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The Once and Future Delta

The Once and Future Delta Photo by Dale Kolke, CA Dept of Water Resources.

Special Section

The Once and Future Delta
Mending the Broken Heart of California

by John Hart

About the only thing people agree on about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta--the subject of countless white papers, editorials, and political debates--is that it's in a heap of trouble. But this 1,000-square-mile patchwork of islands, sloughs, wetlands, and farmlands is also a rich and complex--if highly altered--ecosystem at the core of the San Francisco Estuary. Here we take a look behind today's news to understand what the Delta once was, how it has been changed, and what it might become . . . with a lot of help from its friends.

From the Apr-Jun 2010 issue
 Published April 01, 2010
Length: moderately-short

Sherman Island Photo by Gary Crabbe/Enlightened Images, enlightphoto.com.

Special Section

Sherman Island
Scenes of Transition

by John Hart

The Delta’s westernmost island, which shields major water-export pumps from incoming saltwater, is a testing ground for several efforts to prepare this fragile region for the threats of sea level rise and levee degradation.

From the Apr-Jun 2010 issue
 Published April 01, 2010
Length: moderately-short

Paradise Cut Photo by Tom Myers, tommyersphotography.com.

Special Section

Paradise Cut
Scenes of Transition

by John Hart

Superhighways stay out of the Delta, mostly. But if you have ever driven on Interstate 5 south of Stockton, you have just grazed one of the southernmost Delta islands, Stewart Tract. Filling the angle between the San Joaquin River and Paradise Cut, one of that river's lesser branches, it is also at the intersection of two specifically South Delta concerns: urbanization and flood control.

From the Apr-Jun 2010 issue
 Published April 01, 2010
Length: moderately-short

Liberty Island Photo by Stephen Joseph, stephenjosephphoto.com.

Special Section

Liberty Island
Scenes of Transition

by John Hart

This flooded island has become a surprising refuge for endangered Delta smelt, which have ended up living here full time, much to the surprise of biologists. But an invading exotic plant threatens that success, unless land managers can make some changes to tilt the game back in the smelt’s favor.

From the Apr-Jun 2010 issue
 Published April 01, 2010
Length: moderately-short

The Once and Future Delta

Web Special

Resources for Learning More About the Delta

compiled by Sue Rosenthal

Are you interested in learning more about the Delta or in exploring it further? Here's an extensive--but by no means complete--listing of resources on the Delta's ecosystem, recreational opportunities in the Delta, organizations that are working to restore and protect it, and the political processes that are shaping its future.

From the Apr-Jun 2010 issue
 Published April 01, 2010
Length: moderately-short

Map: The Delta Region

Special Section

Map: The Delta Region

Map by GreenInfo Network (cartography: Louis Jaffe, data processing: Tim Sinnot)

This map covers the entire Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, showing protected areas, water conveyance systems, subsided areas (below sea level), and water salinity gradient.

From the Apr-Jun 2010 issue
 Published April 01, 2010
Length: moderately-short