In the Wild: Morgen Snyder with Restore the Delta
Morgen is a second year in the UC Davis Environmental Policy and Management Graduate Program, with plans to graduate in June 2025. Graduating from Illinois State University in 2017 with dual degrees in Political Science and Legal Studies, Morgen spent six years working in International Trade and Compliance Law. Morgen is now pursuing dual specializations in Water and Marine Resource Management, where she hopes to apply her knowledge of the law, experience in project management, and research and analysis to policy and advocacy in this next phase of her career.
As part of her degree, Morgen spent nine months gaining valuable experience with Restore the Delta, a nonprofit organization that centers on protecting the San Francisco San-Joaquin Delta (“the Delta”) and the communities that rely on it. Her practicum was broken down into two components: 1) performing field work to monitor for Harmful Algal Blooms (“HABs”), which are a public health concern throughout the Stockton area; and 2) performing policy research and analysis on water quality issues across the Delta. Key areas of research included the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, governing water quality standards for the Bay-Delta, and the Delta Conveyance Project, a proposed pipeline to transfer water from the Bay-Delta to Central and Southern California.
The first component of the practicum involved actively going out into the Stockton community several times a week to collect water samples. The samples were then brought back to a lab where they were processed and tested for HABs. Data regarding the daily conditions as well as testing results were documented in a spreadsheet, which serves as one of the project deliverables. Any positive test results would be reported to the State Water Resources Control Board (“Water Board”) and the public, although there were no positive results during testing in 2024.
The second component of the practicum involved a range of research and analysis for the Bay-Delta Plan and the Delta Conveyance Project. Morgen provided a public comment at the Water Boards, voicing Restore the Delta’s opposition to a proposal called the “Voluntary Agreements.” To promote public education on the topic, Morgen also drafted one-pagers for the Bay-Delta Plan as well as the Delta Conveyance Project. Focusing on the Delta Conveyance Project, Morgen was tasked with advocating that Metropolitan Water District (“MWD”) deny additional funding for the Project. She performed extensive research on the environmental impacts of the project as well as alternatives to the project, developing a presentation for Restore the Delta’s Executive Director to provide at an MWD Board meeting. At the same hearing, Morgen had the opportunity to provide public comment and engage with members of the Board. Although funding was approved, Morgen continues to work with Restore the Delta to advocate for the communities and Tribes that will be impacted if the project goes forward. Morgen's work is also featured in the podcast Delta Flows Podcast, Episode 5.
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Media Resources
Morgen Snyder, masnyder@ucdavis.edu