Wednesday, September 21, 2011

News articles and links from Sept. 21, 2011

Courts

Judge orders U.S. to revise salmon safeguards

Story

From LA Times - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

Judge rejects effort to aid Delta salmon

Story

From Sacramento Bee - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

Fish tale

Blog

By John Howard

From California Water Wars - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

Parts of Delta salmon plan invalidated in court

Story

From Fresno Bee - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

Judge: Salmon protections too costly to water users

Story

From Contra Costa Times - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

Judge rips Interior scientists for 'outrageous' testimony in delta smelt case

Story

From E&E News PM - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

Judge throws out part of salmon, steelhead plan

Story

From Modesto Bee - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

From News 10/ABC - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

From North County Times - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

From Redding Record Searchlight - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

From The Record - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

2009 salmonid biop found to be unlawful

Blog

By Brandon Middleton

From Pacific Legal Foundation - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

(The following response is posted to the above articles.)

Coalition response...Endangered fish species in the Delta must be protected...it's the law. But the law must be applied in a lawful manner and a federal judge has repeatedly found that federal agencies have failed in that effort. Phrases such as unjustified, clearly erroneous, unlawful, bad science and others have been levied at the fishery agencies responsible for federal rules that govern the flow of water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The result of this failure to comply with law has been an ongoing legal effort that never should have taken place if the agencies had done their job right from the beginning. Once again the judge has directed the agencies to rework portions of the biological opinions that govern flows through the Delta to farmers and 25 million Californians. Hopefully they got the message and will correctly rewrite these rules.

Delta

Brown's canal threatens Delta

Viewpoint

By Robert Gammon

From East Bay Express - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

Coalition response...The alternatives to a reliable water supply delivery through the Delta that are currently being considered, including a Peripheral Canal, are very different than the measure voters turned down in the 1980s. California's population has climbed significantly in the past 30 years and that climb is expected to continue. Without a reliable water supply delivery system and an increased reservoir system, California's water future will be in jeopardy.

Raising the spectre of selenium caused by agricultural runoff into the Delta provides a false and misleading analysis. A more accurate look at selenium discharges must include the Grassland Drainage Area south of Dos Palos, which encompasses 100,000 acres. Reducing the discharge of selenium and other minerals from farm fields has been a goal of the farmers, public water agencies and State and federal agencies involved in the cooperative effort. From 1995 to 2010, selenium discharges have plummeted 87%. Salt and boron discharges have also dropped, 72% and 64% respectively. This effort proves that selenium discharges from fields has been declining. In 2009 the State Water Resources Control Board removed selenium from the 303(d) list of impaired water bodies on the San Joaquin River from its confluence with the Merced River all the way to the Delta. Selenium problems in the bay are more likely the result of refinery operations, as the author said, than from the now-declining agricultural runoff.

Delta advocates say Salazar is 'badly mistaken' about canal plan

Blog

By Dan Bacher

From IndyBay Media - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

Coalition response...Responding to Secretary Salazar's assurances that the BDCP will not drain the Delta or northern California by criticizing efforts that are aimed to help all of California is a reflection of not willing to work collaboratively with others for solutions. Certain individuals and organizations refuse to accept the possibility that a reliable water supply system can co-exist with a healthy Delta without their agreement. This obstructionist thinking serves no purpose other than to mislead a public that is in need of a reliable water future.

WATER SUPPLY

Water storage workshop looks at state's options

Story

From Ag Alert - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

DELTA

The Supreme Court, the Commerce Clause, and the...

Blog/Video

By Rob Rivett

From Pacific Legal Foundation - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

Newspaper editorials should be elision-free zones

Blog

By John Bass

From Delta National Blog - Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

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