2023 Annual Report

Here are highlights from the Delta Conservancy’s work in 2023, grouped by goals set in  the Conservancy’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan :

• Goal 1: Enhance ecological conservation, restoration, and climate adaptation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh.
• Goal 2: Support economically and ecologically sustainable working lands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh.
• Goal 3: Support and enhance communities and economies in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh.
• Goal 4: Enrich understanding of the ecological, cultural, and historical value of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh; the importance of resilience, diversity, and inclusivity; and the need for stewardship.
• Goal 5: Maintain an effective, sustainable, adaptable, and inclusive organization.

The Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation Program is a critical tool for the Conservancy to fulfill its mission and meet the state’s goals of climate resilience,  30x30  (conserving 30% of our lands and coastal waters by 2030), Nature-Based Solutions,  Outdoors for All , and more.

At the end of 2022, the Delta Conservancy  announced the availability of $42 million in funding for projects that that support Nature Based Solutions: Wetland Restoration (NBS: WR) and Climate Resilience, Community Access, and Natural Resource Protection (CAR) . That funding builds upon the prior year’s one-time general fund allocation of $5.2 million of CAR funding.

By the end of 2023, the Conservancy Board had awarded nearly $35 million in funding for five NBS and CAR projects under the Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation Program. The projects will have myriad benefits, including stopping subsidence and related greenhouse gas emissions while improving the economic viability and resilience of project lands.

In addition to NBS and CAR projects, the Conservancy’s Proposition 1 allocation of $50 million has supported 34 projects, 14 of which remain active. Proposition 1 was approved by voters in November 2014 and focuses on multi-benefit ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration projects. Examples of projects funded include restoration of riparian and wetland habitat, land acquisition for conservation easements, hydrological improvement for connectivity and drainage, and control and monitoring of invasive species. Four Proposition 1 projects were closed out in 2023.

In October, the Conservancy and project partners celebrated the completion of a series of projects in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area to improve recreational, agricultural, and ecological opportunities amid a changing climate. The Conservancy’s share of the funding was made possible by Proposition 1.

To support the Conservancy’s guiding principle to use best available science, the Conservancy co-facilitates an interagency team made up of invasive species experts.  The Delta Interagency Invasive Species (DIISC) Team  exchanges information, coordinates activities, and identifies research needs and funding sources. The DIISC Team holds quarterly coordination meetings and organizes a biennial Delta Invasive Species Symposium.

The  2023 symposium  was held on November 30 at the California Natural Resources Agency headquarters in downtown Sacramento, and the theme of this year’s event was “Making Connections: Understanding Connectivity in an Invaded Estuary.” The 2023 Symposium was attended by over 70 people in person, with many more listening in via Zoom.

The  Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) Restoration Subcommittee  was formed in 2022 and is staffed by Conservancy staff and staff from the Delta Stewardship Council. In 2023, the Restoration Subcommittee held two subcommittee meetings and two in-person, Delta Restoration Forums to engage the broader Delta community.

The  first forum in February  was held in a hybrid format and attended by over 100 people on Zoom or in-person at the Conservancy office. The second forum took place in November at the Ryde Hotel with over 60 in-person attendees. Attendees at both forums met project leads and learned about restoration in the Delta and Suisun Marsh, recent and potential projects, funding programs, and opportunities for landowners to implement wildlife-friendly practices.

In 2023, the Delta Conservancy built upon the previous year’s Delta Drought Response Pilot Program (DDRPP). With funding provided from the Department of Water Resources, the Conservancy supported 61 projects with farmers to reduce drought stress in the Delta watershed, protect water quality, and support migratory birds. For Water Year 2023 (October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023), $10.5 million in grant funding was made available, resulting in 16,116 acres enrolled in water-saving practices and 5,100 acres enrolled in bird benefit practices. Through an interagency agreement with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), six DDRPP sites were selected to host micrometeorological stations. The UC Davis team, led by Dr. Kosana Suvočarev, will use this equipment to measure and estimate water budgets for these six sites. These measurements will help to inform remote sensing technologies and improve future responses to drought. The study will continue through 2026.  Read more about the work here. 

Additionally,  a report was published in March 2023  that describes the initiation, solicitation, selection, and analysis of incentivized water conservation actions taken by Delta agricultural water users during the first round of the Delta Drought Response Pilot Program. A report on the second year of the pilot program is forthcoming in 2024.

