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Slide 2 Delta Facts Major Cities Partly Within the Delta: Sacramento, Stockton, West Sacramento, Oakley, and Rio Vista Slide 3 Delta Facts Rivers flowing into the Delta: Sacramento, San Joaquin, Mokelumne, Cosumnes, and Calaveras Levees (total mileage, 1987): 1,100 Bridges: More than 50 Slide 4 Delta Facts Area: West Coast's largest estuary (738,000 acres) 57 major reclaimed islands and numerous unleveed channel islands. Land Use: 425,700 acres - irrigated agriculture 64,000 acres - urban & commercial 61,000 acres - open water Slide 5 The California Delta The California Delta (also known as Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta) is a vitally important ecosystem that is home to hundreds of aquatic and terrestrial species, many of which are unique to the area and several of which are threatened or endangered, such as the Delta Smelt and Sacramento Splittail. Slide 6 Wildlife 52 species of mammals 22 species of reptiles and amphibians 225 species of birds 54 species of fish 260 species of invasive plants and animals Slide 7 The California Delta provides recreation opportunities, including bird hunting, fishing, boating, outdoor education, photography, birdwatching, wind and kite surfing, and wakeboarding. Recreation Slide 8 Over 12 million visitors annually 290 shoreline recreational areas 300 marinas 500,000 boaters 57,000 acres of navigable waterways Recreation Slide 9 Water Supply Fresh water reaching the Delta is the core of Californias water system, conveying high quality water throughout the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Southern California. Slide 10 Water Supply Provides drinking water for 25 million people Supports Californias trillion dollar economy (8th largest in the world) Supports Californias $27 billion agricultural industry (nations number one) Slide 11 Agriculture Delta-conveyed water supports farms and ranches from the north Delta to the Mexican border that are a source of financial stability for the state and that produce roughly half of the nations domestically grown fresh produce. Slide 12 Agriculture Agriculture (2001): Average Annual Gross Value in the Delta region totals more than $2 billion. Crops include corn, grain, hay, alfalfa, tomatoes, asparagus, pears, and wine grapes. Slide 13