Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
February 8, 2008
1. Top Items
Fish gets new protections, could restrict delta water flow - Associated Press
Regulators tighten grip on Delta; Another species of smelt in danger; officials issue emergency rules, further threatening water supply - Contra Costa Times
Fish rescue may mean drier times; To save the longfin smelt, a state panel sets new rules for exporting Delta water - Sacramento Bee
New Delta restrictions likely; With second fish at risk, exports may fall sharply - Stockton Record
State mulls longfin smelt for endangered status; legal battle looms - San Diego Union Tribune
Longfin Smelt population declining - KGO ABC Channel 7 (Bay Area)
Fish gets new protections, could restrict delta water flow
Associated Press – 2/7/08
By Garance Burke, staff writer
The Fish and Game Commission voted 3-0 Thursday to consider listing the longfin smelt as a threatened or endangered species under state law.
It also adopted emergency regulations requiring state and federal water managers to scale back pumping operations in the next 180 days whenever longfin smelt are near the massive pumps that send water to more than 25 million Southern Californians.
As much as 400,000 acre feet of water could be lost, although it's not known what the full impact might be, said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors Association.
"It raises the risk, the uncertainty for ag contractors if all of a sudden they've put planting in and restrictions are added in the spring," King Moon said.
Environmental groups blame excessive water pumping from delta for the plummeting of the longfin smelt and their cousin, the delta smelt.
Last summer, a federal judge ordered federal and state water authorities to reduce the amount of water they pump through the delta in a bid to protect the delta smelt.
The pumping restrictions adopted Thursday for the longfin smelt could mean additional stoppages because longfin smelt move into the delta and spawn earlier than the delta smelt, according to a Department of Fish and Game memo.
While authorities review biological information about the fish over the next year, the longfin smelt will benefit from the same protections as endangered species, spokeswoman Adrianna Shea said.
The population of the longfin smelt is 3 percent of the level measured less than 20 years ago, according to a petition filed by the
Surveys by the Department of Fish and Game show the population of the longfin smelt in the of fall 2007 reached their lowest since the surveys began in 1967.
The silvery fish, which grows to about 5 inches long, is distinguished by its long pectoral fins and is considered an indicator of the health of the delta.
"The collapse of the longfin smelt is another alarming indication that the Bay-Delta ecosystem is in critical condition," Tina Swanson, a senior scientist for The Bay Institute, said in a statement. #
Regulators tighten grip on Delta; Another species of smelt in danger; officials issue emergency rules, further threatening water supply
Contra Costa Times – 2/8/08
By Mike Taugher, staff writer
State regulators took steps to add yet another Delta fish to the list of endangered species Thursday and implemented emergency regulations that could further cut into state water supplies.
The president of the state Fish and Game Commission said the new rules could exact a "monster" hit on the state economy, though exactly what the effect will be was unclear.
"We have a plumbing problem that is going to cost billions of dollars in a very short period of time. It's an absurd position to be in," said the commission president, Richard Rogers.
Meeting in
Then the commission enacted emergency measures that give Department of Fish and Game biologists new authority to cut deliveries from massive pumps near
The new regulations come on top of court-ordered restrictions issued in December after a federal judge determined regulators were allowing water agencies to drive Delta smelt to extinction.
That ruling has already led
Thursday's decision adds to the pressure.
Though the regulations issued Thursday could diminish water supplies in the coming months, water officials said the effect of the decision is more likely to be felt in late November and December when the longfin smelt begin to spawn.
Unlike the court order, there is flexibility built into the regulations issued Thursday.
"It could be zero or it could be 400,000 acre-feet (enough water for 800,000 families of four)," said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager for State Water Contractors, an association of agencies that deliver Delta water to more than 25 million people. "It all depends on how they use their discretion."
But, she added, "It is tightening the noose on when we can move water."
The twin water pumping plants near
Fish populations were in decline for decades, but in recent years they have fallen to alarming levels. Delta smelt are at high risk of extinction and previously common fish are disappearing. This year, in a development that might not be related to other problems in the Delta, runs of salmon and steelhead collapsed.
Last year, longfin smelt numbers plunged from depressed levels to a record low. An annual index used to measure its population fell to just 13, down from 1,949 the previous year. The 2007 mark was only the second time in index's 40-year existence that it fell below 100.
"The collapse of the longfin smelt is another alarming indication that the Bay-Delta ecosystem is in critical condition," said Tina Swanson, a scientist at the Bay Institute, one of three environmental groups that petitioned the commission for the listing.
On Thursday, several water officials asked the Fish and Game Commission to turn their attention to other possible causes of the decline, including predatory fish, small farming diversions in the Delta and pollution.
Tom Birmingham, the general manager of the Westlands Water District, a sprawling farm district in the
Two commissioners expressed support for a canal, which was rejected by voters 25 years ago but is getting serious reconsideration because of the Delta's collapse.
