The Newsom administration Tuesday floated a proposal to avert a protracted legal battle over new state standards that would make some of California’s biggest water users cut their river diversions to help struggling fish populations. The Newsom administration announced last fall that it would sue to block the rollbacks but has yet to do so. The Brown administration began settlement talks months before the board vote, crafting a proposal that the Newsom administration has now revised. Two conservation groups, American Rivers and the Environmental Defense Fund, said they were encouraged by the state proposal but stopped short of fully endorsing it. A new fee on water users, as well as state money, would be used to fund water purchases for the environment.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 05, 2020 12:56 UTC