The Delta Stewardship Council (Council) is responsible for promoting the coequal goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem that forms the upper portion of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. The Council is responsible for writing an enforceable Delta Plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh. After a multi-year development process that included extensive public engagement and scientific synthesis, the Council, in 2020, authorized initiation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review of its proposed amendment to the Delta Plan focused on ecosystem protection, restoration, and enhancement. The amendment consists of six new and revised ecosystem performance measures, an updated narrative which includes four new and revised policies and 14 recommendations, and seven technical and regulatory appendices. The amendment is novel in that it focuses on landscape-scale process-based restoration, acknowledges the many social benefits from ecosystem restoration, utilizes advanced technical climate change analyses informed by best available science, and employs more rigorous tracking of progress in meeting Delta Plan objectives. The amendment embraces a portfolio of approaches to adaptively manage ecosystems in highly altered and changing landscapes, and strives to reestablish ecological processes in natural communities at a sufficient scale (and with connectivity, complexity, and diversity) to be resilient to land conversion and climate change. This digital poster will describe the collaborative science-driven process the Council used in developing the amendment, the draft currently under environmental review, and lessons for resource managers in other systems facing the challenge of planning ecosystem recovery amidst ongoing anthropogenic stressors and a rapidly changing climate.

1. Poster Presentation to International Symposium for Society & Resource Management 2020
Cory Copeland
Dan Constable
Chris Kwan
Kaylee Griffith
Scott Navarro
Harriet Ross
New efforts in planning for large scale ecosystem
restoration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

2. Importance of the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento
San Joaquin Delta System
• Drinking Water for 22 Million Californians
• 750 Plant & Animal Species
• 80% of the State’s Commercial Salmon Fisheries
• $27 Billion Agricultural Industry
• Supports California’s Trillion Dollar Economy

3. Located in California, The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is formed at the confluence
of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and terminates in the San Francisco Bay.

4. Originallyahighly
productive
wetlandand
riparianecosystem
attheconfluence
ofthestate’stwo
largestrivers…

5. 5
Photo courtesy of California DWR
… the Delta ecosystem hasbecome a significantlyalteredanddegraded system that requires
it be highly managed.

6. California red-legged frog
Photo courtesy of USFWS
6
Chinook salmon
Photo courtesy of DWR
Delta smelt
Photo courtesy of DWR
Longfin smelt
Photo courtesy of USFWS
Sandhill crane
Photo courtesy of DWR
Swainson’s hawk
Photo courtesy of CDFW
Salt marsh harvest mouse
Photo courtesy of Joan Morris
Lange’s metalmark butterfly
Photo courtesy of USFWS
Colusa grass
Photo courtesy of Carol Witham
Giant garter snake
Photo courtesy of USFWS
Least Bell’s vireo
Photo courtesy of Steve
Maslowski/USFWS
California red-legged frog
Photo courtesy of USFWS
Riparian brush rabbit
Photo courtesy of USFWS
A Growing Number of Species of
Conservation Concern

7. California red-legged frog
Photo courtesy of USFWS
7
Chinook salmon
Photo courtesy of DWR
Delta smelt
Photo courtesy of DWR
Longfin smelt
Photo courtesy of USFWS
Sandhill crane
Photo courtesy of DWR
Swainson’s hawk
Photo courtesy of CDFW
Salt marsh harvest mouse
Photo courtesy of Joan Morris
Lange’s metalmark butterfly
Photo courtesy of USFWS
Colusa grass
Photo courtesy of Carol Witham
Giant garter snake
Photo courtesy of USFWS
Least Bell’s vireo
Photo courtesy of Steve
Maslowski/USFWS
California red-legged frog
Photo courtesy of USFWS
12fish species
47bird species
11invertebrates
4reptiles
3amphibians
35plant species
Riparian brush rabbit
Photo courtesy of USFWS
9mammals
A Growing Number of Species of
Conservation Concern

8. 8
Threats and Stresses
Reclamation and dredging Land conversion
Widespread construction of
levees
Invasive species Flow alteration
Loss of Natural
Communities
Loss of Land-Water
Connections
Alteration of Delta
Hydrology
All photos courtesy of DWR
Water supply infrastructure

