Legal News

Delta pumping limits eased for two weeks

By Richard Binder

Federal Judge Oliver Wanger temporarily lifted pumping curbs designed to protect salmon migration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on Friday. The decision means that water agencies serving mostly the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California can run Delta pumps for the next two weeks to take full advantage of flows from recent storms without regard to restrictions meant to protect salmon, steelhead and other fish.

Wanger concluded in his decision that the additional pumping would not seriously harm the young winter-run salmon moving through the delta to the sea, whereas reduced diversions were significantly hurting agricultural and urban water supplies.

After two weeks, the temporary order is open to renewal.

Click these for details.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on February 08, 2010 (boomark / email).