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Fish affect California water supply

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 11, 2008 at 7:06 am

From the New York Times, an article regarding the recent move by the Fish & Wildlife Service to move the Delta smelt from the ‘threatened’ list to the ‘endangered list’:

California is in a quandary because two-thirds of its residents get water through the pumps that have been killing large numbers of smelt. This year, for the first time, a federal judge’s order kept state and federal water agencies from collecting their usual part of the river water flowing from melting snow from the Sierra Nevada. Water users from the Bay Area to San Diego were affected by the resulting reductions of 20 percent to 30 percent.

This is taking place after a spring that has been one of the driest on record, leaving even less water for the fiercely competitive interests fighting for a share of a dear commodity.

“A comprehensive approach to conserving this fish is going to require onerous restrictions in pumping,” said Timothy Quinn, director of the Association of California Water Agencies. The distribution of water used to mean “that you killed fish,” Mr. Quinn said, adding, “Now the fish have very strong legal protection, to the point where they are becoming a dominant policy consideration. To protect the fish means losing massive amounts of the water supply.”

Read more from the New York Times by clicking here.

July 11, 2008 · Filed Under Delta smelt, Other Delta Issues, Water & Wildlife

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