OAKLEY, Calif. (March 28, 2025) – The 2025 Delta Leadership Program spent a beautiful spring afternoon Friday learning the fine art of negotiating mutually beneficial solutions at Big Break Regional Shoreline.
Sometimes the art of negotiating is knowing what not to say. Gregg McMillon and Amber McDowell react with dismay to speaker Elizabeth Patterson (not shown) sharing a negotiating faux pas.
The program, a joint effort of the Delta Protection Commission and the Delta Leadership Foundation, is designed to support sustained leadership development in the region.
Elizabeth Patterson – vice chair of the Delta National Heritage Area Advisory Committee, former Delta Protection Commission member, and former mayor of Benicia – shared a wealth of knowledge before participants were split up into teams that had to negotiate to come up with the highest bid for fictional “Ugli oranges.” The key to success was transforming ostensibly adversarial relationships to ones focused on better outcomes for both parties.
OAKLEY, Calif. (March 28, 2025) – The 2025 Delta Leadership Program spent a beautiful spring afternoon Friday learning the fine art of negotiating mutually beneficial solutions at Big Break Regional […]
STOCKTON, Calif. (Feb. 9, 2025) – The 2025 Class of the Delta Leadership Program spent Friday at the Port of Stockton interacting with state and regional water policy leaders and touring […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Jan. 10, 2025) – Nineteen emerging Delta leaders convened Friday at the Nature Conservancy in Sacramento for the kickoff of the 2025 Delta Leadership Program. Run by the Delta […]
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2024) – The Delta Protection Commission appointed 12 members and 4 alternates Thursday to the Commission’s new National Heritage Area Advisory Committee. The Committee will recommend […]
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2024) – The Delta Protection Commission on Thursday named one seat on the Delta Protection Advisory Committee in honor of Gerry Goodie, who served on […]
Nominations are open for the 2025 Delta Leadership Program, a joint effort of the Delta Protection Commission and the Delta Leadership Foundation. The program targets potential or emerging leaders in […]
Water defines the Delta, and access to water defines people’s connection to the Delta. For both Dr. Pat Tirone and Tricia Marie Canton, there was no access in the beginning. […]
RIO VISTA, Calif. (May 16, 2024) – The Delta Protection Commission appointed two new members and re-appointed four incumbents to the Delta Protection Advisory Committee (DPAC) on Thursday. The new […]
Participants Share Their ‘Ah Ha!’ Moments CLARKSBURG, Calif. (April 19, 2024) – The 2024 class of the Delta Leadership Program graduated Friday, and celebrated at a reception hosted by Bogle […]
Delta Leaders, Hidden Women, Free Marina Workshops Read this issue Contents Delta Leadership Program Participants in the News Women of the Delta: Hidden No More Gerry Goodie Celebration of Life […]
RIO VISTA, Calif. (March 24, 2025) – This weekend marks the beginning of a second round of weekend-long closures of the Rio Vista Bridge.
The bridge is a key river crossing on Highway 12, the lone east-west highway traversing the center of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The bridge will shut down from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, and there will be five more weekend closures between now and late June.
The detour can add two hours to motorists’ trips. For many, that’s enough to derail planned travel to or though the area, a hot spot for water sports, fishing, RV’ing, and agritourism.
Why is such a drastic measure required?
The answer lies in the nature of the work, and the width of the bridge, Caltrans officials say.
The Rio Vista (Helen Madere Memorial) Bridge is just two lanes wide, with pedestrian walkways on each side. A key facet of the upcoming job is replacing the concrete deck on the part of the bridge that lifts when ships need to pass underneath it. Deterioration of the current deck has created ongoing maintenance problems.
Why Not One Lane at a Time?
The 300-foot-long lift span is divided into six sections, and each section runs the full width of the bridge. The work involves removing the existing concrete deck, replacing the 10 steel “stringers” that support the deck, and putting a new 6.25-foot thick deck in place. The work can’t be done one lane at a time because once the stringers are removed, there is no support for the deck.
Why 56 Hours?
The duration of the closure is based on the sheer amount of work that has to be done. The only reason it won’t take longer is that the team is using a new strong, lightweight, and rapid-setting concrete that comes up to strength in just two hours.
Why on Weekends?
The alternative is weekday closures, which would wreak havoc on commutes.
Closure Dates
The planned closures, which may be postponed due to weather, equipment or material availability, or other events, will run from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday on the following dates:
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 21, 2025) – Unemployment fell. Median income rose. Land in agricultural production increased. These improving socioeconomic indicators for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are highlights of a report released today by the Delta Protection Commission.
The Socioeconomic Indicators Update is the second report in an ongoing series providing a scorecard of key measures of wellbeing in the Delta, tracking them both over time and in comparison with the state as a whole. The first report (PDF) covered data from 2011 to 2016, and the update covers 2017 to 2022.
The release of the update includes public access to the source data. Data used in the report come from the National Center for Education Statistics, 2021 American Community Survey, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cropscape and the California Public Utilities Commission.
