We Make the Delta, and the Delta Makes us

Abstract

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California was largely shaped, and is maintained by, an immense amount of human activity. Evidence of this activity can be felt everywhere in the Delta, from rock-lined levees to the straight channels, from the non-native fish and plant species to the amount of water that flows through the Delta and where that water goes. How the Delta looks, feels, smells, and functions also impacts the people who live, work, and play in the Delta, and who drink or eat crops grown with Delta water. This article will explore how people have made the Delta and how the Delta influences people’s lives, both within and beyond this unique region.