Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Fact Sheet

Arial view of the Delta (Source: Metropolitan Water Dist. of Southern CA)

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta forms the West Coast’s largest estuary, and is fed by two of California’s largest rivers, the Sacramento and San Joaquin. The Delta receives runoff from about 40 percent of the land area in California and about 50 percent of California’s total streamflow. This heavily engineered Delta is composed of 57 leveed island tracts and 700 miles of sloughs and channels.

California Farmland (Source: Bob Westfall)

The Delta is the center of California’s water distribution system, and provides water for around two-thirds of the state’s population. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta also provides water to irrigate millions of acres of farmland, which produces crops that total around $500 million annualy. Needless to day, the Delta plays a critical role in the economy of the state, the fifth largest economy in the world.

Alameda Saltmarsh Song Sparrow (Source: Lynn Watson)

Not only does the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta provide important water resources to the human population of California, it also forms an important habitat for hundreds of species of flora and fauna. In fact, it has been estimated that the Delta is home to over 500 species of plants and animals. Twenty of these species are endangered and include the Alameda Saltmarsh Song Sparrow and the Delta smelt. The Delta also serves as an important migration route for Salmon traveling to and from fresh water streams to the Pacific Ocean.

(Sources: California Dept. of Water Resources; USGS California Water Science Center)