AdvertisementThe massive water exports have upended the delta’s natural hydrologic rhythms and helped push native fish, such as the delta smelt and winter-run Chinook salmon, to the brink of extinction. Fish and Wildlife Service official who is coordinating the salmon and delta smelt reviews, pulled the document and assembled a new team to rework it. They and other water users have bitterly complained about cuts to their water deliveries resulting from endangered species protections adopted in 2008 and 2009. Environmentalists have said they expect the relaxed pumping limits will return delta exports to the Bush-era levels that a federal appeals court ultimately found violated the Endangered Species Act. Advertisement“California is, and will continue to be, a leader in the fight for clean air, clean water and endangered species,” she said.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 22, 2019 12:00 UTC