Dealing with the Delta: Envisioning Futures, Finding Solutions (Research Brief)

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | February 15th, 2007

This research brief summarizes a report by Jay Lund, Ellen Hanak, William Fleenor, Richard Howitt, Jeffrey Mount, and Peter Moyle, Envisioning Futures for the Sacramento�

This research brief summarizes a report by Jay Lund, Ellen Hanak, William Fleenor, Richard Howitt, Jeffrey Mount, and Peter Moyle, Envisioning Futures for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta.

Degradation of floodplain integrity within the contiguous United States

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | June 15th, 2023

Delta Adapts: Creating a Climate Resilient Future Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Climate Change Adaptation Plan (Draft)

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | November 1st, 2024

Initiated in 2018 by the Council, Delta Adapts began with a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA) to understand how regional climate impacts will affect the Delt

Initiated in 2018 by the Council, Delta Adapts began with a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA) to understand how regional climate impacts will affect the Delta’s ecosystems, water supply, infrastructure, agriculture, and communities, including socially vulnerable communities (defined in Chapter 1). Now, this Adaptation Plan builds upon the CCVA and proposes strategies to address how Delta communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems can adapt to climate change in a manner consistent with the Council’s resilience goals.

Delta Conveyance Project: Modernizing California’s Water Infrastructure, Fast Facts 2024

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | September 13th, 2023

Delta Islands and Levees Feasibility Study, Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) | April 10th, 2014

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Water Resources propose to restore approximately 89.5 acres of lost or degraded tidal marsh habitat in t

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Water Resources propose to restore approximately 89.5 acres of lost or degraded tidal marsh habitat in the west central portion of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The restoration work would involve transporting and placing dredged material into open water habitat to restore 80.3 acres and 9.2 acres of tidal marsh at Big Break and Little Franks Tract, respectively, in the Delta. The work would be conducted over 5 years as part of the annual operation and maintenance (O&M) dredging of the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel. Previously stockpiled dredged material from existing dredged material storage sites would also be placed in conjunction with O&M. The draft report describes the affected environment in the Big Break and Little Franks Tract area; evaluates the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects and the benefits of the tentatively selected plan and two alternative plans; and recommends avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures. Most potential adverse effects would either be short term and insignificant, or would be avoided or reduced to less than significance using best management practices. Beneficial effects on vegetation and wildlife, special status species, other resources, and the historic floodplain from the alternative plans are also discussed.

Delta Islands and Levees Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta, California Interim Integrated Feasibility Report/ Environmental Impact Statement

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) | November 15th, 2018

USACE initiated the Delta Study in 2006 at the request of the DWR, the non-Federal sponsor for the study. USACE is the lead agency for the Feasibility Study and is also t

USACE initiated the Delta Study in 2006 at the request of the DWR, the non-Federal sponsor for the study. USACE is the lead agency for the Feasibility Study and is also the lead under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This report: (1) identifies flood risk management and ecosystem restoration problems and opportunities in the Delta; (2) develops and evaluates measures to solve identified problems; (3) formulates and compares alternatives for ecosystem restoration; and (4) identifies a Recommended Plan (RP) for implementation. A draft of this FR/EIS was concurrently released for public review, internal policy review, Agency Technical Review (ATR), and Independent External Peer Review (IEPR). The present report has been updated based on comments received during these reviews and finalized to present the RP for eventual authorization. The RP is the most reasonably efficient contribution to the Delta, restoring 340 acres of intertidal marsh habitat in the Delta at a cost of $25M. The RP provides a unique opportunity to restore intertidal marsh, habitat which is now greatly reduced in this ecosystem of national significance. The RP links the proposed ecosystem restoration actions to historic and ongoing USACE navigation projects, providing a cost effective mechanism to implement otherwise costly subsidence reversal goals. This action would restore habitat for multiple Federally listed species, notably salmonids and Delta smelt. The restored habitat would also benefit millions of migratory fowl on the Pacific Flyway as they travel through the Delta.

