Comparing Futures for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Preface: The study opens with the understanding that the delta water system is always changing and will continue to do so into the future. It seeks to answer a few basic questions. "Can a Delta ecosystem be created that sustains desirable species while also maintaining a substantial supply of water for human use? Can California actually manage such a profound transformation?"
Chapter 1- Introduction
The Delta is a large estuary located in Northern California that is situated at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers with interactions from the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It serves several functions, both ecological and anthropocentric, and, due to competing stakeholder pressure, is operating in a state of crisis.
What is the Delta?
"A web of channels and reclaimed islands at the confluence of the S and SJ rivers."
It is not a true delta (which form as rivers empty into the sea) but a "low-lying region where sediment from the watershed commingled with vast quantities of organic matter deposited by tules and other marsh plants." The islands are actually polders, which sit below sea-level and are only kept from flooding by a fragile levee system. The area is used for agricultural and recreational purposes and the water is used for human consumption and agricultural irrigation, primarily through the Delta-Mendota Canal and the California Aqueduct. The Delta is also a major hub for utilities infrastructure. In addition to being a habitat for many endangered species
The Delta in Crisis
1. Land subsidence, sea-level rise, and changes in climate threaten levees,
2, Species endemic to the Delta continue to decline while disruptive nonnative species' numbers continue to rise,
3. Water quality is threatened by salinity from the ocean and agricultural run-off as well as other contaminants.
4. Population growth and economic activity are placing increasing development stress on these lands.,
Responding to the Crisis
Probably better to talk, at least at the outset, about crises as different components of the degredation of the Delta draw attention and intervention from different stakeholders. Fish declines, environmental groups, levee repair, financial and governmental attention with little concensus in terms of strategy. Others include salinity and water quality, land use and local water supply, water supply exports, and the ecosystem.
Salinity
Chapter 1- Introduction
The Delta is a large estuary located in Northern California that is situated at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers with interactions from the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It serves several functions, both ecological and anthropocentric, and, due to competing stakeholder pressure, is operating in a state of crisis.
What is the Delta?
"A web of channels and reclaimed islands at the confluence of the S and SJ rivers."
It is not a true delta (which form as rivers empty into the sea) but a "low-lying region where sediment from the watershed commingled with vast quantities of organic matter deposited by tules and other marsh plants." The islands are actually polders, which sit below sea-level and are only kept from flooding by a fragile levee system. The area is used for agricultural and recreational purposes and the water is used for human consumption and agricultural irrigation, primarily through the Delta-Mendota Canal and the California Aqueduct. The Delta is also a major hub for utilities infrastructure. In addition to being a habitat for many endangered species
The Delta in Crisis
1. Land subsidence, sea-level rise, and changes in climate threaten levees,
2, Species endemic to the Delta continue to decline while disruptive nonnative species' numbers continue to rise,
3. Water quality is threatened by salinity from the ocean and agricultural run-off as well as other contaminants.
4. Population growth and economic activity are placing increasing development stress on these lands.,
Responding to the Crisis
Probably better to talk, at least at the outset, about crises as different components of the degredation of the Delta draw attention and intervention from different stakeholders. Fish declines, environmental groups, levee repair, financial and governmental attention with little concensus in terms of strategy. Others include salinity and water quality, land use and local water supply, water supply exports, and the ecosystem.
Salinity
Comments
Post a Comment