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Purchase of better fish screens delayed due to cost

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 24, 2007 at 8:09 am

From Stockton’s Record.Net:

TRACY – The fish screens guarding south Delta water- export pumps are old, out of date, and ineffective at protecting the most vulnerable of species: the Delta smelt. Replacing those facilities was discussed long before smelt were pushed to the edge of extinction. But any action has been indefinitely delayed because of a price of more than $1 billion and, some say, reluctance by those who receive Delta water to pay for fish protection.

“In my opinion, installation of a fish screen is part of the cost of doing business,” said Tina Swanson, a biologist with conservation group The Bay Institute.

..

There is no way to divert smelt – or other sensitive species such as salmon and steelhead – around the state and federal pumps. They’re at a dead end in the far southern Delta. Fish that escaped getting sucked into the pumps are funneled into trucks and driven to release points elsewhere in the Delta. Predators are known to congregate in these areas for a free lunch. In short, the current salvage and release is a flawed system, some say, one that new fish screens wouldn’t solve.

For the rest of this article from Stockton’s Record.Net, click here.

June 24, 2007 · Filed Under DWR & State Water Project, Delta Issues

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