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Commentary: The Delta smelt; a fish more important than people

Posted by: Maven on September 18, 2009 at 8:04 am

From The Examiner, this commentary by William Busse:

“This is the curious story of the Delta Smelt, a tiny, slender fish that resides exclusively in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a fertile area that serves as a transition for water originating in northern California, and ends in water delivery west of the Delta for agriculture and south of the Delta for citizens of southern California.

In order to deliver the water, there are pumping stations near Tracy that are apparently sucking and pulverizing the Delta smelt, and according to environmentalists, leading to a dramatic decrease in population and potential extinction.

The value of the Delta smelt? Essentially nothing. Besides serving as bait for attracting larger fish, the Delta smelt is not edible, does not eliminate pests or have any meaningful commercial value. Sometimes, despite environmentalist’s protestations to the contrary, certain species reach a natural evolutionary dead end. …”

Read more of this commentary by clicking here.

September 18, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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