What is the Bay Delta And How Does It Affect You?

Natalie Carter 
Executive Director, Butte Environmental Council 

Michelle Banonis 
Bay-Delta Office Manager, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 

The San Francisco Bay Delta is the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast of the Americas. The two presenters combine to offer a great deal of information about the San Francisco Bay Delta, starting with Natalie Carter’s answer to the question, “What is a delta?” Carter provides a natural history of the Bay Delta, explaining how human activities have caused significant changes in its ecosystem over the past 150-plus years. Michelle Banonis discusses the Bay Delta’s relationship to California water. She gives an overview of the massive federal Central Valley Project that includes 20 dams and reservoirs, 11 power plants, and 500 miles of canals. This huge infrastructure has greatly affected the Bay Delta ecosystem, especially the amount of freshwater that flows into the Bay. Both speakers conclude by offering possible solutions to improving the natural values of the Bay Delta. 

Recorded: November 9, 2016