Free Republic

The state Department of Water Resources on Monday appealed a judge's decision that threatens to halt water from being pumped out of the delta. The decision will give the state more time to secure the authority it needs to send water to millions of Californians, officials said. The appeal stays an April 18 order by an Alameda County Superior Court judge, who ruled that the state's water pumps illegally kill chinook salmon and delta smelt. The ruling would have shut down the Harvey O. Banks pumping station near Tracy within 60 days. The decision was a victory for environmentalists and...