Delta Happenings
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In this issue
Events
NEWS
ONGOING
Delta Agency Meetings
Harmful Algal Blooms
EVENTS
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Upcoming events in the Delta include:
- Black History Month Art Show reception in West Sacramento on Feb. 12
- Chinese New Year in Locke on Feb. 14
- Antioch Lapidary Club Jewelry, Gem & Rock Show in Antioch on Feb. 21
- Flor do Oakley Holy Ghost Society Crab Feed in Oakley on Feb. 21
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NEWS
Delta Leadership Program Alum Tapped to Head CDFW
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Meghan Hertel, an alum of the Delta Leadership Program, has been appointed Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Hertel has been the Deputy Secretary of Biodiversity and Habitat at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2024. She has also worked in a variety of positions at the Land Life Company, Audubon California, and the Resources Legacy Fund.
She has a master's degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Florida.
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Related: DLP alumni gathering
Alumni of the Delta Leadership Program - a joint effort of the Delta Protection Commission and Delta Leadership Foundation that started in 2016 - gathered at Everything Sweet in Walnut Grove on Saturday. See photos in the Delta News Facebook group.
Applications Open for Delta Protection Advisory Committee
Applications to fill five seats on the Delta Protection Advisory Committee open today. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, and the Delta Protection Commission is scheduled to make the appointments May 21.
The terms of five Committee seats expire in May 2026:
- Delta Organization (Mariah Looney)
- Delta Agriculture Seat 1 (Jeff Iniguez)
- Delta Recreation (vacant)
- State Agency (Edward Hard)
- Utilities-Related Infrastructure (Sam Garcia)
Incumbents are eligible to reapply.
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DPC Job: Senior Environmental Planner - Apply by March 6
The Delta Protection Commission is hiring a Senior Environmental Planner with responsibilities that are key to the DPC’s mission: land use and levees. If you love rural places and want meaningful opportunities to protect them, this job’s for you.
This Senior Environmental Planner will perform planning, project development, and grants management; conduct analytical studies; formulate procedures and policies; make recommendations to the Executive Director on a broad spectrum of program-related issues that impact the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; and represent the Commission as assigned.
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Delta Stewardship Council Coms Manager Tapped as Water Leader
Delta Stewardship Council Communications Manager Brittany Young was chosen to join the 2026 cohort of the Water Education Foundation's William R. Gianelli Water Leaders Program.
The competitive and respected leadership program deepens leaders' knowledge of water, enhances leadership skills, and prepares them to take an active, collaborative approach to decision-making about water resources.
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Photo Gallery: Galt Winter Bird Festival
 Last weekend we checked out the City of Galt’s 19th annual Galt Winter Bird Festival at McCaffrey Middle School, celebrating winter wildlife in the region. The keynote speaker was Aaron Haiman, author of Birds of the California Delta, and the festival included tours of Cosumnes River Preserve, the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Staten Island, and other locales. Tables filled the school’s gym with vendors selling ceramics and birdhouses, children’s coloring activities, and educational displays featuring photos and live animals and insects native to the Delta.
Marine Traffic Closures of Eight Mile Road Bridges to Continue
The marine-traffic closures of Eight Mile Road bridges over Honker Cut and Bishop Cut are expected to continue through March 27.
The closures are part of a project to rehabilitate the mechanical and electrical systems on movable-span bridges in San Joaquin County.
New District Aims to Boost Local Visits in West Sacramento
A new West Sacramento Tourism Marketing District aims to position the city as a premier destination for travelers, event planners, and meeting professionals.
A 2% assessment on gross short-term room rental revenue will generate about $482,000 in its first year. This funding will power a comprehensive five-year sales, marketing, and destination development program that benefits the assessed lodging businesses and drives sustainable economic growth.
CA Trails Survey Webinars: Feb. 18, 24
The California Natural Resources Agency and California State Parks invite trail users, community members, advocates, and professionals to join two public webinars as part of the California Trails Survey. The survey is a statewide effort to improve access, safety, and connectivity for nonmotorized recreational trails across California.
The webinars will cover the trails assessment process and key outcomes, details on the voter-approved Proposition 4 Climate Bond as it relates to trail funding, upcoming updates to the California Recreational Trails Plan, and how you can support the effort by spreading the word about the statewide survey. Each webinar will conclude with a live Q&A.
The webinars will be held 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, and Tuesday, Feb. 24. Both will be recorded and posted at CaliforniaTrailsSurvey.com. The survey remains available to the public this month here.
Volunteers, Sponsors Sought for Duck Days
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California Duck Days - which will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 25 - is seeking volunteers and sponsors.
Sponsorship levels range from $250 to $2,500 and come with benefits including complimentary festival passes.
The event is a day of hands-on fun, wildlife encounters, and educational activities for all ages.
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IEP Workshop Registration Is Open
Registration for the Interagency Ecological Program's 2026 Annual Workshop March 16-18 has opened.
Held each spring, this informal event is for sharing new research results that advance science important to IEP and the larger Delta science community. The workshop features invited speakers, interactive sessions with principal investigators, a poster session, and a mentor luncheon for early career professionals.
Participants can attend in person at the California Natural Resources Agency headquarters in Sacramento or online. The workshop is a free, but registration is required to attend.
ONGOING
DPC Job: Commission Clerk
The Delta Protection Commission is hiring an Administrative Analyst II to serve as Commission Clerk and become an integral member of our finance and admin team. Learn more and apply. Deadline: Feb. 19.
Caltrans Work on Old River Bridge on SR-4
Upgrades and repairs of the Old River Bridge on State Route 4, located at the San Joaquin/Contra Costa county line, east of Discovery Bay, will result in 24-hour one-way traffic controls through November. Learn more (PDF).
Caltrans Work on Miner Slough Bridge
The last portion of repair work on Miner Slough Bridge will result in a full closure of the bridge during work conducted 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 12. All work is weather dependent. Learn more.
DELTA AGENCY MEETINGS
The 2026 schedule for the Delta Protection Commission's public bodies is here. The schedule includes meeting packets as they become available, and approved minutes.
Feb. 10: Delta Protection Advisory Committee meets. The agenda is posted here.
Feb. 18: Delta Independent Science Board meets. The agenda is posted here.
Feb. 26-27: Delta Stewardship Council meets. The agenda will be posted here at least 10 days in advance.
March 19: Delta Protection Commission meets at 5 p.m. The agenda will posted here at least 10 days in advance.
March 25: Delta NHA Advisory Committee meets. The agenda will be posted here at least 10 days in advance.
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.
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS
There is a Harmful Algal Bloom caution advisory at Contra Loma Reservoir. Stay away from algae and scum in the water. Do NOT let pets go in the water, drink the water, or eat scum on the shore. Keep children away from algae. Do not eat shellfish from this waterbody.
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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