Wednesday April 29, 2026
CDWR —
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has long been recognized for its ability to store carbon, so experts from DWR and partner agencies are exploring the practice of culturally informed burning to accelerate the sequestration process in the region.
“The Delta wetlands are climate powerhouses,” said Tyler Anthony, a carbon sequestration specialist with DWR. “These are very ideal locations to sequester carbon.”
Before the Delta’s transition to farming after the Gold Rush, it was a vast mosaic of tidal and freshwater wetlands that sustained a natural cycle of growth, decay, and renewal that was often enhanced through cultural burning within the wetlands. This process naturally drew carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stored it in the soil while maintaining ecological balance.
As Delta wetlands were diked to accommodate agriculture in the late 19th century, the carbon cycle was disrupted. Exposed peat soils decomposed, releasing carbon dioxide, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and causing significant land subsidence. Today, DWR and academic researchers are reintroducing water and vegetation to Delta tracts to reinvigorate carbon sequestration. It coincides with the parallel interest and renewed attention to traditional land stewardship practices.