9. 9
Calls for the Delta Plan to
provide a long-term vision for
restoring interconnected
habitats within the Delta and
its watershed by 2100
Native species
Tidal channels /
Functional floodplains
Functional flows
Resilient ecosystem
Delta Reform Act of 2009

10. What is the Delta Plan?
• While there are many agencies involved in both the near and
long-term management of the Delta, the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009 established the Delta
Stewardship Council (Council) to create a comprehensive, long-
term, legally enforceable plan to guide how multiple federal,
state, and local agencies manage the Delta and Suisun marsh’s
water and environmental resources.
• Since 2010, the Council has developed, amended, and begun
implementing the Delta Plan, addressing multiple complex
challenges in the process. Much progress has been made, but
much remains to be done. Developed to achieve the state’s
coequal goals of a reliable statewide water supply and a
protected, restored Delta ecosystem in a manner that preserves
the values of the Delta as a place, the Delta Plan includes 14
regulatory policies and 95 recommendations.

11. A rationale and approach
for protecting, restoring,
and enhancing the Delta
Updated Core
strategies
Revised Policies and
Recommendations
New Performance
Measures
Improved planning
guidance
A call to action: updating the
Delta Plan chapter focused on
ecosystem restoration

12. The Delta Plan Amendment Process
CouncilMemberInput Stakeholder Consultation
Technical Analyses
Best Available Science
Preliminary Public Review
May 2020 Notice of
Preparation*
*On May 11, 2020, The Delta Stewardship
Council issued a Notice of preparation that
they will prepare a Program Environmental
Impact Report (PEIR) for the proposed Delta
Plan Ecosystem Amendment.

13. The Council envisions a future in which the Delta
ecosystem has the following characteristics:
• Native species, including algae and other plants,
invertebrates, fish, birds, and other wildlife, are self-
sustaining and persistent…
• The tidal channels and bays in the Delta and Suisun Marsh
connect with freshwater creeks, upland grasslands, and
woodlands…
• The Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and Delta
tributaries include reaches where streams are free to
meander and connect seasonally to floodplains…
• Habitats for resident and rearing migratory fish, birds,
and upland wildlife are connected by migratory corridors…
13
Vision for a Restored Delta Ecosystem

14. Vision for a Restored Delta Ecosystem
The Council envisions a future in which the Delta
ecosystem has the following characteristics (cont’d):
• More natural variations in water flows and conditions make
aquatic habitats, tidal marshes, and floodplains more
dynamic, encourage survival of native species, and resist
invasions by weeds and animal pests…
• The ecosystem is resilient enough to absorb and adapt to
current and future effects of multiple stressors…
• The Delta will provide more reliable water supplies...
• Californians recognize and celebrate the Delta’s unique
natural resource values…
14

15. Delta Plan Ecosystem Restoration
Core Strategies
15
Photo courtesy of DWR
1. Create More Natural, Functional Flows
2. Restore Ecosystem Function
3. Protect Land for Restoration and
Safeguard Against Land Loss
4. Protect Native Species and Reduce the
Impact of Nonnative Invasive Species
5. Improve Institutional Coordination to
Support Implementation of Ecosystem
Protection, Restoration, and
Enhancement

16. Core Strategy 1
Create More Natural Functional Flows
16
• Use best available science to manage
flows to support the needs of native
species throughout their lifecycle.
• Functional flows are most effective
across a restored landscape.
Oroville Dam
Photo courtesy of DWR
ER R1: Update Delta Flow Objectives

17. 17
Core Strategy 2
Restore Ecosystem Function
Priority attributes for protection,
restoration, and enhancement actions:
1. Restore hydrological,
geomorphic, and biological
processes
2. Be large-scale
3. Improve connectivity
4. Increase native vegetation cover
5. Benefit at-risk natural
communities or species
Photo courtesy of Carson Jeffres

18. 18
Core Strategy 2
Restore Ecosystem Function
New ER Policy “A”. Disclose Contributions to Restoring Ecosystem
Function and Providing Social Benefits
ER P4. Expand Floodplains and Riparian Habitats in Levee Projects
New ER Recommendation “A”. Increase Public Funding for
Restoring Ecosystem Function
New ER Recommendation “B”: Use Good Neighbor Checklist to
Coordinate Restoration with Adjacent Uses

