Protecting delta smelt not just water issue, says commentary

From the North County Times, this commentary by Poway resident Gerold Firl:

Some people believe the delta smelt is just a dumb guppy. It does look small, but actually that little fish is huge. It’s a key link in the food chain of the Sacramento River delta, which in turn is a linchpin of the Pacific Coast marine ecosystem.

The multibillion-dollar Pacific fisheries industry has collapsed in the past few years, normally attributed to overfishing, but ultimately caused by ecological degradation because of pollution, development and freshwater diversion. The Sacramento delta is the primary freshwater inlet to the San Francisco Bay, and a primary incubator of Pacific salmon. Damage to the delta is felt throughout California.

Some people complain about judicial rulings restricting freshwater diversion from the delta to feed Southern California lawns, golf courses and avocado farms. They consider themselves hard-headed realists and clear-eyed conservatives, in contrast to pointy-headed environmentalists who never met a tree they didn’t want to hug or a furry critter they didn’t want to cuddle, who love spotted owls more than manly lumberjacks, with their practical flannels and trusty axes.

They think environmental protection is a boondoggle or joke. Some people don’t understand how serious this really is.

Read more of Gerold’s commentary from the North County Times by clicking here.

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