These same waterways provide freshwater to millions of California
households and irrigated farmland south of the delta and elsewhere in
the State. Before being converted for farmland starting in the 19th century, the
delta flooded regularly following the springtime snowmelt and once
supported the continent's largest Native American communities. Later, the delta served as the gateway for the California Gold Rush,
after which Chinese immigrant workers built hundreds of miles of levees
to make the delta's rich peat soils available for farming and to
control flooding. Japanese, Chinese, Italian, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Greek, South
Asian, and other immigrants began the area's farming legacy and
established proud communities that continue today. Over the years, the vibrant ``river culture'' endemic to delta
communities has attracted the attention of celebrated authors from Mark
Twain and Jack London to Joan Didion. A national heritage area designation would help to preserve this
uniquely American story by providing supportive local governments
across the delta with a needed management framework, technical
assistance, and modest Federal funding.
Keywords matched
immigrants immigrant