Delta Happenings
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In this issue
EVENTS
NEWS
ONGOING
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS UPDATE
DELTA AGENCY MEETINGS
EVENTS
Plenty to do in the Delta on Saturday! Here are just three of the Sept. 26 events listed on our VisitCADelta calendar:
- Do good on National Public Lands Day by removing invasive plants by canoe at the Cosumnes River Preserve in Galt.
- Enjoy an amateur BBQ cookoff at the Boots & BBQ Festival in Antioch.
- Celebrate the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts' 20th Anniversary with a free outdoor concert in Tracy.
And the weekend after this is the Rio Vista Bass Derby Fishing Tournament!
View the events calendar here.
Got an event for the calendar? Submit your Delta event here.
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NEWS
It's Delta Week!
The last full week of September marks Delta Week in California, a time to reflect on the Delta's importance.
- 27 million Californians rely on water that flows through it.
- 12 million people visit it each year, enjoying its immense network of waterways, history-rich Legacy Communities, and array of cultural and community events.
- It's home to California's first and only National Heritage Area.
- Farmers grow food on 417,000 acres of its rich soil - some of the best on earth.
- 750 plant and animal species depend on its health.
- And the 690,000 people who call it home depend on its socio-economic wellbeing (PDF).
The Delta Protection Commission was created with the signing of the Delta Protection Act on Sept. 23, 1992. Learn about the Commission's work here.
Registration Is Open for our Tastiest Delta Heritage Forum Yet
'Delta as Culinary Journey' is the theme of the Nov. 5 event.
The annual Delta Heritage Forum explores “Delta as Culinary Journey” on Nov. 5 at a full-day event celebrating food-related cultural stories in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, both historic and modern.
Darrell Corti, president of Corti Brothers in Sacramento, will deliver the opening talk: “Delta as Food Source and Inspiration.”
Other notable speakers include Austin Stevenot, a Northern Sierra Mewuk cultural practitioner who will discuss the foodways of the Original People who flourished in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; and Dr. Karen Leonard of UC Irvine, who will present the history and food traditions of the Punjabi-Mexican community, a unique cultural fusion of early 20th Century immigrants in California’s Delta and Central Valley regions.
This year's event is sponsored by the Contra Costa County Historical Society.
There will be coffee, pastries, a full lunch, and a vintage cake tasting. Tickets cost $60.54 and are available here.
Related: The Delta Heritage Courier newsletter celebrates the cultural riches of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area. Catch up on the latest issue and subscribe here.
DPAC Member Pappalardo Featured in El Niño Special Report
DPC Appoints 6 to National Heritage Area Committee
The Delta Protection Commission appointed five members and an alternate to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Advisory Committee last week.
The Commission reappointed incumbent members Vice Chair Carol Jensen, Morris Lum, and Chair Elizabeth Patterson (shown in photo), and it made incumbent alternate Janet Lake a regular member.
Matt Holmes - a longtime Stockton resident who has worked as a public school teacher, park ranger, and nonprofit director - was appointed as a regular member. And Joshua Stark was appointed as an alternate. Stark was born and raised in Isleton and has experience in a wide variety of interpretation, environmental, and education roles.
In addition to filling these public seats, the Commission voted to change its representation on the committee: Commission Chair Diane Burgis, a Contra Costa County Supervisor, will be replaced by Commissioner Steven Ding, a San Joaquin County Supervisor.
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Locke Chinese School Museum Renovation Complete
The Locke Foundation's senior docents have completed a renovation of the Locke Chinese School Museum and it is now open to the public.
The project was funded by Locke business owner and Locke Foundation Vice Chairman Clarence Chu.
Learn more in the Foundation's latest newsletter (PDF).
Tap into $14M in Climate Bond Funds
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy is accepting proposals for the first cycle of its Climate Bond Grant Program. Interested parties can attend an Oct. 1 webinar to learn more.
