Ken Scheidegger, president of the Discover the Delta Foundation, points out some of the exhibits that will be placed inside the new information center being built on Highway 12 and Highway 160. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

A place to tell Delta's full story

$2 million information center set to open in November east of Rio Vista

News stories have painted a dark picture of the Delta in recent years.

They've documented fears about its fragile levees, ammonia-laced water and plummeting fish populations.

They've also traced the endless competition for its water, and controversial proposals to channel that water around the scenic estuary and down to southern California.

But in doing so, they haven't told the Delta's full story, contends Ken Scheidegger, 63, an Isleton businessman with a plan to fill in the gaps.

Scheidegger's nonprofit Discover the Delta Foundation plans to open a state-of-the-art Delta Information Center this fall, just east of Rio Vista.

The center will provide a host of hands-on exhibits, help people book recreational and environmental tours, and highlight the Delta's rich cultural and agricultural past, Scheidegger said.

Additionally, it'll provide meeting space for community groups, a gift shop and even a computer center.

It'll be a place to tell the story of "the heart of California," said Schneidegger, the foundation president and owner of Moore's Riverboat, a marina and restaurant off West Brannan Island Road in Isleton.

"I think it's going to be a statement about the Delta in California in a way that hasn't been told before," he added Wednesday morning, as big rigs and commuter cars whizzed past the center's site, at the intersection of highways 12 and 160.

Construction will begin in two weeks on the 7,728-square-foot center. If all goes well, Scheidegger said, the $2 million project could be open for visitors in November.

The former oceanography professor said the project will peel back some of the mystery of the Delta. It's an 800,000- acre region with more than 1,000 miles of navigable waterways.

Sunflowers grow in front of a fruit stand at the construction site for the new Delta Information Center. The information center is scheduled to open in November at the corner of Highway 12 and Highway 160. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Boaters and fishermen may know the area well, but residents from nearby cities like Lodi, Stockton or Sacramento still seem unaware of the Delta's resources, he said.

"What else does the Delta have to offer aside from water?" Scheidegger asked. "It's good wine. It's places to eat. It's places to keep your boat."

"It's sunsets," interjected Amy Rhodes, the foundation's accounting manager, seated in the foundation's Isleton office, where floor plans, colorful building sketches and maps of the Delta hang on the walls.

"It's a nearby place to get away from the stresses of your life," added Scheidegger.

Supporters of the information center say it will do more than just educate people about the Delta. It will channel business to towns like Clarksburg, Isleton and Rio Vista, where a tough economy has forced numerous business closures in recent years.

"We think it could be a very good thing for local businesses and the Delta in general," said Bill Wells, executive director of the California Delta Chamber and Visitor's Bureau.

Wells noted that some Delta towns, including Clarksburg, have lost nearly all their businesses in the past decade. He said the information center could help revive those towns and support the region's emerging wine industry.

Stopping at a fruit stand a few miles east of the project site, Cheryl Penn of Martinez said she would consider visiting the information center once it opens.

Penn, who commutes down Highway 12 frequently to see her grandchildren in Stockton, said learning more about the Delta and the challenges it faces is important to her.

"Yeah," she said, as she purchased a set of pluots. "Because it's our area. We have to take care of our area."

For more information about the project, call Discover the Delta Foundation at (916) 777-4442, e-mail info@discoverthedelta.org or visit www.discoverthedelta.org.

What can I see at the Discover the Delta Information Center?

Once the two-story 7,728-square-foot center is built this fall, it will include exhibits on numerous topics. The following is a list of a few of the center's features:

The Discover the Delta Foundation, an Isleton-based nonprofit, plans to open a 7,728-square-foot Delta Information Center just east of Rio Vista this fall. This computer rendering shows the center, which would include exhibits about the Delta's farm's and cultural history. (Photo courtesy of the Discover the Delta Foundation)

Tour center to help visitors book trips to local wineries, recreation spots, wildlife and photography destinations.

Interpretive center including illustrations and hands-on exhibits that show the Delta's geology, culture, history, environment, recreation, agriculture and people.

Gift shop.

Historic photographs of the Delta.

Education center with a 100-person meeting room and kitchen providing space for community groups to meet concerning Delta issues and school groups to learn about the Delta.

Computer center, including a digital library, theater and graphics center.

Source: Discover the Delta

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.