19. New ER Policy “A”. Disclose Contributions to
Restoring Ecosystem Function and Providing Social
Benefits
Goes beyond single species planning,
prioritizes:
1. Restoring Hydrological, Geomorphic,
and Biological Processes
2. Being Large-Scale
3. Improving Connectivity
4. Increasing Native Vegetation Cover
5. Contributing to the Recovery of
Special-Status Species
Restoration should benefit
society. The policy prioritizes:
1. Cultural Benefits
2. Recreational Benefits
3. Agricultural Benefits
4. Natural Resource Benefits
LEARN MORE

20. PM 4.14 Increase Funding for Restoration
Metric: Project funding of covered actions that file
a certification of consistency under
New ER Policy “A” (Disclose Contributions to Restoring
Ecosystem Function). This metric excludes funding
for projects that do not include protection,
enhancement, or restoration of the Delta
ecosystem. This metric will be reported annually.
Target: By 2030, 80 percent of total funding for covered
action projects that file certifications of consistency
with New ER Policy “A” is for projects with Ecosystem
Restoration Tier 1 or 2 attributes.
LEARN MORE
Photo courtesy of DWR
20

21. Metric: Acres within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun
Marsh that are:
1. Hydrologically connected to fluvial and tidally influenced
waterways. Metric will be evaluated annually.
2. A non-tidal floodplain area that inundates at least once every
two years. Metric will be evaluated annually.
Target (by 2050):
1. Additional 51,000 acres added to the 75,000-acre baseline
that are physically connected to the fluvial river and tidal
system, for a total of 126,000 acres.
2. At least an additional 19,000 acres of non-tidal floodplain area
is inundated on a two-year recurrence interval, for a total of
34,000 acres.
LEARN MORE
Photo courtesy of Florence Low, DWR
21
PM 4.15 Seasonal Inundation

22. Metric: Acres of natural communities restored. This metric will be updated
and evaluated every five years.
Target: Net increase of target acres of natural communities by 2050:
Flow alteration
Riparian & Wetland
Ecosystems
Tidal Wetland
Ecosystems
Upland Ecosystems
(Dune Vegetation, Vernal Pool, AIkali
Seasonal Complex, Grassland)
Photo courtesy of Kelly M. Grow, DWR
32,500 acres19,000 - 35,300 acres 14,540 acres
Photo courtesy of Kelly M. Grow, DWR Photo courtesy of Consumes River Preserve
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PM 4.16 Acres of Natural Communities Restored
LEARN MORE

23. 23
CoreStrategy3
Protect LandforRestorationandSafeguardAgainstLandLoss
Graphic by SFEI, 2019
ER P2: Restore Habitats at Appropriate Elevations
ER P3: Protect Opportunities to Restore Habitat
ER R5: Update the Suisun Marsh Protection Plan
New ER Recommendation “C”: Fund Targeted
Subsidence Reversal Actions
New ER Recommendation “D”: Funding to
Enhance Working Landscapes
New ER Recommendation “E”: Develop and
Update Management Plans to Halt or Reverse
Subsidence on Public Lands

24. Metric:
1. Acres of Delta and Suisun Marsh land with
subsidence reversal activity located on islands with
large areas at shallow subtidal elevations. This metric
will be reported annually.
2. Average elevation accretion at each project site
presented in centimeters per year. This metric will be
reported every five years. Tracking will continue until
a project is tidally reconnected.
Target:
1. By 2030, 3,500 acres in the Delta and 3,000 acres in
Suisun Marsh with subsidence reversal activities on
islands with at least 50 percent of the area or at least
1,235 acres at shallow subtidal elevations.
2. For each project, an average elevation accretion of at
least 4 centimeters per year until the project is tidally
reconnected.
LEARN MORE
Locations capable of reaching intertidal elevations by 2100
Map produced by Cory Copeland, Delta Stewardship Council 24
PM 4.12 Subsidence Reversal for Tidal Reconnection

25. 25
CoreStrategy4
Protect NativeSpeciesandReducetheImpact
of Nonnative Invasive Species
Manage Nonnative Species
• Nonnative invasive species take over
physical space, compete for food, alter food
webs, modify habitat structure, and prey on
native species.
Improve Fisheries Management
• In the Central Valley, less than 20% of
historic spawning habitat is accessible to
Chinook salmon and steelhead.
• Removing fish passage barriers would
enable Chinook salmon and Central Valley
steelhead to access spawning habitat in the
upper Delta watershed. Concrete fish ladder at the Feather River Fish Hatchery
Photo courtesy of Dale Kolke, DWR

