header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
September 18
1962 - Articles of incorporation filed for Golden State Memorial Hospital on Lyons Avenue [story]
Golden State Hospital


Delta smelt

Delta smelt

[CN] – Citing the need to protect dwindling salmon populations, California drought regulators are mulling large-scale changes that would divert water meant for farmers and water suppliers to the state’s besieged Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

The California State Water Resources Control Board issued a new report Wednesday that recommends keeping more water in the Sacramento River for most of the year to help flush out and improve the water quality of the vital delta, California’s most important water source.

The struggling delta is the largest freshwater estuary on the West Coast, providing more than 25 million Californians with drinking water and irrigation to a host of Central Valley farmers. With California dealing with a sixth year of drought, major changes to the delta’s management plan would likely signal sweeping cuts to farmers and water suppliers.

Regulators said unimpaired Sacramento River flows should be increased to between 35 and 75 percent during certain stretches of the year to support salmon and the 3-inch delta smelt.

The water board acknowledged that while the report is based on the best science available, flow-related studies are still evolving.

“While perfect science is not available and exact mechanisms behind flow-related functions are not fully understood, there is a significant and compelling amount of information supporting the need for additional flow and related measures to protect fish and wildlife beneficial uses in the Bay-Delta, one of the most widely studied estuaries in the world,” the 388-page report states.

Last month, the board released a report recommending that more water be kept in the San Joaquin River as well. The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers drain into the delta before finally reaching the San Francisco Bay.

The delta acts a massive water savings account where the state’s largest rivers accumulate before having their supplies divvied up and transferred to millions of Central Valley farmers and Southern Californians through a series of pumps, canals and aqueducts.

Scientists and environmentalists argue the critical water source has been abused and mismanaged, leaving warm and low-quality water for fish migrating from the San Francisco Bay back into the state’s river systems. The delta argument has intensified in recent years because of the state’s historic drought, which has already left farmers and cities with less water.

Wednesday’s announcement also figures to impact the state’s largest-ever proposed public waterworks plan, the California WaterFix, which calls for 30-mile-long twin tunnels underneath the delta at an estimated cost of $15 billion.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s contentious plan to divert water from the delta has been bashed by environmentalists and delta communities who say the tunnels will further damage the lifeline of California’s water supply.

The twin tunnels project – a major focus of Brown’s fourth and final term as governor — is based off current delta flows and would likely need a overhaul if regulators demand more water be kept in the delta.

The water board says the report is a working draft and that the final draft will be reviewed by an independent science board. An environmental review is also planned and will be developed as the water quality plan progresses.

A public workshop is scheduled for Dec. 7 and public comments can be submitted until Dec. 16.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

2 Comments

  1. Harvey says:

    Compete idiocy.

    Clearly another power grab dressed up in the typical environmentalist garb, sickening.

    The same bunk reasoning that was used to steal our local forest and make them “Monuments” where people can no longer hunt or use OUR FORESTS as hunting areas.

