DRERIP (Delta Regional Ecosystem Restoration Implementation Plan) models are conceptual models developed for the Delta as part of the Ecosystem Restoration Program. They are used to assess and evaluate the potential outcomes of restoration actions.
A conceptual model is a diagram representing relationships in a simplified manner that develops and documents a common understanding about an ecosystem.
Conceptual models are a key component of adaptive management, and are valuable for formalizing the link between management objectives and proposed actions. They can show how each action is expected to contribute to meeting management objectives, and provide a way to assess uncertainty and the likelihood of success.
The models were developed by CalFed and the agencies responsible for implementing the Ecosystem Restoration Program (DFG, USFWS, and NOAA Fisheries) and are used to analyze the outcomes of proposed restoration actions under the program. However, the models can be applied to other processes, such as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
For more information on DRERIP conceptual models:
- DRERIP Conceptual Models, webpage from the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Ecosystem Restoration Program
- Using Conceptual Models in Ecosystem Restoration Decision Making: An Example from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, a journal article about the DRERIP models published in the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science journal
