WASHINGTON, D.C.–The U.S. Department of Interior’s plan to divert water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and its fisheries was temporarily blocked by a federal court, May 11. Pres. Donald J. Trump and his administration had announced a programme, in February, to divert spray away from the Bay-Delta region to growing agriculture areas in southern portions of California. The plan aimed to increase water capacity for the state’s agriculture industry. A suit against the program was filed almost immediately.
Judges from the federal court’s Eastern District of California backed with the country, decree the Trump administration plan would have menaced endangered species cares of fish species in the region.
“The Department of the Interior’s plan would allow for expanded ocean diversions from the Delta by more than half a million-acre feet despite overtaking technical proof that the schedule poses a clear and significant threat to federally protected categories in California- many of which have already seen lessening populations for many years, ” a statement released by the American Sportfishing Association said. “These shields for threatened and endangered fisheries too benefit the entire Delta ecosystem, including many important recreational fisheries.”
Winter-run Chinook salmon and Delta smelt were registered among the native fish populations potentially threatened by the water recreation plan.
Parties involved with the federal lawsuit were the Golden State Salmon Association, Natural Riches Defense Council, The Bay Institute, Institute for Fisheries Research, Defenders of Wildlife and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association.
Read more: fishrapnews.com.