Posted on 06/11/2011 5:59:35 PM PDT by SmithL
Delta water users have sued to block a temporary decrease in pumping meant to save thousands of salmon, a move that seems destined to raise the stakes in an escalating water war.
After a drought-busting winter that was good news for fishers and farmers, tens of thousands of salmon have been caught or killed at the powerful Delta pumps in the past few months. In addition, more than 6 million Sacramento splittail, a large minnow that environmentalists say should be protected by endangered species laws, were also collected or killed at the pumps.
Government biologists contend that the large number of fish killed in recent weeks and months is a product of their bouncing back because of the big winter. It stands to reason that with more fish in the estuary, more will be found at the pumps, they say.
Still, to reduce the toll on California's salmon run, which collapsed three years ago, regulators this week ordered pumps that serve farms along Interstate 5 to slow down by about one-third for two weeks.
For farmers, the effect is slight -- just a percentage point or two off what they would otherwise receive this year. And it appears possible that loss of water could be made up later in the year, though the head of the organization that filed the lawsuit denied that.
"We think it's an illegal restriction on our pumping," said Dan Nelson, general manager of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, which mostly represents west San Joaquin Valley farms. "The fishery action costs 35,000 acre-feet. "... There is no way of making that up."
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
Wow! Pre-fertilized irrigation water. Great idea.
Run some enviro a$$holes through the pumps too and make the water an even better fertilizer!
I wonder when they are going to Sue California Wind Farms for killing Bald Eagles?
Place a small canning factory near the pumps and can the salmon. Take all the little dead minnows and put them in little tin cans with the label “Fresh Water Sardines”. Most idiots in California would never be the wiser.
The Commies need a world wide food shortage. This is their plan.
Shouldn’t the envirocommies simply walk into the ocean and feed the salmon?
Pray for America
We need a free market in water somehow. Everything government attempts to control ends up being destroyed.
Holy Flippin’ Crap! Six million minnows and
they are endangered? Someone tell me how many
were caught in the pumps? Two... three...?
Holy Flippin’ Crap! Six million minnows and
they are endangered? Someone tell me how many
were caught in the pumps? Two... three...?
I find it amazing that environmentalists, who tend toward vegetarianism, want to save the fish - that they then seek to price out of consumption.
So, I guess some type of screen or fish barrier is out of the question?
That is the end game from what I can see...if they were that wooried about the fish, they would spend $3,000 on a fish screen...this is not rocket science....they are killing fish on purpose to create a crisis...
You and I both know they are killing fish on purpose. As you said installing a fish screen isn’t rocket science.
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