The 2007 Envisioning Futures report (below) concluded that the Delta is no longer sustainable and that the need for a new Delta strategy is urgent. A follow-up report in 2008, Comparing Futures for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, took a closer look at the range of viable options for the Delta. Among the central findings: A peripheral canal—conveying water around the Delta instead of through it—should be part of a long-term strategy for the Delta to serve both water supply and environmental objectives. The report was authored by a multidisciplinary team of experts, including University of California, Davis scientists Jay Lund, William Fleenor, William Bennett, Richard Howitt, Jeffrey Mount, and Peter Moyle and the Public Policy Institute’s (PPIC) Ellen Hanak. [ >>> About the authors]

In 2010, UC Press published the book, Comparing Futures for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, that evaluated proposed solutions to the Delta's many problems including the employment of a peripheral canal. The authors conclude that such a system of water conveyance would be the best strategy to maintain both a high-quality water supply and simultaneously improve conditions for native fish and wildlife. The book also demonstrates how issues such as climate change and sustainability will shape the future of the Delta.