Low water pits one endangered fish against another
Although a fresh foot of snow fell on the Sierras last night, this year’s totals will fall well short of filling state reservoirs later this spring. Looking at our third year of below average rainfall, state and federal water managers asked last Thursday to bypass scheduled river flow increases in the Sacramento and San Joaquin systems to keep more water behind the reservoirs. The water managers are claiming the conserved water will be needed later in the year when Fall Run Chinook return to the two systems.
This move pits the endangered Delta Smelt against the Fall Run Sacramento Chinook Salmon (A species of special concern). Increased water flows in February help benefit the Delta Smelt spawning cycle, while larger water reserves in the Fall will help promote Chinook Salmon spawning.
The move is an example of how serious the dire water situation is in California. In an article by Samantha Young of the Associated Press, Dante Nomellini Sr., a delta water rights attorney, said state and federal water agencies have only themselves to blame for years of mismanagement of California’s water supplies.
“The predicament we’re in is because they drew down the reservoirs and exported more water than they should have,” Nomellini said.
The state plans to file a formal petition today for an emergency hearing before the water resources board.
