Thursday afternoon update: Pumps bring water, but for how long? Efforts to protect Delta smelt cut water by 660,000 acre feet last year

From the Capital Press:

Federal government pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta started moving much-needed irrigation water to farms Wednesday, July 1, but questions remain about how long those pumps will continue running.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the audience of a town hall meeting in Fresno Sunday, June 28, that the Central Valley Project pumps would run through the end of the year, facilitating 70 approved water transfers totaling 245,000 acre feet. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor, who also spoke at the town hall meeting, said the agency is working to make the most of this year’s water supplies.

However, there was some skepticism. West side farmer Bob Diedrich said growers already knew the pumps would resume moving water south on July 1, but questioned how long they would remain on considering the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency biological opinion on salmon recovery. That biological opinion has focused all fish recovery efforts on reducing the amount of pumping from the Delta.

It is unknown how much the opinion would affect pumping, said Sarah Woolf of Westlands Water District. The Bureau of Reclamation told the district they would phase in the restrictions, Woolf said, but there is no guarantee the pumps will remain on.

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