An egret and water hyacinth living in a slough

This image sums up many of the tensions of the Delta.

A generically picturesque, hypnotically misleading image of a Delta moment.

Photographed by Carey van der Zalm at Trapper Slough, here is a mat of water hyacinth during its dormant season, a spooked egret that had been fishing atop the hyacinth mat, just taking off.

The egret is just availing itself of the situation it is presented. Like striped bass, water hyacinth is a species introduced into the Delta many decades ago for purposes of pleasure.

The egret, bass, and water hyacinth flourish there.

No one is after the opportunistic egret’s intuition to advantage its situation. Feel free.

On the other hand…

Striped bass are predatory (and vigorously protected) sport fisherman’s favorites that are in part responsible for the tenuous continued existence of indigenous fish species.

Water hyacinth is a prolific navigation-clogging but lovely ornamental plant that obliterates daylight to the fragile ecosystem that depends on it below. It has no advocates.

Welcome to the Delta, a complicated place that seems and looks so simple.