DPIIC Initiatives

The Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) has undertaken several initiatives to support an effective Delta science enterprise*:

The Science Enterprise Workshop held from November 1-2, 2016 in Davis, California, brought together scientists and science-policy experts from across the country to share information about how collaborative science is funded, managed, and communicated in several high-profile and complex ecosystems – the California Bay-Delta, Chesapeake Bay, Coastal Louisiana, Great Lakes, Greater Everglades Ecosystem, and Puget Sound. At the workshop, participants had the opportunity to hear from a wide range of experts highlighting how different regions have developed science management mechanisms to support managers who are working on improving the long-term health and viability of some of the nation’s high-profile ecosystems.

Documents that are not hyperlinked below are available upon request by emailing archives@deltacouncil.ca.gov.

The Science Enterprise Workshop helped inform various Council initiatives, including the:

Recognizing the need for consistent and reliable science funding for best available science and building on discussions from the 2016 Science Enterprise Workshop, this initiative focused on understanding how science is funded, how to improve the tracking of science funding, how to increase funding for Delta science, and whether the current governance structure can efficiently meet current and future science needs. An implementation report and white paper were produced.

This annual reporting of Delta science and restoration expenditures, known as the Delta Crosscut Budget, implements a process for collecting data that encompasses all of the Delta and includes contributions from many DPIIC agencies.

Since 2018, the DPIIC has been working to examine science and restoration funding with the aim of achieving the following goals in the region:

  • Improve efficiency: Implement common accounting and reporting protocols across funding agencies and coordinate critical review of science and restoration funding;
  • Prioritize: Identify and prioritize key management questions for water resilience and science investments that guide the update of the multi-agency 2022-2026 Science Action Agenda; and
  • Look forward: assess the evolving science and restoration needs in a rapidly changing environment.

These reports focus on improving efficiency; as we collect more years of data, the Delta Crosscut Budget Report will help decision-makers prioritize future science and restoration funding and help us look forward by identifying where there might be gaps in future funding needs.

Areas for improvement in the collection and presentation of the science and restoration data will be identified as we adaptively manage the collection and reporting of this information.

In the face of rapid environmental and climate change, the Science Needs Assessment looks beyond near-term efforts toward future science needs and opportunities in the Delta and Suisun Marsh. Developed by the DPIIC and the Delta Independent Science Board (Delta ISB), the Science Needs Assessment was developed via a two-day virtual workshop which considered the physical, chemical, biological, and human processes, in addition to the infrastructure needed, to integrate and support efforts for developing a bolder Delta Science Strategy that maps out forward-looking science across the Delta science enterprise. Preceding the workshop were four virtual discussions.

Collectively, the discussion series and the workshop considered:

  • What do we know now about future environmental change?
  • What will future decision-makers need to know?
  • What science needs to be done today for decisions tomorrow?
  • What needs to be done to create a science enterprise that can support a changing Delta and Suisun Marsh?

Recordings and Resources

With support from the Delta Stewardship Council and the Delta Conservancy, the DPIIC has established a Restoration Subcommittee. The DPIIC Restoration Subcommittee envisions a Delta ecosystem that supports the mosaic of natural and human communities, is resilient to stressors, adapts to change, and is accessible for recreation.

The Restoration Subcommittee’s work is guided by its Workplan, adopted in August 2022.

The Subcommittee’s work is consistent with the amendment to Chapter 4 of the Delta Plan, which encourages the DPIIC to:

  1. Consider establishing an ecosystem restoration subcommittee;
  2. Develop strategies for acquisition and long-term ownership and management of lands necessary to achieve ecosystem restoration consistent with the guidance in Appendix Q2;
  3. Develop a funding strategy that identifies a portfolio of approaches to remove institutional barriers and fund Ecosystem Restoration Tier 1 or 2 actions within the Delta;
  4. Establish program-level endangered species permitting mechanisms that increase efficiency for Ecosystem Restoration Tier 1 or 2 actions within the Delta and compatible ecosystem restoration projects within the Delta watershed;
  5. Coordinate with the Delta Science Program to align State, federal, and local resources for scientific support of restoration efforts, including adaptive management, data tools, monitoring, synthesis, and communication; and
  6. Develop a landscape-scale strategy for recreational access to existing and future restoration sites, where appropriate and while maintaining ecological value.

The Subcommittee hosted the DPIIC's first Restoration Forum in February 2023, providing a space for Delta stakeholders to share their perspectives and learn about developments in ecosystem restoration efforts. Building off the first Forum, the second Restoration Forum was held on November 2, 2023, and focused on sharing project-specific information, providing a format for public participation, and making connections with project proponents. Held in an open-house format, attendees met project leads and learned about restoration in the Delta and Suisun Marsh, including recent and potential projects, funding programs, and opportunities for landowners to implement wildlife-friendly practices. For additional background on the second Delta Restoration Forum and summaries of projects and programs showcased at the Forum, see this handout. To request to view Forum materials or for any questions, please email DPIICrestorationsubcommittee@deltacouncil.ca.gov.

* Science enterprise: The broad collection of science programs and activities that exist to serve managers and stakeholders in a regional system. This includes agency science programs, academia, NGOs, and the private sector.

Learn More

Questions about the DPIIC’s past and present initiatives? Please email hello@deltacouncil.ca.gov.