Mmmm....*smelt*...
Posted on 03/13/2010 2:29:05 PM PST by NormsRevenge
This winter, on certain days, it would take only two small fish known as delta smelt to show up at California's two largest water projects to trigger pumping restrictions causing the loss of hundreds of millions of gallons of water a day. If two more smelt appear the next day, the pumps are cut more, and so on. Since Jan. 1, the State Water Project has lost nearly 370,000 acre-feet of water, enough to serve the residential needs of San Jose for nearly three years."
This is how the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been implemented on a day-by-day, smelt-by-smelt basis for the water system serving 25 million Californians and the farms that grow half the nation's fruits and vegetables. The "two-smelt-and-you're-out" rule is among five layers of water-supply restrictions under the federal and state ESAs. The combined impact is shortage or near-shortage conditions for many regions of the state, regardless of rainfall.
The State Water Contractors strongly support long-term solutions to restoring Northern California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and rebuilding a reliable water system within the ESA. But these pumping restrictions are not rebounding fish populations. The emerging challenge is to address legitimate questions about these short-term rules while moving forward with the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, an effort designed to put the Delta on a more-sustainable path.
It is widely acknowledged that the Delta's recent ecological freefall has been caused by many stresses, not just water diversions. However, enforcement under the ESA has singularly focused on the water projects.
One alternative to the ineffective "two-smelt-and-you're-out" approach is to focus on managing pumping based on the smelt's habitat. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
That stinks!
I smelt that coming.
...So, when are farmers going to transplant some Delta Smelt into the reservoirs for cities?
Hm, that DOES sound like it might bear some interesting results... does anyone want to go to California w/ me?
Of all the smelt I ever smelt I never smelt smelt that smelt as smelly as those smelt smelt.
Collect samples of the fish and put them in aquariums for anyone who wants to see one, then allow the farmers to have water.
It's hard to care about California. Apparently the majority of the voters are really strange. I really hate, though, that some decent, hardworking, freedom-loving Californians are subject to the insanity that rules there. Maybe it's time to take your state back or pack and leave.
How about Lake Meade that should stop water and electricity to California and Nevada.
Of all the smelt I ever smelt I never smelt smelt that smelt as smelly as those smelt smelt.
No wonder the language is tough.
Mmmm....*smelt*...
I love fried smelt, bones and all!
That photo does them justice. MMM... mmm...mmm!
>How about Lake Meade that should stop water and electricity to California and Nevada.
Sounds good to me.
One question, does doing this make us “environmental terrorists,” since we’re using the [legal] environment Californians have made to give them a hard time?
The Murky News has never been known as a credible news source. Look at the ‘story’ closely. Fish and Game employees only screen for the threatened fish 1/4th of the time. In the 3/4 of the 2-hour period the pumps could decimate 1/2 of the total remaining schools of the Delta Smelt. Meanwhile, Big Ag is allowed to buy this pumped water at ‘surplus’ prices through local water districts and store it. Later in the year, that same water is sold at ‘drought supply’ prices, and a few Big Ag ‘members’ of the local water district reap the obscene profits.
Meanwhile, the former function of the freshwater flushing of the entire Bay Area is crippled, and invasive species like the Zebra mussel continue their encroachment, and siphon off the food that sustains the smaller fish the Delta Smelt feed upon. The result - a 5th year without a sustainable salmon run, where in decades past (before Big Ag) there used to be 3 distinct runs, the largest of which was over 1M salmon a year. That’s the industry being lost (commercial and recreational fishing) by the actions of the more highly concentrated Big Ag interests.
Psychotic. Truly insane. Like something out of a Lewis Carroll story.
The Murky is definitely desperate to stay in business.
I guess the question is fish or people.. and the mussels add a wrinkle or two
or finding a balance between the two and the resources we share.
I almost gagged on the last smelt I had.
We Californians are not the ones who made these laws. The legislators here are out of control, due in part to gerrymandering by the same. The EPA, I believe, has decided this smelt ruling — you know, Holy Environment trumps humans.
The EPA should be sued and dismantled.
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