This tour guided participants on a virtual journey deep into California’s most crucial water and ecological resource – the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The 720,000-acre network of islands and canals support the state’s two major water systems – the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project. The Delta and the connecting San Francisco Bay form the largest freshwater tidal estuary of its kind on the West coast.

The Delta is formed mainly by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and water serves local farms, cities and the estuary before heading south via canals and aqueducts to provide drinking water for 19 million Southern Californians and irrigation to 3 million acres of farmland that help feed the nation.

This three-hour virtual tour hosted by Nick Gray and Jenn Bowles included:

• An overview presentation of the Delta
• An hour-long video tour of key stops in the Delta guided by Nick
• Live Q&A with the speakers in chat rooms where participants could dive deeper into the topics

Topics Included:

• Natural history & hydrology of the Bay-Delta system
• Water conveyance through & around the Delta
• Role of the Delta in Southern California water supplies
• Delta agriculture across the vast region
• Native species & habitats
• Municipal water use in the Delta
• Delta ecosystem restoration & economic development
• Impacts to ocean fisheries from changes in the Delta

As part of the event, participants received the newest update of our Layperson’s Guide to the Delta, published in 2020, and were entered into a drawing to win one of the Foundation’s beautiful water maps.

What participants say about our virtual tours:

“Great job! I want to see all this in person. Will have to be on the bus next year.”

“Amazing event. Thank you so much. WEF is an amazing resource to the water community, which is everyone!”

“Thank you to all WEF staff for putting together such a great tour. Your ability to adapt is fantastic, and I hope that you produce more virtual tours like this.”

Stops Included:

• Big Break Regional Shoreline
• Farms in the north and south Delta
• Delta Cross Channel
• California Aqueduct & Delta-Mendota Canal
• Historic Delta towns like Freeport, Clarksburg & Walnut Grove
• Delta islands & levees

Featured Experts Included:

• Jessica Pearson, executive officer for the Delta Stewardship Council
• Campbell Ingram, executive officer for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy 
• Jennifer Pierre, general manager of State Water Contractors 
• John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association
• Marguerite Patil, assistant general manager of Contra Costa Water District
• Josh Israel, science division chief for the Bureau of Reclamation’s Bay-Delta office
• Tina Cannon Leahy, senior staff counsel with the State Water Resources Control Board

Pricing Details:

Cost was $179 and included one copy of our Layperson’s Guide to the Delta.

Cancellation and Refund Policy:

Deadline to cancel and receive a refund is three days prior to the virtual tour. Substitutions are allowed up to two days before the tour. Eventbrite fees are nonrefundable and the remaining amount may be subject to an additional 10% processing fee.

Continuing Education Credits:

Continuing education credits are available for California attorneys for an additional fee, and may be available for water plant/wastewater plant operators and other vocations/professions.