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

California’s water belongs to everyone

Coalition response…Individuals and groups concerned with the proposal by the State Water Resources Control Board to designate higher flows in the Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers for fish are waiting for the scientific reasoning for the decision. Water board staffers have publicly stated that it is unknown whether the flow decision will benefit salmon.

Science must play an important part in the decisions that regulate our water resources. A recent study as part of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s relicensing of Don Pedro Dam on the Tuolumne River found that 93% of juvenile salmon in the river were consumed by predator fish. Adding more water to the river will not solve the predator problem and restore the salmon population.