Water Ways

Water Salvos

Just as San Joaquin Valley growers were cheering the ruling of U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger that the federal government must consider the effect on humans and not just fish when allocating Delta water, along comes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service setting a temporary new water-flow limit on exports from Delta pumps for several weeks as of the end of May until threatened smelt migrate out of areas affected by the pumps.

Adding to the “pain at the pump" for Valley growers who depend on Delta exports, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a final biological opinion that pumping operations are jeopardizing the continued existence of spring-run Chinook salmon, steelhead, and other species. The agency is recommending several steps to protect these species, including closing cross channel gates within the Delta for longer periods and cutting Delta water exports by 5-7%. This cutback is on top of the 20% reduction in deliveries estimated by the Department of Water Resources following an earlier biological opinion on the Delta smelt. The agency also called for additional water flow down the Stanislaus River during the springtime.