Science activities

The Delta Landscapes Project has developed a body of work to inform landscape-scale restoration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem. The project is built on knowledge, first published in 2012's Delta Historical Ecology Investigation, of how the Delta ecosystem functioned in the early 1800s (prior to the California Gold Rush and subsequent landscape-level changes).

A demonstration project to define possible future land use scenarios for Staten island ("visions") and leverage existing tools/resources to analyze and compare these scenarios.

To support management planning in Suisun Marsh, this project is developing a body of science and tools to understand past, present, and potential future changes to the Marsh’s ecological patterns, processes, and functions. This project builds on SFEI’s prior work in the Delta, extending historical ecology mapping, landscape change studies, and the Landscape Scenario Planning Tool to cover Suisun's historical and present-day landscapes. Through spatially explicit representations of the historical function and condition of the marsh and analyses of landscape metrics, this project is evaluating changes over time in landscape support for ecosystem functions and services in Suisun. In order to incorporate diverse perspectives into planning resources, project activities include engagement with local tribes and community members to understand community interests, priorities, and uses of the Marsh. Findings will be shared through a report and article for both technical and general audiences, and spatial analyses and data layers will be made available through the Landscape Scenario Planning Tool.

The Eco-Cultural Renewal of Delta Tule Landscapes project is a collaboration between the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) and two Delta area Tribes: the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (SSBMI) and the Colfax Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe (CTVCT). This project's goals are to communicate the central importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in creating and maintaining resilient Delta landscapes and to advance the integration of TEK into Delta science, management strategies, and policies in a way that supports the ecological and cultural value of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a region of profound ecological and cultural significance. TEK is the evolving knowledge acquired by indigenous peoples over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment. In the Delta, Tribes used TEK to tend wetlands and foster abundant populations of the plants and animals they harvested. This project aims to elevate TEK in the Delta as an essential tool to restore and build the resilience of species, habitats, and ecosystem processes that have been devastated since European

This LiDAR project provides high-resolution, region-wide elevation data for the San Francisco Bay-Delta, offering an unprecedented view of the landscape, landforms, and habitat conditions. LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, uses laser pulses to measure the distance between the sensor and the ground, creating detailed three-dimensional maps of terrain. This dataset captures fine-scale features across the Delta and surrounding areas. This supports researchers, community members, and agencies to better visualize changes in topography, habitat distribution, and flood risk. By providing consistent, accurate, and comprehensive coverage, the LiDAR data supports a wide range of applications. Researchers can use the data to study habitat dynamics, track landscape change over time, model ecological processes, and more. Agencies and planners can integrate the information into flood risk management, infrastructure planning, and climate adaptation strategies. Community organizations and local stakeholders can also use the data to understand environmental conditions in their neighborhoods and inform local projects. The LiDAR data will be made publicly available following final review in 2026.

Availability details and links will be shared here as soon as the data are released.

This LiDAR collection collaboration would not be possible without funding support from the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, Delta Stewardship Council, California Department of Water Resources, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, and Valley Water (Santa Clara County).

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