Supporters of the project argue it would eliminate the pumps' effects on fish populations while delivering cleaner water to Californians.
Opponents say that by reducing the flow of fresh water, the Delta would fill up with polluted farm runoff and sea water.
The new restrictions apply only to the state-owned State Water Project. The federally owned Central Valley Project, which primarily serves large farms in the
In fact, water officials argued that the commission's action might not benefit fish because reductions imposed on the state pumps might lead federal water managers to increase their pumping levels.
The Fish and Game Commission plans to ask the state agency that controls the federal government's water permit to add a condition that will force the federal government to comply.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Jeff McCracken was noncommittal.
"We have not seen what it is they are asking," McCracken said, adding, "We would welcome any new scientific analysis."
AT A GLANCE
What happened? Longfin smelt, one of several Delta fish species in decline, reached a point where state regulators determined they warranted protection under the state endangered species law.
What does Thursday's decision mean for the fish? State biologists will have new authority to cut the amount of water pumped out of the Delta if they determine doing so will prevent fish from being killed at the pumps.
What is the effect on water supply? That is unknown, in part because much depends on how biologists use their discretion and in part because of potential overlap with new court-ordered rules to protect a different fish species.
However, the impact could be substantial and the new regulations add to the building pressure on the state water supply as environmental conditions in the Delta continue to deteriorate. #
http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_8205899?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com&nclick_check=1
Fish rescue may mean drier times; To save the longfin smelt, a state panel sets new rules for exporting Delta water
By Matt Weiser, staff writer
The Bay Area and
The California Fish and Game Commission, meeting in San Diego, voted unanimously to protect the longfin smelt under the state Endangered Species Act.
The finger-length fish is now officially a candidate for stronger protection. State officials will spend the coming year deciding whether its status should be "threatened" or "endangered."
Meanwhile, to protect the longfin, the commission also set new rules for state and federal agencies that export water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to 25 million Californians and 2 million acres of farmland.
This could mean drier times ahead for parts of the state already dealing with shortages because of the Delta's troubles.
"It's fair to say this is just another notch in the chokehold that is tightening our ability to move water," said Laura King-Moon of the State Water Contractors, which represents most of the agencies that buy Delta water from the state.
The longfin smelt is one of nine Delta fish species to suffer steep declines over the past five years. Last year, the longfin population was the lowest in 40 years of record-keeping.
State and federal water pumps in the Delta are blamed for killing millions of fish, but other culprits include poor water quality and invasive species.
Government officials are working on plans to protect the Delta. But those will take years and billions of dollars. Hardships are coming in the meantime.
Commission President Richard Rogers said he felt forced into a decision he called "repugnant."
"The piper is standing at the door with an ax," he said. "This is something we have to solve and we have to solve now."
State action to protect the longfin came after a petition by environmentalists. A similar petition is pending under federal law.
"There is absolutely no doubt the species merited listing and is in desperate need of protection, along with its habitat," said Tina Swanson, a scientist at the Bay Institute, one of the petitioners.
Rules adopted Thursday closely match limits imposed by a federal judge in December to protect the Delta smelt, a cousin of the longfin.
Court restrictions slashed water deliveries by 42 percent in January, shorting water agencies about 269,000 acre-feet, said Terry Erlewine, general manager of the State Water Contractors. That's enough for about a half-million homes.
But the longfin has a different life cycle, generally breeding earlier in the year. So the Department of Fish and Game called for pumping limits that could begin earlier in the fall and possibly extend deeper into spring.
The commission adopted those limits, voting 3-0, with two members absent.
The new rules take effect later this month and will be in place through August. The commission then expects to extend them another six months.
By then, state and federal officials intend to adopt new operating rules for water pumps that come with permanent protections for Delta fish.
There is some doubt about whether Thursday's actions must be heeded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the Delta's federal pumping system. So the commission will ask the state Water Resources Control Board to also adopt the rules, which would then be binding on the bureau.
Jeff McCracken, a spokesman for the bureau, did not comment on how his agency will respond, saying officials had not yet reviewed the new rules.
Water agency representatives at Thursday's meeting warned the state's new rules would only lead to protracted litigation.
They complained of being singled out, while other Delta threats are ignored.
They urged the commission to force agricultural water diverters within the Delta to screen intakes, for instance, and end protection of the striped bass, a nonnative species blamed for preying on protected fish.
Water users favored having the federal court's Delta smelt limits cover the longfin as well, since the species are similar.
"If you have an umbrella that keeps you dry, you don't need two umbrellas," said Jerry Johns, deputy director of the state Department of Water Resources.
The commission instead agreed with state biologists that the longfin's unique breeding cycle demands special rules. Commission members also ordered a staff report on possible steps to control other threats.
"We're really concerned about the health of the ecosystem, not just the health of this fish," said commissioner Michael Sutton. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/697540.html
New Delta restrictions likely; With second fish at risk, exports may fall sharply
By Alex Breitler, staff writer
A cousin of the notorious Delta smelt made its own splash into the state's water supply woes on Thursday as officials declared the longfin smelt a candidate for threatened or endangered status.