26. 26
CoreStrategy4
Protect NativeSpeciesandReducetheImpact
of Nonnative Invasive Species
Concrete fish ladder at the Feather River Fish Hatchery
Photo courtesy of Dale Kolke, DWR
ER R7: Prioritize and Implement Actions to Control
Nonnative Invasive Species
New ER Recommendation “H”: Prioritize
Unscreened Diversions within the Delta
New ER Recommendation “I”: Fund Projects to
Improve Survival of Juvenile Salmon
ER R8: Manage Hatcheries to Reduce Risk of
Adverse Effects
ER R9: Coordinate Fish Migration and Survival
Research

27. PM 4.6 Doubling Goal for Central Valley Chinook Salmon Natural
Production
Metric: Annual average natural production of all Central Valley Chinook salmon runs and for
individual run types (fall, late-fall, spring, and winter) on select rivers. Census will be
conducted annually for the general population in the Central Valley and select rivers.
Target: The 15-year rolling annual average of natural production for all Central Valley
Chinook salmon runs increases for the period of 2035-2065, and reaches 990,000 fish by
2065; for each run on select rivers, the target values are specified below:
Watershed River Baseline (1967-1991) Target (2065)
Sacramento River Mainstem
Fall: 115,369
Late-Fall: 33,941
Spring: 29,412
Winter: 54,316
Fall: 230,000
Late-Fall: 68,000
Spring: 59,000
Winter: 110,000
Sacramento River American River Fall: 80,874 Fall: 160,000
Sacramento River Feather River Fall: 86,028 Fall: 170,000
San Joaquin River Mokelumne River Fall: 4,680 Fall: 9,300
San Joaquin River Stanislaus River Fall: 10,868 Fall: 22,000
San Joaquin River Tuolumne River Fall: 18,949 Fall: 38,000
San Joaquin River Merced River Fall: 9,005 Fall: 18,000
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Feather River Fish Hatchery fingerling
chinook salmon hauled to the Yolo Bypass
Photo courtesy of John Chacon, DWR

28. Addresses the limitations of the current datasets and compliments the overall
intentions of the doubling goal:
Submetric 1: Positive slope of the 15-year rolling annual average of Central
Valley Chinook salmon natural production, calculated and evaluated annually.
The interim milestone is a positive slope of the 15-year rolling annual average
to be achieved by 2035.
Submetric 2: Positive slope of the 15-year rolling annual average of natural
production using the Constant Fractional Marking (CFM) data which is
available from 2010 onwards. The interim milestone is a positive slope of the
15-year rolling annual average by 2035.
LEARN MORE
28
PM 4.6 Doubling Goal for Central Valley Chinook
Salmon Natural Production 2
Adult chinook salmon at the Feather River
Fish Hatchery
Photo courtesy of DWR

29. Metric: Priority fish migration barriers and select large rim dams in the Sacramento-San Joaquin
River watershed, and unscreened diversions along native, anadromous fish migration corridors in
the Delta and Suisun Marsh. This metric will be evaluated annually.
Target:
1. By 2030, remediate all priority barriers identified in the 2018 CDFW
priority barriers list. For subsequent updates, remediate 100 percent
within 10 years of being included in the priority barrier list.
2. By 2030, remediate all of the priority fish migration barriers listed in
CVFPP 2016 Conservation Strategy.
3. By 2050, remediate fish passage at all large rim dams in the Sacramento-
San Joaquin River watershed.
4. By 2030, prioritize all unscreened diversions along native, anadromous
fish migration corridors in the Delta, and by 2050 screen all priority
diversions.
LEARN MORE
Photo courtesy of Carl Costas, DWR
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PM 4.13 Restore and Enhance Fish Habitat
Connectivity

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CoreStrategy5
ImproveInstitutionalCoordinationto Support
Implementation of EcosystemProtection,
Restoration, andEnhancement
New ER Recommendation “F”: Support
Implementation of Ecosystem Restoration
New ER Recommendation “G”: Align State
Restoration Plans and Conservation
Strategies with the Delta Plan

31. Learn More
About the
Delta Plan
Ecosystem
Amendment
The Amendment Webpage
A Summary of the Amendment
May 2020 Notice of Preparation