Celebrating Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Week 2023

September 14, 2023
WEST SACRAMENTO – Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Week, taking place this year from September 24 through 30, is a celebration of the lifeblood of California’s water system and the people who call the region home.

Delta Week was made an official event in recent years, but those who work and live in the Delta have long known that it’s a special and vital place.

“Delta Week is when we highlight the magic of the Delta and help others to appreciate and care about this great region,” says Delta Conservancy Executive Officer Campbell Ingram.

The Delta is formed by the union of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. Those rivers mingle with smaller tributaries and tidal flows to form the highly biodiverse and productive San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary.

The Delta is important for many reasons. Some include:

  • Provides water to about 27 million Californians.
  • It’s a world-class recreational destination, attracting about 12 million visitors per year.
  • Hosts one of the largest estuaries on the West Coast of North and South America.
  • Home to more than 750 plant and animal species, including 55 fish species.
  • Provides migratory waterfowl an important stop on the Pacific Flyway.
  • Contains more than 500,000 acres of agricultural land that provides food for worldwide distribution.
  • In 2019, the Delta became California’s first National Heritage Area.
Read More: Sen. Bill Dodd Recognizes Delta Week
A yellow and white bridge stretching across a body of water in the Delta with a triangle overlaid and text that says: “Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Week, September 24-30, 2023”

Our Ongoing Work

At the Conservancy, we are committed to improving the Delta in the near and long term. Through both internal programs and grant-funded projects, our goal is to bring integrated environmental, economic, and social benefits to the Delta. Some examples of ongoing projects the Conservancy is helping fund include:

  • Restoring the 1883 Clarksburg Schoolhouse and developing it into a Delta Welcome Center, which will promote the Delta’s history and culture, recreation and tourism, natural environment, and agricultural industry.
  • Planning for a future aquatic center in Stockton that will make it possible for all, regardless of ability or means, to access Delta waterways in small, human-powered watercraft.
  • Bolstering the sustainability of Webb Tract in Contra Costa County while maintaining agriculture and providing habitat benefits by constructing up to 3,500 acres of managed, flooded wetlands and up to 1,500 acres of rice fields.
  • Providing funding for the Pacific Flyway Center’s Walk in the Marsh project, which will include three miles of Americans with Disability Act-compliant hiking trails, boardwalks, and educational signage through restored wetlands in Suisun Marsh, along with other amenities.
  • Improvements to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, resulting in new and enhanced habitat for wildlife, improved agricultural sustainability and wildlife-friendly agricultural practices, and increased public access.
  • Providing financial incentives to Delta farmers to reduce their water use and protect wildlife and water quality under a collaborative program that helps improve mutual understanding of agricultural practices and water conservation opportunities.

How to Get Involved