Increased Splittail at Delta Pumping Facilities Underscores Need to Rethink and Rebuild California’s Water Delivery System

Thursday, 26 May 2011

This season’s wet weather has resulted in a high number of Sacramento splittail found at the State Water Project and Central Valley Project pumping facilities. When the fish migrate to this area, they are captured and moved back to the Delta, away from the pumps. The increase in splittail found near the pumps is likely indicative of a significantly higher population than previous years.

Sacramento, CA –  “The extremely wet winter we’ve had this year brought an abundance of fish to Northern California’s waterways. In turn, the spike in fish populations has raised the number of one species of fish, Sacramento splittail, being captured at the state and federal pumping facilities and returned to the Delta. Higher capture rates of splittail are typical in wetter years when overall populations dramatically increase. We hope and expect an increased population to be the case again this year.

“Meanwhile, we continue to work closely with state and federal agencies, environmental groups and other key stakeholders to identify improvements to the Delta water delivery system that will dramatically lower the conflicts between fish migration patterns and the water conveyance critical for the state’s economy. The only way to resolve this problem is to design and build a new water delivery system. Today, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is the most viable and promising path towards making scientifically sound solutions a reality.”

CONTACT:
Fiona Hutton
Ann Newton
(818) 760-2121