A federal ruling to protect at-risk fish could cut off one-sixth
of the county’s water supply, forcing consumers to tamp down at the
taps.
Gilroy – A federal ruling to protect at-risk fish could cut off one-sixth of the county’s water supply, forcing consumers to tamp down at the taps.
Endangered delta smelt fall prey to the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta pump, U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger decided Friday night. To spare them, Wanger ordered pump operators to reduce the flow from December to June, potentially cutting statewide flow by a third.
The ruling concluded a suit that pitted environmentalists against government pump operators since 2005, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contended that smelt’s thinning numbers weren’t due to the massive Tracy pumps that funnel water throughout the state. Fish advocates fumed – and the fight began.
The tiny, 3-inch fish are considered “the canary in the coal mine,” the key indicator of the delta’s health, said Craig Noble, a spokesperson for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which brought the suit. The smelt live nowhere else.
“If the smelt goes extinct, we’ve neglected the delta to the point of collapse,” said Noble. “This case is about more than a tiny fish. It’s about whether we’re going to save the source of clean water for millions of Californians.”
Water officials are still puzzling out exactly what the ruling will mean for Santa Clara County, said water district spokesperson Susan Siravo. At worst, the cuts could drain the county of one-sixth of its total water supply, half of which comes from the delta. To keep homes, businesses and farms hydrated, the water district is draining its groundwater and surface reserves, drawing from water stored in Kern County, and asking consumers to conserve.
For now, the measures are voluntary, said Siravo. But if low rainfall persists another year, the water district could force consumers to cut back – a measure it hasn’t tried since the early 1990s.
So far, the signs aren’t good: Bob Cerruti, a member of the San Martin Planning Advisory Committee, measured only 10 inches of rainfall last winter, and says nearby water tables are plummeting more than a foot each week.
The drain could also put other species at risk, said Siravo. If groundwater supplies are sapped, ponds and streams could dry up, imperiling steelhead trout, California red-legged frogs and western pond turtles.
“This is a time of uncertainty for Silicon Valley’s water supply,” said Siravo. “Most people don’t realize how important the Delta is to us.”
Delta pumps were halted for nine days this spring, allowing smelt to migrate past the pumps. The closure spurred the district to issue a strongly worded press release, which warned of future water wars over dwindling supplies. Friday’s decision intensifies those concerns.
“We’re very sensitive to anything that might curtail it,” said Rosemary Kamei, a member of the water district’s board. “It’s very critical, and you’ll be hearing more about it in the future.”
Representatives from the Association of California Water Agencies, whose members deliver 90 percent of the state’s water, were not available for comment Monday. Water board member Sig Sanchez said he wasn’t sufficiently informed on the ruling to comment.
Ultimately, argued Noble, saving smelt means saving delta water, too.
“Drinking water, irrigation, fishermen – they all depend on a healthy delta,” he said. “If the delta is so sick that it can’t even support the tiny smelt, then we have a real problem – not just for fish, but for people.”
