Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Facts
The following information is provided by the State of California, Delta Protection Commission http://www.delta.ca.gov/
The Bay-Delta is the West Coast's largest estuary, with 57 major reclaimed islands and numerous unleveed channel islands.
- Total Acreage: 491,774 (2002); 322,619 - agriculture; 20,000 - (lost to urbanization between 1998 and 2000)
- Population: 515,264 (2000 Census)
- Counties: Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Yolo
- Major Cities Partly Within the Delta: Sacramento, Stockton, West Sacramento, and Oakley
- Unincorporated Towns and Villages: 14
- Levees (total mileage, 1987): 1,100
- Rivers flowing into the Delta: Sacramento, San Joaquin, Mokelumne, Cosumnes (These rivers plus their tributaries carry about half of the state’s total annual runoff.)
- Diversions Directly from the Delta: State Water Project, Federal Central Valley Project, Contra Costa Canal, North Bay Aqueduct, City of Vallejo, Western Delta Industry, 1,800+ Agricultural Users
- Water Supply: Drinking water for 23 million people; supports California’s trillion dollar economy (eighth largest in the world) and $27 billion agricultural industry (nation’s number one)
- Recreation: User days annually 12 million, including visitors to 290 shoreline recreational areas, 300 marinas, and about 500,000 boaters
- Transportation: Interstate Highways 5, 80, 205, State Highways 4, 12, 160, Deepwater Ship Channels to Sacramento and Stockton
- Railroads: Southern Pacific/Union Pacific, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, Sacramento Northern
- Agriculture (2001): Average Annual Gross Value totals more than $2 billion (CDFA Office of Ag riculture and Environmental Stewardship)
- Main Crops: Corn, grain and hay, alfalfa, pasture, tomatoes, asparagus, fruit, safflower,
pears, wine grapes
- Wildlife: 52 mammals, 22 reptile and amphibian species, including approximately 260 invasive species 225 birds, 54 species of fish,
- Major Anadromous Fish: Salmon, striped bass, steelhead trout, American shad, sturgeon
To download a PDF version of this article, go to: http://www.delta.ca.gov/pdf/Delta_Fact_Sheet.pdf |
