Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 6, 2007
3. Watersheds
DELTA PUMPING:
Editorial: An alarming situation; Tiny fish's fate has pumped up legitimate concerns about the San Joaquin Delta's future - Stockton Record
Desert Sun – 6/6/07
By Erica Solvig, staff writer
Dead tilapia were spotted Monday floating along the western shore near the communities of
Exactly how many fish have died is unknown.
But with a red flag wind advisory Tuesday - gusts up to 45 mph predicted- the floating fish were expected to be pushed across the sea and gather along the eastern shore.
"As far out as you could see, we had dead fish coming in," Salton Sea Authority analyst Dan Cain said Tuesday.
"They may have stopped (dying) last night. Or they may continue and we may have more than (last) August."
More than 3 million tilapia died in August, blocking off
Officials haven't determined what is causing the fish to die this time. It could be the warmer weather, or high winds might have churned up something in the sea. Fish die-offs sometimes occur after large "burps" of hydrogen sulfide gas.
"We know something is happening," Cain said. "We'll just let mother nature take its course." 
The tilapia that are dying off are about 6 to 8 inches in size - larger than those that died last year.
Officials are waiting until enough of the dead fish gather along the shore before they start the cleanup effort. They need to remove the fish before they sink to the bottom and decompose.
The authority in April secured a $115,500 grant that included about $50,000 for cleaning up after massive die-offs.
Though some
"It's nature,"
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/NEWS0701/706060315
DELTA PUMPING:
Editorial: An alarming situation; Tiny fish's fate has pumped up legitimate concerns about the
First of two parts
Because of a small fish, a big alarm has been sounded regarding the San Joaquin Delta's fragile ecological hierarchy.
It won't stop sounding any time soon.
The Delta smelt - a tiny translucent species that's close to extinction - exists near the foundation of the Delta's complex food chain.
The smelt isn't healthy, which means neither is the estuary it calls home.
To protect it and other fish, the State Water Project pumps near
In a historic move, besieged California Department of Water Resources officials temporarily shut down pumping at the Harvey O. Banks plant west of
Federal pumps at the nearby C.W. "Bill" Jones plant have almost shut down as well - barely operating at 20 percent of capacity.
One of the six federal pumps still is operating because, without it,
The dramatic decisions were made to save the few surviving smelt.
A mid-May state Fish and Game Department survey revealed a worst-case scenario: The smelt's numbers have totally crashed in the past year.
Scientists found the little fish in only six locations (out of 36) and found no more than seven in any one area. The average spring survey results for the previous six years showed smelt in 20 locations with an average of 173 per site.
It might be too late already, which could signal the onset of an ecological collapse. The numbers of striped bass and king salmon also are declining.
The hope is that, while the pumps are off, the smelt will migrate through the Delta to
The minnowlike species drifted into harm's way in part because full pumping operations actually reverse the flows of
There are other factors contributing to the decline: a rising level of toxins in the Delta's brackish water, agricultural runoff, invasive species, power plant operations and global climate changes.
The decision to halt pumping followed two court decisions that had challenged Delta water flows to
» March 24: State officials were ordered by an Alameda County Superior Court judge to stop Delta water shipments within 60 days because they lacked proper permits under California environmental law. The decision is being appealed.
» May 25: A federal judge ruled that state Department of Water Resources and federal water officials failed to practice sound science while operating the pumps and ignored the smelt's plight. The ruling called for the fish-protection plan to be rewritten. A final decision regarding operation of the pumps will be announced Aug. 21.
There are so many other factors threatening the Delta: earthen levees that are more than a century old, global warming, environmental degradation and the ongoing conflict between competing agencies, reclamation districts, agriculture and urban development.
Tiny as it might be, the smelt's uncertain future could become the catalyst that helps mandate solutions to some very big problems.
Until then, the alarm will keep sounding.
» Part two, Thursday:
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/A_OPINION01/706060313/-1/A_OPINION06
####
No comments:
Post a Comment