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Ecotoxicology Resources

• CalEcotox Database
• California Watershed Assessment Manual
• Dry Wells
• Dry Creek
• Fact Sheets
• Impervious Surface Analysis
• Impervious Surface Coefficients User’s Guide and Calculator
• Toxicity Testing Guidance Documents
• Watershed Indicators
• Links

 

Ecotoxicology

The mission of the Ecotoxicology Program within the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is to advance the science and practice of ecological risk assessment (ERA). We focus on developing tools and technical resources to assess the impacts of chemical, physical, and biological stressors on ecosystems. Our current focus is on aquatic ecosystems.

Our Program was established in 1993 with the goal of applying tools from the developing field of human heath risk assessment to address the risks caused by chemicals on California’s ecosystems. In 1998, the US EPA adopted a set of Guidelines for “evaluating the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur or are occurring as a result of exposure to one or more physical, chemical, or biological stressors”. ERA is based on a simple three-step process which includes a) identifying the problem or stressor(s) of concern, b) analyzing the stressors by characterizing their exposure and ecological effects, and c) characterizing risk using a variety of methods. The work of the OEHHA Ecotoxicology Program is currently focused on applying this approach to understanding risks to the State’s aquatic resources.

To inquire about our Program, contact bwashburn@oehha.ca.gov

• Fact Sheet - Dry Wells: Uses, Regulations, and Guidelines in California and Elsewhere - Dry wells are deep holes in the ground filled with gravel and rocks. They provide a means for stormwater to enter the ground and recharge aquifers rather than create stormwater runoff that often damages streams and creeks.
  [07/26/13]
• Impervious Surface Coefficients User’s Guide and Calculator
  [12/31/10]
• Presentation given at the American Basin Council of Watershed's October 2009 Meeting. Also presented at the November 2009 California Aquatic Bioassessment Workshop, UC Davis
  • Presentation
  • Channel Vulnerability calculator
    
  [10/26/09] presentation updated 12/04/09
• Hydromodification Factsheet – A 4 page factsheet the defines hydromodification, its effects, and suggests methods to minimize its harmful consequences on the aquatic ecosystem. The factsheet is a collaborative effort of OEHHA and the State Water Resources Control Board.
  [10/26/09]
• The Impacts Imperviousness on Aquatic Ecosystems: An annotated bibliography on the effects of a key stressor of urbanization on the aquatic ecosystem
  [03/16/09]
• Information on Microcystins
  [12/24/08]
• Soil Toxicity and Bioassessment Guidance Document
  [12/24/08]
• Impervious Surface Analysis: Fact Sheet
  [07/22/08]
• Overview of Freshwater and Marine Toxicity Tests: A Technical Tool for Ecological Risk Assessment
  [2004]