Actions taken on natural and working lands are critical to water quality in the Delta. To reduce non-point source pollution and improve water quality, the Conservancy – supported through a grant from the California State Water Resource Control Board – contracted the California Land Stewardship Institute (CLSI) to implement the Fish Friendly Farming (FFF) Program in the Delta.

A total of 10,752 acres of farmland has been enrolled in the Delta FFF Program, and the first farm began the certification process in mid-December. That farm, located on Staten Island, was the subject of an August workshop for growers that highlighted how a grant-funded recirculation pump will improve water use efficiency and water quality by reducing transport of chemicals off-site and into nearby waterways.

Promoting communities and economic vitality in the Delta is a core mission of the Delta Conservancy. The Conservancy has eight active projects funded by Proposition 68, which was approved by voters in 2018 and funds projects that enhance Delta communities and keep them economically strong.

Proposition 68 requires that 20 percent of the allocation go to projects that support Severely Disadvantaged Communities (SDACs). As of January 2024, 92 percent of the Conservancy’s Proposition 68-funded grants support SDACs.

Climate Resilience, Community Access, and Natural Resource Protection (CAR) funding also helps support and enhance Delta communities and economies. In all, Proposition 68 and CAR funding has resulted in nearly $15 million for 12 projects across the Delta, including Delta welcome centers, park improvements, trail systems, and preservation of cultural and historical items.

In an effort to promote economic vitality in the Delta, the Conservancy contracted with the Delta Protection Commission to implement components of marketing and sign plans. In 2023, work continued to install signs welcoming drivers to the Delta and the  Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area , which was created by Congress in 2019.

By the end of 2023, three “Welcome to the Delta” signs had been installed,  and more signs are planned in locations throughout the region .

In 2022, Sen. Bill Dodd introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 119, which declared the last week of September 2022 and each year thereafter as Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Week. The designated week is intended to acknowledge the Delta’s contributions to a higher quality of life for all Californians. The Delta Conservancy’s promotion of Delta Week in 2023 included a coordinated press release with Sen. Dodd’s office, staff participation in the Capitol Mall farmers’ market, a social media toolkit, and website posts.

The Conservancy co-sponsors waterway cleanups to educate and promote awareness of the importance of protecting and improving water quality in the Delta.

In September, the Conservancy co-hosted cleanups at Brannan Island State Recreation Area and Sherman Island in coordination with Park Delta Bay, LLC and Rio Vista Windsurfing Association and Sherman Island Kiteboarding Organization (RVWA-SIKO) as part of the annual  Coastal Cleanup Day . More than 50 volunteers participated in the two cleanups and helped clean up an estimated 3.5 miles of Delta waterways.

In November, Conservancy staff served as a guest speaker at one of the Center for Land-Based Learning’s SLEWS field days. SLEWS, which stands for Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship, works to engage students in habitat restoration through hands-on field days at natural resource restoration projects, helping to develop science skills and foster environmental stewardship. Conservancy staff spoke to the Grant High School students about the important role the Delta plays as a source of water for our homes, agriculture, and wildlife. Students then spent the morning laying down drip irrigation and planting a hedgerow and pollinator garden along Yolo County farm fields.

The Delta Conservancy remains committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. To meet the Conservancy’s commitment to serve its community and the State of California’s commitment to  Outdoors for All  and other equity initiatives, it’s important that the Conservancy address equity issues and attempt to remove barriers to accessing state resources, employment, and Conservancy programs.

In 2023 the Conservancy held quarterly Disability Advisory Committee meetings and led educational forums for staff on a range of topics, including document accessibility and disability etiquette.

The Conservancy is an active participant on a team that was formed to coordinate work and provide an accessible way for tribes to engage with the many Delta agencies working in the Delta region without being overburdened.

In September, Conservancy staff joined colleagues at the Delta Stewardship Council and the Delta Protection Commission for California Native American Day at the State Capitol.

In 2023, the Conservancy completed myriad administrative and operational tasks, including accounting, budgeting, contractual, and communication activities as well as reports, drills, and audits.

Conservancy staff have served as early adopters of the California Natural Resource Agency’s (CNRA) project tracking database termed RAPTR (Resource Agency Project Tracker). Staff have been working with CNRA to provide timely feedback to effectively monitor, track, and report on project status across the agency.

Three new staff were onboarded, staff transitioned to new web-based time reporting and benefit enrollment systems, and all Board meetings were conducted in a hybrid format, including the off-site May and October meetings.