Delta Pumping Curtailments Hurt California Communities
The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley issued a letter late last week calling on state and federal leaders to avoid water supply cuts that provide uncertain short-term benefits in favor of a long-term solution for the endangered delta smelt.
In the letter, Blueprint Chair Eddie Ocampo stated, “Water regulators are now requiring that export pumping be reduced, and an estimated 12,000-20,000 acre-feet of water will be lost over the next 3-4 days to protect the endangered delta smelt, predominantly as a result of high winds in the Delta. The regulations will affect most water users in California by reducing available water supplies in the short term but are likely to provide no long-term benefit to the species.”
Ocampo went on to state that the decision to cut water affects millions of people in California by threatening agriculture, food security and jobs while at the same time doing nothing to protect the longevity of the delta smelt, according to scientific research.
The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley is a coalition of community leaders, businesses, water agencies, local governments, and agricultural representatives working together to address water management challenges in the San Joaquin Valley.
Read the full letter from the Water Blueprint here.
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