Digital Western Water Magazine May 26, 2016 For Authenticated users

Main Article: The Delta at a Crossroads

Proponents of new storage say a Delta fix is necessary so the water can be safely diverted. Below, the site of the proposed Temperance Flat Dam on the upper San Joaquin River.

Proposed alignment for the twin tunnels of the California WaterFix. The tunnels would be supplied by three new water intakes on the Sacramento River with water diverted under the Delta to the projects’ pumps in the southern end.

One problem for the Delta smelt, salmon smolts and other native species is predation by introduced species, including the striped bass. In December 2014, DWR scientists went to Clifton Court Forebay where they caught and tagged striped bass so they can monitor predator fish behavior.

The Delta stands at a pivotal point in its history and the push for change is strong, aided by the predictions about the effects of climate change, sea level rise and subsidence.

Many Californians are not aware of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta but its significance to the state’s water supply picture has never been more magnified. A transformed region of sunken islands and crisscrossed sloughs and channels protected by earthen levees that perform more like dams, the Delta is the hub of the state’s water system.