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July 23, 2012 | 1:00 PM | By

The Deal with the Delta (California’s big watering hole)

Includes: map and video


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About two-thirds of Californians drink, bathe, brush their teeth, and flush their toilets with water that comes from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. That’s roughly 25 million people who get at least some portion of their hydration from one big triangular watering hole.

But ask most folks what the Delta is, and you’re guaranteed to get a lot of blank stares. One recent poll found that about 4 out 5 people in California had pretty much no idea about it.

 

It’s pretty easy to take for granted that water magically pours out of the tap when you turn your faucet on. But chances are, that H20 has gone through a pretty serious journey to reach you – and it’s probably worth knowing where it comes from, and how safe the supply is. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: American History, English Language Arts, Government, Green Space, Law & Power, Maps, Video, levees, map, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, video, water
July 20, 2012 | 6:12 PM | By

California’s Delta Blues: A Parched History

Includes: interactive timeline/slideshow

Mark Twain is credited with the famous remark: “Whiskey’s for drinking, water’s for fighting about.”

And there is pretty much no better example than the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which over the last 150 years has undergone epic transformation and been the epicenter of equally epic political battles.

Scroll through the timeline to get a sense of the modern evolution (or de-evolution,  depending on how you look at it) of California’s largest water source.

(It may be easier to view in fullscreen mode: to do so, click on button at the bottom right-hand corner of the timeline)

FILED UNDER: American History, Government, Green Space, Interactive Presentations, Multimedia presentations, politics, Sacramento Delta, water