEP Datasets
Two IEP Program Elements recently updated their datasets on EDI.
- IEP Program Element 033 – 20-mm Survey
- Data for 2025 was added to EDI. 2026 data is still being processed and is expected to be available by the end of the year.
- IEP Program Element 096 – Smelt Larva Survey
- In May 2026, this group updated their dataset on EDI.
Publications
Several articles from IEP members and stakeholders have recently been published. Below is a list of those shared with us.
- He M, Sandhu P. 2026. Machine Learning for Water and Environmental Modeling in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of California: A 30-Year Retrospective and Future Prospects. Water. 18(14): 1763. Available from:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/18/14/1763
- Hobbs JA, Sellheim K, Sweeney JK, Stompe DK, Kelly JT, Ervin J, Willmes M, Rosenfield JA, Wren I, Mevoli A, Senn DB, Odkins K, Rinde J, Tighe D and Lewis LS (2026) Mass mortality of aquatic organisms in the San Francisco Estuary – using community science to document the impacts of a severe harmful algal bloom. Front. Mar. Sci. 13:1893110. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1893110
- Rigby CR, Gaeta JW. 2026. Evaluating Patterns of Juvenile Chinook Salmon Out-Migration During Pulse Flow Events in California's Sacramento River to Inform Operations of a Newly Proposed Water Infrastructure Project. River Research and Applications. n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.70155
- Riggio J, Fradet DT, Kindel AS, Mah M, Zumdahl KA, Ferrell M, Engilis A. 2026. Rapid responses of marsh birds to large-scale tidal wetland restoration in California's Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Rest Ecol. n/a(n/a): e70453. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70453
- Platzer E, Phillips K, O'Rear T, Durand J. 2026. Silverside gold mine? Restored tidal habitats host abundant invasive fishes in a novel California marsh (U.S.A.). Rest Ecol. n/a(n/a): e70452. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70452
- Merz JE, Dean C, Flores B, Karpenko K, Ross K, Veary A. 2026. Multitrophic responses to tidal marsh restoration: early effects of channel configuration on water quality, aquatic food web structure, and fish communities. Rest Ecol. n/a(n/a): e70422. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70422
- Williams Duman L, Holst M, Platzer E, Phillips K, Durand J. 2026. Fish assemblage at a newly restored tidal wetland reflects surrounding waterways in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Rest Ecol. n/a(n/a): e70414. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70414
- Finger AJ, LaCava MEF, Carson EW, Hobbs JA, Hung T-C, Nobriga ML, Polansky L, Waples RS. 2026. Lag in Effective Population Size Decline Amid Demographic Collapse: A Case Study of the Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). Molecular Ecology. 35(10): e70410. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.70410
- Stinson SA, Baerwald MR, Yamahara K, Scherer A, Karpenko Y, Dean C, Espe MB, Schumer G, Brown S, Schreier B et al. 2026. Locating Little Larvae: Environmental DNA Methods Can Detect a Rare Fish Species Under Field Estuarine Conditions. Environmental DNA. 8(2): e70287. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.70287