Delta Happenings
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In this issue...
- Delta Leadership Program
- DPC on Twitchell Island Wetland Project
- Delta Levees Investment Strategy
- Larry Ruhstaller
- 2024 Trails Challenge
- 3 Mile Slough Drawbridge Work
- Tribal Rep Opening on DPAC
- Delta Agency Meetings
- Community Events: Wildlife Area Tour, Volunteer Firefighters Pasta Feed, Luncheons, Chinese New Year
- Harmful Algal Blooms Report
NEWS
Delta Leadership Program
 DLP Class of 2024 Convenes
The 2024 Delta Leadership Program kicked off Friday with its first meeting of the year for its 15 participants.
Run by the Delta Protection Commission and the Delta Leadership Foundation, the program is designed to develop and support sustained leadership within the Delta community.
The first seminar of the year covered Delta legislation; Delta agencies; and Delta trends, issues and interests. In addition to honing leadership skills, participants will team up on projects benefitting the Delta.
DLP Alum Makes the Sacramento Bee's 'Top 20 Asian American and Pacific Islander Change Makers' List
Bernadette Austin, a 2017 alum of the Delta Leadership Program, was named one of the region's "Top 20 Asian American and Pacific Islander Change Makers" by the Sacramento Bee (article is paywalled).
Austin, 43, is the Chief Executive Officer of CivicWell, formerly the Local Government Commission.
"West Sacramento Council Member Verna Sulpizio Hull noted that Austin has paved the way to improve the land use and real estate development industry in the Sacramento region to be more diverse and inclusive," the article says.
DPC on Twitchell Island Wetland Project: Mitigate for Loss of Agriculture
The Delta Protection Commission has requested that the proponents of a 185-acre project to enhance and restore wetlands on Twitchell Island (PDF) mitigate impacts on agriculture.
The Commission supports habitat restoration projects in the Delta, but expressed concern about the loss of agricultural land.
"The conversion of agricultural to non-agricultural use will displace agricultural operations to other locations, possibly outside of the Delta, and decrease the economic benefits of agriculture for Sacramento County and the Delta," the Commission wrote in a Dec. 28 letter. The letter was addressed to Reclamation District 1601, which is proposing the project in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources.
"These effects are heightened when considered with the cumulative impacts from other habitat restoration projects in the region."
The comment letter was submitted under the Commission's statutory authority to enforce its Land Use and Resource Management Plan.
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Delta Levees Investment Strategy Updated
The Delta Stewardship Council has amended the Delta Levees Investment Strategy, a tool the state uses to prioritize investments in Delta levee operations, maintenance, and improvements.
“Delta flood risk is one of the most urgent threats to California and will continue to worsen in the future with changes in sea levels and storm patterns,” said the Council Executive Officer Jessica Pearson.
“Limited funding to address that risk demands clear priorities," she said. "The product of nearly a decade of public input and collaboration, the strategy represents one of the Council’s greatest milestone achievements.”
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Larry Ruhstaller, Former DPC Chair
Former Delta Protection Commission Chair Larry Ruhstaller died Dec. 27. He was 75.
Ruhstaller's service to his community included serving on the boards of Restore the Delta and San Joaquin General Hospital; on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors; and as President of the Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Chairman of the of Asparagus Festival and leader of its Celebrity Kitchen.
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Trails Challenge Begins
The Big Break Regional Trail/Marsh Creek in Oakley is one of the featured trails in the East Bay Regional Park District's 2024 Trails Challenge.
The Big Break trail is part of the developing Great California Delta Trail system, which will be a continuous regional recreation corridor extending around the Delta and connecting the San Francisco Bay to the Sierra Nevada. The Delta Protection Commission is the lead agency coordinating planning and implementation of the trail system, in partnership with local agencies.
The Trails Challenge, now in its 31st year, connects people with nature and healthy recreation opportunities with 20 designated trails for hiking and biking. To complete the challenge, participants hike five of the 20 trails, or 26.2 miles of trails within East Bay Regional Park District. Those who complete the challenge can receive a commemorative pin, while supplies last.
Download the Trails Challenge Guidebook (PDF).
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3 Mile Slough Drawbridge Work
The 3 Mile Slough Bridge, a drawbridge near Rio Vista, will be lowered through June 30 to allow the installation of a new bridge control system. Learn more here.
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DELTA
Opening: Tribal Representative on Delta Protection Advisory Committee
Applications for a tribal representative on the Delta Protection Advisory Committee will be accepted until the position is filled.
The committee, which meets in the evening every other month at locations in the Delta, advises the Commission on diverse interests in the Delta. The new member will serve a term that expires in 2027.
This position was added by the Delta Protection Commission in September, when it voted to expand DPAC, adding seats for a tribal representative and an additional general-public representative.
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DELTA AGENCY MEETINGS
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DELTA PROTECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Delta Protection Advisory Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Stockton Sailing Club. The agenda will be posted here at least 10 days in advance of the meeting.
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Not sure which Delta agency is which? This fact sheet (PDF) explains the missions and roles of the Delta Protection Commission, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy and the Delta Stewardship Council.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Jan. 21 in Davis: Tour of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area - Explore the Wildlife Area with a knowledgeable field trip leader on the third Sunday of each month from October to June. 9 a.m. to noon, 45211 County Road 32 B, Davis. Registration required.
Jan. 27 in Concord: Contra Costa Historical Society Annual Meeting and Luncheon - "Balfour Guthrie. Brentwood. Boxed fruit: The history and importance of our East County land" is presented by area historian Carol A. Jensen. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Concord Museum & Event Center, 1928 Clayton Rd.
Feb. 3 in Hood: Courtland Volunteer Firemen’s Association Annual Pasta Feed - Raffle, silent auction, and pasta. 5 p.m. in the Willow Ballroom, 10724 CA-160. Call (916) 775-1210 for tickets.
Feb. 7 in Brentwood: Author's Luncheon - Discussion of Dan Hanel's new book "In the Shadow of Diablo, Beneath the Tangled Vines," with food and wine. 11:30 a.m. at the Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak Street.
Feb. 18 in Locke: The Locke Foundation celebrates Chinese New Year noon to 4 p.m. on Main Street with dragon and lion dancing, martial arts and tai chi demonstrations, a bonsai class presentation and more.
Harmful Algal Blooms Report
There is still a Harmful Algal Bloom danger advisory at Contra Loma Reservoir at Regional Park. Stay out of the water. Keep pets out of the water, and do not let them eat scum from the shore. Do not eat shellfish from the reservoir.
This information may change after the release of this notice. Check for updated information at the HAB Reports Map.
Send us your Delta news, events, or photos:
submit@delta.ca.gov
The DPC is on social media:
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Delta Protection Commission
2101 Stone Blvd Suite 200, West Sacramento, CA 95691
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