Delta Levee Investment Strategy: Final Report

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | August 4th, 2017

In the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta), levee failure could cause catastrophic flooding, potentially causing injury or loss of life, and possibly damaging

In the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta), levee failure could cause catastrophic flooding, potentially causing injury or loss of life, and possibly damaging property, water supply, infrastructure, and environmental resources of importance to the entire State of California (State). Though levee maintenance and improvements over the past three decades have reduced the frequency of levee failures, the State has no comprehensive method to prioritize its investments in Delta levees operations, maintenance, and improvement projects. The Delta Plan, adopted on May 16, 2013, recommends that the Delta Stewardship Council (Council), in consultation with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB), the Delta Protection Commission (DPC), local agencies, and the California Water Commission, implement California Water Code (CWC) section 85306 by developing a Delta Levees Investment Strategy (DLIS) to identify funding priorities for State investments in Delta levees. The DLIS is an innovative approach for determining priorities for State funds for levee improvement in the Delta and Suisun Marsh. The DLIS, which considers the assets protected by levees, the threats to levees, and the multiple beneficiaries of levee investments, uses a risk analysis methodology to recommend priorities for State investments in levee operations, maintenance, and improvements. This methodology was developed in close coordination with State agency partners, local and regional flood management and emergency response planning agencies, and other interested parties. In total, the Council worked with 113 different stakeholders and conducted 10 public meetings, 60 stakeholder outreach meetings, and 60 interagency coordination meetings. The Council also discussed DLIS issues at 38 Council meetings and workshops, which provided opportunities for public comment. The DLIS team developed a Decision Support Tool (DST) to enable the Council and stakeholders to review and update the data and analysis that form the basis of the risk evaluation. The DST supports deliberations by summarizing information about baseline and future risks, aggregating and displaying risks, and then identifying portfolios of investments that have the potential to reduce risk to State interests. The data components in the DST are designed to be updated as new information is collected or identified.

Delta Levee Investment Strategy: Risk Analysis Methodology

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | July 20th, 2016

Levees in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) reduce flood risk to people, property, natural resources, and infrastructure systems of statewide importance

Levees in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) reduce flood risk to people, property, natural resources, and infrastructure systems of statewide importance. Levee failure (such as a levee breach) could cause devastating flooding, potentially resulting in injury or loss of life, damage to property and infrastructure, disruption of water supply, and harm to environmental resources of statewide significance. Currently, the State of California (State) does not have a long-term strategy to guide future investments of its limited funding for Delta levees. The 2009 Delta Reform Act directed the Delta Stewardship Council (Council) to lead the effort to develop and recommend priorities for State investments in Delta levees to reduce flood risks and to advance the coequal goals of water supply reliability and restoring the Delta ecosystem. Working closely with other agencies and the public, the Council is developing a Delta Levees Investment Strategy (DLIS) to establish priorities for State investments in the Delta levee system. Risk, the potential for an unwanted outcome, is a principal factor in establishing priorities for State investments in levees. Specifically, risk is the probability that an adverse event (such as a flood or earthquake) will occur multiplied by the consequences of that event: Risk = Probability x Consequences As presented in this report, the DLIS is based on a comprehensive methodology that quantifies risk by considering the threats to Delta levees and the assets protected by Delta levees. The DLIS also considers the multiple beneficiaries of Delta levee investments. Building on the results of previous Delta levee planning efforts, the DLIS collects and uses the best available existing data and information from numerous sources to evaluate risks to State interests in the Delta as defined by risk to public safety; property and infrastructure; water supply reliability; the Delta ecosystem; and the unique attributes of the Delta as an evolving place. The DLIS evaluates those risks under current and potential future conditions. In early 2015, the DLIS team prepared an Interim Progress Report summarizing the work conducted during the first 9 months of the DLIS project. The report focused primarily on the methodologies planned for implementing the DLIS project to facilitate a “mid-course” review by an independent science panel, which completed its work in July 2015. Panel members offered comments for improvement and concluded that the “overall methodology of using existing data, identifying important metrics, aggregating results, and making comparisons across islands is conceptually sound” (Mitchell et al. 2015). The DLIS project includes outreach to State and local agencies, concerned stakeholders in the Delta, knowledgeable technical resources, owners and operators of Delta infrastructure, and Delta leaders and residents. The final methodologies employed in the DLIS project are reported herein and incorporate the input from the independent science panel as well as feedback and comments resulting from the outreach efforts.

Delta Levees – Types, Uses, and Policy Options

Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force (Delta Vision) | August 7th, 2008

This document was developed to support Delta Vision discussions on the role of levees in the Delta’s future. It is to clarify the different types (or design standards)

This document was developed to support Delta Vision discussions on the role of levees in the Delta’s future. It is to clarify the different types (or design standards) of levees that now exist for the Delta and what improvements could be considered. It is especially oriented toward an improved understanding of what types of levees are suitable for protecting various land uses or for other applications. Based on understanding the levee types, policy options are identified for a) selecting levee improvements to be included in the vision of the Delta’s future and b) implementing the improvements selected.

Delta Salinity Management Workshops 2022 Information Sheet

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | March 7th, 2022