From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Who Will Pay for Jerry Brown’s Father Complex?

Coalition response…A clarification is needed to this story—Judges have not “routinely shut down the pumps.” Instead, it has been biological opinions written by federal fish agencies that have caused the disruption in water deliveries without improvements to fish populations that they are designed to protect. These biological opinions ignore the most recent science that identifies a loss of habitat, water quality, predation and poor ocean conditions as causes for smelt and salmon declines.

A federal judge ruled in May 2010 that federal fish agencies must rewrite the biological opinions and this time include recognition of negative impacts to humans resulting from the opinions. We’re still waiting for that rewrite.

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