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Laura King Moon commentary: Changes needed to rules governing Delta smelt

Posted by: Maven on March 13, 2010 at 8:08 am

From the Silicon Valley Mercury News, this commentary by Laura King Moon of the State Water Contractors:

“This winter, on certain days, it would take only two small fish known as delta smelt to show up at California’s two largest water projects to trigger pumping restrictions causing the loss of hundreds of millions of gallons of water a day. If two more smelt appear the next day, the pumps are cut more, and so on. Since Jan. 1, the State Water Project has lost nearly 370,000 acre-feet of water, enough to serve the residential needs of San Jose for nearly three years.”

This is how the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been implemented on a day-by-day, smelt-by-smelt basis for the water system serving 25 million Californians and the farms that grow half the nation’s fruits and vegetables. The “two-smelt-and-you’re-out” rule is among five layers of water-supply restrictions under the federal and state ESAs. The combined impact is shortage or near-shortage conditions for many regions of the state, regardless of rainfall.

The State Water Contractors strongly support long-term solutions to restoring Northern California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and rebuilding a reliable water system within the ESA. But these pumping restrictions are not rebounding fish populations. The emerging challenge is to address legitimate questions about these short-term rules while moving forward with the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, an effort designed to put the Delta on a more-sustainable path. … “

Continue reading this commentary from Laura King Moon by clicking here.

March 13, 2010 · Filed Under Delta Issues

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