A Rich History
With ever-changing improvements
Built in 1973, the landmark Village West Marina, which includes Garlic Brothers and Bob’s at the Marina restaurants, and the Village West Yacht Club, is an iconic Stockton marina that attracts boaters from all over the west coast. The marina is nestled in a well protected, man-made basin in the heart of northern California’s Delta. Located only 1 mile off the Benjamin Holt Drive exit of Interstate 5, and only 3.2 nautical miles from the San Joaquin River, the marina provides boaters with ease of access and close proximity to fast water. 
Originally a vast marsh, the Delta changed rapidly when unsuccessful miners took up farming. Levees were built, creating below sea level islands of productive farm land. This reclamation of the marshy Delta progressed steadily for many decades, creating what today is a maze of over 1,100 miles of waterways that traverse prime farmland and natural habitat areas. Village West Marina is ideally located in beautiful north Stockton at the mouth of the San Joaquin River. Whether it’s a day trip or a week-long Delta adventure, Village West Marina provides easy accessibility, the 2 best dining locations on the Delta, and more amenities than any other Delta marina.
The California Delta including San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay is the largest estuary on the Pacific coast. The Delta is home to a broad diversity of wildlife and birds, including millions of migratory birds who stop to visit at one of the last remaining wetland areas on the California coast. Sandhill cranes are one of the oldest living species of birds and arrive around late September to spend Fall and Winter. 80 percent of the states’ commercial fishery species either live in or migrate through the Delta, including salmon, sturgeon, and striped bass.
Recreation opportunities abound in the Delta. The maze of sloughs and waterways in the Delta make it a prime location for boating, waterskiing, wake boarding, and wake surfing. Winds in the Delta also make it ideal for sailing and wind surfing. And of course, let’s not forget about fishing, which is quite popular in the Delta.
In and around the Delta there are small villages and towns, many of which have been here since mining days and the reclamation of the Delta. One of the most famous, the town of Locke, CA, was built by Chinese immigrants during the early 20th century, who tended the farm land and worked to build the extensive levee system. The Delta’s rich and fertile farm land supports one of the most agricultural regions in the world. Over ninety agricultural products are grown in the Delta, including tomatoes, alfalfa, strawberries, corn, and nuts to name a few.
Arguably the most critical function of the Delta now is it’s role as the hub for the state’s water system. About two-thirds of the state’s population are dependent upon the Delta, at least in part for their water. With a delicate ecosystem and endangered species in the balance, the Delta can often find itself in the midst of political turmoil. While the Delta is a beautiful and peaceful place, it nevertheless finds itself in ecological trouble and with an unpredictable future.
