Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area

    The Sacramento San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area (NHA) was created by Congress (PDF) in 2019. It is the first – and so far only – NHA in California, a distinction that underscores the region’s historical and cultural value in a state better known nationally for its coastal cities and resources.

    The Delta NHA boundary extends from Sacramento to Stockton to Vallejo with the junction of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers at its heart. The history of California’s Delta and Carquinez Strait is a rich tapestry of indigenous peoples and immigrants from around the world, natural beauty and wildlife and engineering marvels, bustling metropolitan areas and picturesque rural towns. The native peat soils provide for fertile cropland and its water supports 29 million Californians.

    Learn more:

    For more information about the Delta NHA, please email Blake Roberts at blake.roberts@delta.ca.gov.

    Information about the NHA Management Plan Advisory Committee is here.

    Related Work

    As part of the Commission’s work on Delta Heritage and the National Heritage Area, we engage in public education, historic preservation, tourism and recreation development, visitor amenities, and economic development activities, including:

    Delta Heritage Courier, a bi-monthly e-newsletter. Read the latest issue | Sign up

    Delta Heritage Forum, a free, full-day event each year focused on preserving and telling Delta stories, and providing opportunities for partnerships, collaboration, and networking. Learn about past Forums: 2022 Forum | 2021 Forum | 2020 Forum

    The Delta Narratives project, which prepared essays that connected the history of the Delta to important regional and national trends and provided recommended actions to preserve and share these narratives , which have played a role in the development of the National Heritage Area. Review the report, essays, and appendices (PDF).

    Delta Narrative Curriculum for fourth grade, which grew out of the Delta Narratives project.

    Delta Anthology, a Commission-sponsored project, which was an outgrowth of the Delta Narratives project. It focused on developing a collection of writings intended for high school and college readers as well as for those interested in the region’s rich culture and heritage. The project resulted in this book.

    Administration of the NHA

    As the local coordinating entity for the Delta NHA, the Delta Protection Commission is responsible for preparing a management plan, which is a continuation of the Feasibility Study (PDF) completed in 2012.

    The Commission created a 15-member volunteer NHA Management Plan Advisory Committee – read its charter (PDF) – to develop the management plan.

    The NHA Committee is scheduled to meet every month until the management plan is approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Meeting dates and agendas are posted here.

    Visit the NHA Management Plan Advisory Committee’s web page.