    Good people up in Fresno are standing up to this and have successfully stopped the Sierras from becoming a “Monument ” let’s band together and fight this foolishness and reclaim our forests.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024
Sept. 21: JCI Invites All Veterans to Upcoming Resource Fair
JCI Santa Clarita is proud to announce the upcoming Veteran’s Resource Fair, scheduled to take place on Sept. 21 at William S. Hart Park. 
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2024
Sept. 19: SENSES Pirate Block Party
Get ready to set sail at the Pirates SENSES Block Party, presented by the city of Santa Clarita, Thursday, Sept 19 from 7-10 p.m. on main street in Old Town Newhall.
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2024
Foothill League Football Begins for SCV Teams
Six of the seven Foothill League Varsity football teams begin league play Friday night, Sept. 20.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
The Counties of Los Angeles and San Bernardino today announced the opening of multiple joint Local Assistance Centers to assist residents impacted by the Bridge and Line Fires.
L.A., San Bernardino Counties to Open Joint Local Assistance Centers for Residents Impacted by Bridge and Line Fires
Valencia Gynecology Associates, owned by longtime Santa Clarita Valley OB-GYN physician Don Nishiguchi, MD, has joined the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital network. 
Valencia Gynecology Assoc. Joins Henry Mayo Network
JCI Santa Clarita is proud to announce the upcoming Veteran’s Resource Fair, scheduled to take place on Sept. 21 at William S. Hart Park. 
Sept. 21: JCI Invites All Veterans to Upcoming Resource Fair
A "friendies" field tournament  is being  hosted by the Saugus Instrumental Music program, with support from Valencia High, later this month. 
Sept. 21: All Valley Showcase Comes to Valencia High
Public, member-supported 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound, Southern California’s leading Triple-A (adult album alternative) format radio station has announced the lineup for its inaugural “Year-End Bash” taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Dec. 7: CSUN Owned 88.5-FM The SoCal Sound Announces “Year End Bash” Lineup featuring Ben Gibbard
The Master's University cross-country teams continued their successful 2024 campaigns with strong finishes at the BIOLA Invitational on Friday, Sept. 13 at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton, Calif.
TMU Women Win, Men Place Second at XC Invitational
Sheriff’s Department Announces New Law Enforcement Gang Policy
Sheriff’s Department Announces New Law Enforcement Gang Policy
The biology department at California State University, Northridge has stayed committed to promoting STEM research carried out by K-12 students and teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
CSUN Student Research Journal Celebrates 28 Years of Inspiring Scientific Imagination
Did you know the SCVEDC has an interactive, online tool that provides themed virtual tours of the amazing features the community has to offer? 
Take a Virtual Tour of the Santa Clarita Valley
California Institute of the Arts alum and visionary filmmaker Tim Burton (Film/Video 1979) was honored with the 2,788th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
CalArts Alum Tim Burton Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
1962 - Articles of incorporation filed for Golden State Memorial Hospital on Lyons Avenue [story]
Golden State Hospital
The Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center welcomes back Jim Curry for an evening concert celebrating the music of John Denver on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at Bella Vida.
Oct. 5: SCV Senior Center Welcomes Jim Curry ‘Take Me Home’
As part of the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency's ongoing commitment to ensuring local groundwater quality and reliability, the SCV Water recently began construction on a new treatment facility to remove perchlorate and volatile organic compounds at Well 205 in Valencia.
SCV Water Begins New Water Treatment Project in Valencia
Get ready to set sail at the Pirates SENSES Block Party, presented by the city of Santa Clarita, Thursday, Sept 19 from 7-10 p.m. on main street in Old Town Newhall.
Sept. 19: SENSES Pirate Block Party
No. 21 College of the Canyons football team knocked off No. 5 Fullerton College 29-13 on Saturday night behind a stifling defensive effort and five field goals from Luis Rodriguez.
No. 21 Canyons Knocks Off No. 5 Fullerton 29-13
Six of the seven Foothill League Varsity football teams begin league play Friday night, Sept. 20.
Foothill League Football Begins for SCV Teams
The California Institute of the Arts will present the "NAACP Santa Clarita Masquerade Ball", Friday, Oct. 4, 7-11 p.m. at 24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355.
Oct. 4: NAACP Santa Clarita Masquerade Ball at Cal Arts
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating two human cases of a rare parasitic infection, Baylisascaris procyonis, also known as raccoon roundworm.
Public Health Investigating Disease Spread from Animals to Humans
1879 - First official Newhall School building erected near Walnut & Ninth streets [story]
First Newhall School
The city of Santa Clarita is hosting Make A Difference Day on Saturday, Oct. 26 and is looking for enthusiastic residents to volunteer for various projects that benefit local nonprofits, as well as the city.
Oct. 26: Volunteers Needed for Make a Difference Day
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and PathPoint announced the graduation of Aiden Land and Andrew Mendence from the Project SEARCH internship program.
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, PathPoint Celebrate Grad Interns
The William S. Hart Union High School District has announced upcoming community information meetings about Learning Post Academy Independent Study School, Thursday, Sept. 18 and Friday, Sept. 19.
Sept. 18-19: Learning Post Academy Online Information Meetings
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 18, 5 p.m. in open session to interview and appoint a new trustee for Area 5.
Sept. 18: COC Board to Interview, Appoint Area 5 Trustee
The city of Santa Clarita wants to remind residents that volunteer registration is open for the 29th Annual River Rally Cleanup and Environmental Expo scheduled for next Saturday, Sept. 21, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the William S. Hart Pony Baseball and Softball Complex, 23780 Auto Center Drive, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
Sept. 20: Last Chance to Register for the River Rally
SCVNews.com