The California Delta – what an iconic place.
I like to think of the Delta as the beating HEART of California.
Water flows through the rivers and sloughs of the Delta, just like blood flows through major veins and arteries of your heart. Salt water pulsates in from the ocean and, like oxygenated blood, freshwater flows down from the west side of the southern Sierras and the east side of the Coast Range. On each tide, water pulsates in and out of the Delta, providing life to the vast ecosystem that is California’s Central Valley.
Circulation of the HEART
Water is the essence of the beating heart of California. A connecting force between the mountain, streams, and the ocean.
The California heart is one of the largest waterworks in the world (source: San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science). Now that’s large indeed!
The boundaries begin approximately 20 miles south of Sacramento, extending for miles and miles, ending just outside of the City of Tracy.
And the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are the major arteries of this heart where they meet and converge at the Delta and circulate through the veins and sloughs, out to the mouth of the San Francisco Bay.
What was once a vast rich landscape of tidal marshes and wetlands, with an abundance of diverse community of native birds, mammals, and fish – has now been transformed into a mosaic of leveed islands and patchwork of farmlands. This man made shift has also created favorable conditions for the exotic species that now dominate these waterways.
And the management of water flows is causing the circulation of this heart to be in a fragile state.
River View, by Elaine Bowers
Imbalance of the HEART
There is a dilemma. An imbalance and struggle for this precious resource – WATER. We are in the midst of a water war crisis. And the species have become the casualty of war. Many native animals are fighting for their survival in the midst of a battle between man and man.
The struggle for this resource has been an ongoing issue since the late 1800’s, when the placement of dams and diversion changed the plumbing of our rivers. This assault on the natural flow of water continued over decades of time. This has caused a drastic shift in the Delta ecosystem, leaving less flow to pulsate out of the beating heart of California.
People depend on the Delta – for agriculture, water supply, and recreational use. The Delta encompasses 45% of California’s surface area (source: Public Policy Institute of California). That’s almost half of this big state! As you can imagine, this vast landscape is indeed of great importance to not only people, but for wildlife as well.
Day Break, by Elaine Bowers
The remaining native species, such as Chinook salmon, are the remnants of a historical Delta. The native species that migrate through the Delta and call this place home, are in decline. This unique ecosystem will continue to decline if we don’t change our behaviors towards more sustainable practices. And that means allowing more flow to circulate throughout the heart to create a healthy balanced Delta, not only for native species, but for the people of California as well.
Morning Light, by Elaine Bowers
Connecting to the Delta
Although the Delta has been drastically transformed from its historical state, we can still appreciate and connect to today’s habitat. The meandering waterways surrounded by orchards, crops, and trees create a beautiful landscape quilt. As you travel more towards the center of the Delta, you become mesmerized by the beds of tules, waterfowl, and the sound of fish emerging to the water surface. The Delta is home to more than 750 species of plants and animals. It is considered to be a part of the California Floristic Province – one of the 25 hotspots of biodiversity in the world (source: Nature), which is biologically rich and highly susceptible to human induced threats. Therefore, the Delta is important and iconic to California.
Delta Reflections, by Elaine Bowers
Elaine Bowers, a local Sacramento watercolor artist, has captured the beauty of the Delta in a unique and realistic way.
She creates a whole new perspective of the Delta through her art. There’s a story for every part of her watercolor paintings. From the history of families who have lived on the Delta for decades to the stories of why palm trees were symbols of social status during the early to mid 1900’s.
The Christie Ranch – Delta Harvest, by Elaine Bowers
Although we are not able to reverse the changes we’ve created to the Delta, seeing her work makes me appreciate the Delta that much more! I am able to see the Delta from a different viewpoint, through the details and story telling in her artwork. And in those stories, I have been able to connect to the Delta in a whole new way.
In order to value this place, we must create sustainability through our water and land use practices. Future generations and the last remaining populations of native species depend on the Delta for their survival. The Delta is a complex place, but there are many artists out there such as Elaine who are leading the way in connecting people to the Delta through art.
“Maybe my art can help promote saving the Delta.” -Elaine Bowers
Thus, we need to create sustainable changes in order for water to continue pulsating in and out of the Delta.
After all, it is the beating heart of California.
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You may have seen Elaine’s work all around Sacramento, California. Her work has been featured in Inside the City, a Sacramento Newspaper, and at the Sacramento International Airport. You can also check out her work at the Crocker Art museum store. In 2013, Elaine was honored the American Watercolor Society Bronze Medal of Honor and is a “Signature Status” member of both the American Water Society (AWS) and the National Watercolor Society (NWS). To see more of Elaine’s work and upcoming exhibits/shows, visit her website or give her a follow on Instagram!
I want to thank Elaine for opening up her studio to me and sharing her work and story as an artist.
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The mission of Egretta is to connect you to nature through art and design. I hope that connecting to the Delta through Elaine?s art, we can begin to shift to become better stewards of the Delta.
Delta Sunset
Delta Waterways
