Publication April 17, 2014 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map

Layperson’s Guide to the Delta
Updated 2020

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Delta explores the competing uses and demands on California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Included in the guide are sections on the history of the Delta, its role in the state’s water system, and its many complex issues with sections on water quality, levees, salinity and agricultural drainage, fish and wildlife, and water distribution.

The 2020 version includes the latest information about California EcoRestore, the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, Delta conveyance, new information about ongoing Delta litigation, invasive species, a glossary of common terms and information on the many state and federal agencies involved in Delta issues.

Complementing the guide is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map.

Order in bulk (25 or more copies of the same guide) for a reduced fee. Contact the Foundation, 916-444-6240, for details.

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Western Water February 25, 2022 Alastair Bland Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map Layperson's Guide to the Delta WESTERN WATER-With Delta Smelt Virtually Gone in the Wild, A "Hatch-and-Release" Program Aims to Save Them From Extinction By Alastair Bland

With Delta Smelt All But Gone in the Wild, A First-Ever “Hatch-and-Release” Effort Aims to Save Them From Extinction
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Experimental releases of finger-size fish into Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta inspires hope, but also skepticism, about the smelt's future

In the vast labyrinth of the West Coast’s largest freshwater tidal estuary, one native fish species has never been so rare. Once uncountably numerous, the Delta smelt was placed on state and federal endangered species lists in 1993, stopped appearing in most annual sampling surveys in 2016, and is now, for all practical purposes, extinct in the wild. At least, it was.

Announcement August 26, 2021 Layperson's Guide to the Delta

Explore California’s Vital Water Hub During Sept. 9 Virtual Journey
Join us online for diverse views & conversations on hot topics during our Bay-Delta Tour

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast, is a vital hub in California’s complex water delivery system as well as a rich farming region, an important wetlands area – and often, a source of conflict.

Join us for an engaging online journey on Sept. 9 to go deep into the Delta and its 720,000-acre network of islands and canals that supports the state’s two large water systems - the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.

Tour September 9, 2021 - 2:30pm - 5:30pm Nick Gray Jenn Bowles Layperson's Guide to the Delta

Bay-Delta Tour 2021
A Virtual Journey - September 9

This tour guided participants on a virtual journey deep into California’s most crucial water and ecological resource – the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The 720,000-acre network of islands and canals support the state’s two major water systems – the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project. The Delta and the connecting San Francisco Bay form the largest freshwater tidal estuary of its kind on the West coast.

Maps & Posters March 5, 2021 Layperson's Guide to the Delta Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Education Bundle

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map
Published March 2021

Delta Map for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

This beautifully illustrated 24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing and display in any office or classroom, highlights the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, its place as a center of farming, its importance as an ecological resource and its vital role in California’s water supply system.

The text, photos and graphics explain issues related to land subsidence, levees and flooding, urbanization, farming, fish and wildlife protection. An inset map illustrates the tidal action that increases the salinity of the Delta’s waterways.

Western Water February 26, 2021 Layperson's Guide to the Delta New Lead Scientist Primed for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s Challenges After a Lifetime Surrounded by Water By Gary Pitzer

New Lead Scientist Primed for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s Challenges After a Lifetime Surrounded by Water
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Laurel Larsen stresses greater communication and inclusivity in a more nimble Delta science program

It’s perhaps no surprise new Delta Lead Scientist Laurel Larsen finds herself in the thick of untangling the many mysteries surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem.

After all, Larsen grew up in Florida, where deep, marshy backwaters of the Everglades are reminiscent of the large tidal estuary that is California’s most crucial water and ecological resource. Larsen’s background stirred her interest early.

Western Water October 23, 2020 Layperson's Guide to the Delta By Gary Pitzer

Is Ecosystem Change in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Outpacing the Ability of Science to Keep Up?
WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: Science panel argues for a new approach to make research nimbler and more forward-looking to improve management in the ailing Delta

Radically transformed from its ancient origin as a vast tidal-influenced freshwater marsh, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem is in constant flux, influenced by factors within the estuary itself and the massive watersheds that drain though it into the Pacific Ocean.

