Federal judge upholds Klamath water releases to save salmon
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Associated Press] By Jeff Barnard - October 2, 2014 -
GRANTS PASS, Ore., A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a federal water agency did not violate the law when it made special reservoir releases last year to help salmon in Northern California's Klamath River survive the drought, rather than save it for farms.
The Westlands Water District and the San Louis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority in the San Joaquin Valley had sued the bureau to stop the releases, arguing the water should have been saved for farms facing the drought. Irrigation has been shut off to farms in the region this year.
As the drought continued this year, the bureau again made special releases for Klamath salmon, which the judge also refused to stop, finding that the potential harm from drought to salmon right now was greater than the potential harm to farms next year.
To Read Full Story Login Below.