That means new water restrictions - on top of those ordered last year by a federal judge - are likely this spring and summer.
The Delta smelt made headlines last year when a federal judge ordered reduced water exports to protect that species.
The reductions, beginning this year, cut by about 30 percent the water that would normally be delivered to cities from the Bay Area to
The same kind of restrictions will be necessary for the longfin smelt, the state Fish and Game Commission ruled Thursday.
The problem is that both species swim into the Delta to spawn and are at risk of getting sucked into the giant export pumps near
A spokeswoman for the State Water Contractors, a group of 27 agencies that receive water from the Delta, was unsure Thursday how much water supplies to cities and farms will be additionally reduced.
Environmentalists last year petitioned the state to protect the longfin smelt. Surveys last fall showed the species was at its lowest number since surveying began in 1967.
"There's supposed to be tons of them," said Jeff Miller, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation group. "We've just never seen them this low."
The longfin smelt pumping restrictions will last at least 180 days but could be extended through next winter.
Although it's not formally listed as threatened or endangered, "candidate" species receive the same level of protection as listed species.
Environmentalists have warned that if the two smelt species become extinct in
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080208/A_NEWS/802080317
State mulls longfin smelt for endangered status; legal battle looms
By Ed Zieralski, staff writer
The state Fish and Game Commission made the longfin smelt a candidate for the state's endangered species list Thursday, setting off alarms statewide among both water agencies and construction contractors.
The three commissioners voted unanimously to list the tiny fish that ranges from
During that year-long study, however, the commission will limit the amount of water that can be pumped south out of the fish's habitat in the San Francisco Bay-Delta area.
Opponents said that decision will cost billions of dollars and a loss of jobs in construction as developments in
The commission also voted 3-0 to allow the incidental take of the species by
“Was it Mark Twain who said whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over?” commission president Richard B. Rogers asked.
Twain did say that, and now the fight is on, likely in the courts as water agencies, developers and farmers line up to battle over what little water will trickle out of the Delta after this monumental decision.
“We all need to get on with this,”
The commission's decision could lead to further reductions in water pumped from
A federal judge already has ordered reduced pumping of water from the Delta to protect a relative of the longfin, the delta smelt.
Both the longfin and delta smelt, as well as other fish that inhabit the delta, have seen their numbers decline in recent years due to a variety of environmental woes, including pollution; the introduction of non-native fish species to the Delta that have altered its habitat and cut into its food supply; and diversions of water from the Delta to California farms and major population centers up and down the state. #
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/outdoors/20080207-1541-bn07smelt.html
Longfin Smelt population declining
KGO ABC Channel 7 (Bay Area) – 2/8/08
By Tomas Roman
The amount of water that 25 million Californians usually get from the Delta now depends on the fate of a tiny fish called "the Longfin Smelt."
State wildlife officials are deciding whether to declare the fish a "threatened or endangered species."
The difference in those two listings could mean trouble for water agencies all over the state.
It's a tiny creature -- barely two inches long but experts say
"It is used as a food source for other species native and non-native species in the Delta. But its mostly an indicator species of the health of the Delta itself," said John McCannon from California Fish and Game.
On Wednesday, the California Fish and Game Commission listened to testimony from water agencies, environmentalists and farm representatives.
The question before the commission was whether the Longfin Smelt's population decline over the past four to ten years is indicative of the deltas overall decline.
After seeing a bar graph showing the Longfin's population plummet, they voted unanimously to decide in the next year whether the Longfin should be listed as threatened or endangered.
"Now that the smelt is a candidate species that means that the commission is authorized to take measures to protect it.
In this case were looking at emergency measures which will reduce the amount of water that can be diverted through those systems as a way to protect the population," said Kate Wing from the National Resource Defense Council.
The huge Delta pumps which send water all over the state but especially to millions of Bay Area users, have sucked in and killed a large population of the Longfin and its cousin the Delta Smelt, which is already protected.
The decline of the delta smelt already made officials reduce water from the Delta. The commission voted on Thursday to continue those restrictions to protect the Longfin.
"At this point it's too early to tell what that will mean for our delivery from the Delta but anything that happens in the Delta is a big deal to us because we get about 50-percent of our drinking water from the Delta," said Susan Siravo from the Santa Clara County Water District.
Water deliveries from the delta were also reduced because of last year's low rainfall. Even with recent rainfall many bay area water agencies are now relying more on their own reserves. The issue now is how to continue supplying their customers while saving the smelt.
"It makes it more and more difficult to get water out of the delta more restrictive, so while we may have some slack now that slack is narrowing," said Greg Gartrell from the Contra Costa County Water District.
"Commercial fisheries and salmon fisheries also depend on it as well. Without a good food web were not going to have healthy fisheries," said John Buettler. #
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=5944012
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