Lately, however, scientists say the rate of change has kicked into overdrive, fueled in part by climate change, and is limiting the ability of science and Delta water managers to keep up. The rapid pace of upheaval demands a new way of conducting science and managing water in the troubled estuary.

Western Water March 23, 2018 Layperson's Guide to the Delta

ON THE ROAD: Park Near Historic Levee Rupture Offers Glimpse of Old Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Big Break Regional Shoreline will be a stop on Bay-Delta Tour May 16-18

Along the banks of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Oakley, about 50 miles southwest of Sacramento, is a park that harkens back to the days when the Delta lured Native Americans, Spanish explorers, French fur trappers, and later farmers to its abundant wildlife and rich soil.

That historical Delta was an enormous marsh linked to the two freshwater rivers entering from the north and south, and tidal flows coming from the San Francisco Bay. After the Gold Rush, settlers began building levees and farms, changing the landscape and altering the habitat.

Aquapedia background August 7, 2017 Layperson's Guide to the Delta

Estuary

Estuaries are places where fresh and salt water mix, usually at the point where a river enters the ocean. They are the meeting point between riverine environments and the sea, with a combination of tides, waves, salinity, fresh water flow and sediment. The constant churning means there are elevated levels of nutrients, making estuaries highly productive natural habitats.

Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map Layperson's Guide to the Delta

Suisun Marsh

The Suisun Marsh is the largest contiguous brackish water wetland in western North America, providing food and habitat for thousands of migratory birds and many species of plants, fish and wildlife. The combination of tidal wetlands, diked seasonal wetlands, sloughs and upland grassland comprises more than 10 percent of the remaining wetlands in California.

The marsh is where fresh water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta meets salt water from San Francisco Bay.

Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 Layperson's Guide to the Delta Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is California’s most crucial water and ecological resource. It is the largest freshwater tidal estuary of its kind on the west coast of the Americas, providing important habitat for birds on the Pacific Flyway and for fish that live in or pass through the Delta. It also the hub of California’s two largest surface water delivery projects, the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. The Delta provides a portion of the drinking water for 27 million Californians and irrigation water for large portions of the state’s $50 billion agricultural industry.

Aquapedia background February 10, 2014 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map Layperson's Guide to the Delta

Invasive Species

Invasive species, also known as exotics, are plants, animals, insects and aquatic species introduced into non-native habitats.

Often, invasive species travel to non-native areas by ship, either in ballast water released into harbors or attached to the sides of boats. From there, introduced species can then spread and significantly alter ecosystems and the natural food chain as they go. Another example of non-native species introduction is the dumping of aquarium fish into waterways.

Aquapedia background February 3, 2014 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map Layperson's Guide to the Delta

Delta Smelt

The endangered Delta smelt is a 3-inch fish found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is considered especially sensitive because it lives just one year, has a limited diet and exists primarily in brackish waters (a mix of river-fed fresh and salty ocean water that is typically found in coastal estuaries).

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Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map
Published March 2021

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This item appears in:

Topic: Acre Foot
Topic: Anadromous Fish Restoration
Topic: Bay Delta
Topic: California Aqueduct
Topic: Climate Change
Topic: Drinking Water
Topic: Legislation — California and Federal
Layperson's Guides
Topic: Central Valley
Topic: Central Valley Project
Topic: Ecosystem
Topic: Regulations — California and Federal
Topic: Drought
Topic: Endangered Species Act
Topic: Delta Smelt
Topic: Earthquakes
Topic: Invasive species
Topic: Water Rights
Topic: Sacramento San Joaquin Delta
Topic: Flood Management
Topic: San Francisco Bay
Topic: Wastewater
Topic: Sacramento River
Topic: Suisun Marsh
Topic: Salmon
Topic: San Joaquin River
Topic: Levees
Topic: Surface Water
Topic: Wetlands
Topic: Shasta Dam
Topic: State Water Project
Topic: Water Supply

Layperson’s Guide to the Delta Updated 2020

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Layperson’s Guide to the Delta
Updated 2020