The ecology of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

This report describes an ecosystem significantly different from other delta ecosystems in North America. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is one of the 60 largest river deltas in the world and is the largest river delta on the west coast. As the hub of California's water system, the delta is of immense municipal, agricultural, and industrial importance. The amount of freshwater that flows through the delta controls the delta's productivity and regulates the life cycles of many of its organisms. The vast estuary of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers is one of the most highly modified and intensively managed estuaries in the world. Biological processes in the delta are obscured by the temporal dynamics of the system. Many of the most significant alterations, such as leveeing, diking, and agricultural practices, are not now recognized as such by most citizens, making conservation and protection of the delta difficult. 308 refs., 43 figs., 11 tabs.