Heated debate over California water plan as environmentalists warn of 'ecosystem collapse'

"The question of how to protect fish and the ecological health of rivers that feed California's largest estuary is generating heated debate in a series of hearings in Sacramento, as state officials try to gain support for a plan that has been years in the making. "I am passionate that this is the pathway to recover fish," said state Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. "This is the paradigm we need: collaborative, adaptive management versus conflict and litigation.""

"The plan is being discussed in three days of hearings convened by the State Water Resources Control Board. It sets out rules for water quality that will determine how much water can be pumped out of the Sacramento-San-Joaquin River Delta for the state's farms and cities. Years of research shows that fish do better when there is more water in the region's rivers and the Delta itself."

California officials convened three days of hearings at the State Water Resources Control Board to consider a water-quality plan for the Sacramento-San-Joaquin River Delta. The plan would set rules determining how much water can be pumped from the Delta for farms and cities. The Newsom administration and water agencies support the proposal, saying it offers flexibility and promotes collaborative, adaptive management. Environmental advocates warn the plan would remove too much water, threaten native fish populations already in severe decline, and fail to address rising toxic algae blooms. Fish face challenges from dams, nonnative predators, and powerful pumps that draw them into vulnerable areas.

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