The Conservancy is seeking proposals that focus on research, planning, and implementation for at least one of three priorities: community enhancement, ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation, and nature-based solutions to reverse subsidence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Delta Conveyance Project Hearing Scheduled for Oct. 15
The Delta Stewardship Council will hear the latest appeals of the Delta Conveyance Project's Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 15 in Sacramento.
Written submissions by the three appellants and the Delta Protection Commission are due to the Council today. The Delta Protection Commission's letter can be found here (PDF). Its appeal of project certification filed last year and all other DPC comment letters submitted on this and previous iterations of the project can be found here.
Volunteer Opportunity: Mentors for Students of Habitat Restoration
The Center for Land-Based Learning's Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (SLEWS) Program encourages high school students to dig into habitat restoration through real projects on farms, ranches, and open spaces.
This year's four projects include one in the Delta in the Twin Cities area.
Mentors play a key role in the SLEWS program by ensuring project quality, making personal connections with students, and co-facilitating field days that maintain SLEWS Program culture. Mentors are required to commit to one project (three non-consecutive field days) and be present for the duration of the field day. No experience needed!
Wanted: Delta Residents Survey Beta Testers
The research team developing the second Delta Residents Survey is seeking Delta residents to test the draft 2027 Delta Residents Survey this fall.
Beta testers will be asked to take the survey as if they are a respondent and then provide feedback on the draft survey. Feedback ensures that researchers are using appropriate wording, survey questions are clear and easy to understand, and the survey is straightforward to access.
Beta testing should take an hour or less and will be conducted remotely throughout November. The first 40 beta testers will receive a $50 electronic gift card in appreciation for their time and thoughtful input.
The Delta Protection Commission is a partner in the survey.
ONGOING
Applications Open for Delta Leadership Program Through Nov. 20
Applications are open for the 2027 Delta Leadership Program, a joint effort of the Delta Protection Commission and the Delta Leadership Foundation. The program targets potential or emerging leaders in the Delta from all walks of life – agriculture, law enforcement, local government, non-profit organizations, local business, and the tourism and hospitality sector. Learn more and apply.
Construction for New Signal on SR-12
Construction on a new signal for Highway 12 at Jackson Slough Road will lead to reversing one-way traffic control overnights Monday through Friday, 8 p.m.-5 a.m., during construction, which is expected to run through fall. Learn more.
The Latest SR-4 Closures
Long-term, 24-hour, one-way traffic control will be implemented on SR-4 at the Old River Bridge (San Joaquin/Contra Costa County line) for construction through November. Learn more (PDF). Upcoming work includes:
- Overnight, one-way traffic control from Whiskey Slough in Holt to the Old River Bridge (San Joaquin/Contra Costa County line) through Friday, Sept. 25, from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.
- Overnight, intermittent one-way traffic control from SR-99/Golden Gate Avenue to the San Joaquin/Stanislaus County line for pavement work through Friday, Sept. 25, from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m.
J-Mack Ferry Closed through Sept. 25
Suspension of service for the J-Mack Ferry has been extended to 12:01 p.m. Sept. 25, according to the Caltrans QuickMap app. View the original announcement.
Harmful Algal Blooms Update
 As of Monday, Sept. 21, these are the locations of harmful algal bloom advisories in the Delta.
For all areas with advisories, 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.
- Big Break Regional Shoreline - Boat Launch, Danger
- Victoria Canal - near Union Point, Visual Observation
- West Canal - at Clifton Court Intake, Visual Observation
- Old River - at Clifton Court Intake, Visual Observation
- Grant Line Canal - near Old River, Visual Observation
- Old River - downstream of the ORT barrier, Visual Observation
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.
Sept. 23: Delta NHA Advisory Committee meets at 1 p.m. The agenda is posted here.
Sept. 24: Delta Stewardship Council meets. The agenda is posted here.
Sept. 29: Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee meets. The agenda is posted here.
Oct. 6: Delta Protection Advisory Committee meets. The agenda will be posted here at least 10 days in advance.
Oct. 28: The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy board meets 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The agenda will be posted here at least 10 days in advance.
Nov. 12: Delta Protection Commission meets at 5 p.m. 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.
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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