“The Delta Protection Commission is committed to tracking the effects of the state’s Delta Plan on our region’s economy and quality of life,” said DPC Program Manager Virginia Gardiner, who co-led the update with Delta Stewardship Council Senior Environmental Scientist Chris Kwan, PhD.
“This scorecard does just that, and can be used by Delta residents, elected officials, and others to identify priories or needs for additional information.”
Key findings of the report include:
The unemployment rate dropped by 5.4 percentage points in the Secondary Zone, from 12.4% to 7%.
The 7% unemployment rate in the Delta was slightly higher than the statewide rate of 6.5%, but substantially lower than the San Joaquin Valley rate of 9.3%.
Both median household and median individual incomes for the Delta increased over the previous period and were higher than the state’s as a whole.
Land in agricultural production from 2017 to 2022 increased by over 10% over the 2011-2016 study period.
Continuing trends from the previous period, higher value crops were being planted, with corn coverage dropping and almonds increasing.
In 2022, 350,000 acres of land in the Primary Zone were in active agriculture: Top crops by total land cover were alfalfa, corn, grapes, clover/wildflowers, and winter wheat.
Road pavement conditions, a measure of quality of infrastructure and public safety, worsened compared with the previous period by over 20%.
The Delta Residents Survey, published in 2023, explores Delta residents’ sense of place, quality of life, risks/resilience to climate change, and civic engagement. The survey was conducted by the Delta Stewardship Council with researchers from UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and Oregon State. Read the survey summary here, and explore the data here.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 21, 2025) – Unemployment fell. Median income rose. Land in agricultural production increased. These improving socioeconomic indicators for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are highlights of a […]
Pretty much the entire Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a floodplain, where the chances of flooding in any given year are as high as 1 in 10 in some areas[1]. But […]
What policies would Delta residents support for adapting to environmental changes in the region? Given nine choices in a recent survey of Delta residents, only one garnered majority support: increasing […]
Protect the Delta – come work for the Delta Protection Commission as a staff services manager overseeing a complex operation for a small department.
This person works independently and manages the multidisciplinary administrative programs and staff in the areas of Commission clerk, including public meeting management; human resources; procurement and contracting; records management; communications; fiscal services; facilities; office support services; and EEO officer.
This position is suited for a subject matter generalist who possesses strong analytical skills, supervisory abilities, and personal qualifications, and works with the Executive Director to make decisions that relate to the DPC’s vision and mission.
Requirements: Employment application, Statement of Qualifications
Eligibility: Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility
Telework: This position is designated as telework eligible-remote centered and is expected to report to the West Sacramento office at least two days a week
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 14, 2025) – The application period to fill five seats on the Delta Protection Advisory Committee (DPAC) has been extended to 5 p.m. May 1.
Five incumbent Committee members’ terms expire in May:
Delta Business (Seat 1) – Arron Pellarin, Village West Marina
Delta General Public (Seat 1) – Anna Swenson – Clarksburg
Delta Flood Entity – Chris Elias – San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency/CA Central Valley Flood Control Association
Delta Conservation/Habitat NGO Entity – Jim Cox, CA Striped Bass Association
Delta Water Exporter – Russ Ryan, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
All are eligible to reapply.
DPAC provides recommendations to the Delta Protection Commission on diverse interests within the Delta. Committee members are expected to attend six meetings per year. DPAC typically meets on the first Tuesday of even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October, and December), though meeting dates may occasionally shift. Meetings are held in the Delta at rotating locations.
Committee member terms are three years, so these terms will expire in 2028.
Locke, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2025) – The historic Delta town of Locke filled with revelers Feb. 22 for its 17th annual Chinese New Year celebration, ushering in the Year of the Snake.
Beautiful red lanterns criss-crossed the town’s streets, and “Happy New Year” and “Happy Lunar Year” posters adorned buildings. A vibrant lion dance, accompanied by thunderous drumming, thrilled the crowd. The day featured calligraphy and painting demonstrations, and family-friendly activities including a Chinese Zodiac puppet show.
Journalist William G. Wong spoke to a captivated audience about his new book, Sons of Chinatown: A Memoir Rooted in China and America.
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is considered China’s most popular festival. The history of the festival, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, can be traced back roughly 3,500 years.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2025) – The Delta Protection Commission has named Dan Ray of Davis as its Interim Executive Director, effective Feb. 27.
Ray will oversee the agency’s day-to-day operations and manage its staff of eight.
Ray retired as Chief Deputy Executive Officer of the Delta Stewardship Council in 2017 and subsequently worked as a retired annuitant for the Commission.
Previously, he served in the Department of Water Resources Delta Levees Program, the California Bay Delta Authority, and the CalFed Bay Delta Program.
He also served as Chief of California State Parks’ Planning Division, where he represented State Parks on the Delta Protection Commission.
Earlier in his career Dan developed management programs on the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and California’s coast.
“Dan brings a wealth of experience to this role,” said Commission Chair and Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis. “We are grateful that Dan has agreed to come out of retirement to take on this role temporarily. The Commission will also be moving forthwith to recruit and select a new permanent Executive Director.”
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Protect the Delta – come work for the Delta Protection Commission as a staff services manager overseeing a complex operation for a small department.
