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EDF Water Experts Available to Comment on Biological Opinion Released Today on California Salmon, Other Bay-Delta Fisheries

Posted on: Thursday, 4 June 2009, 16:20 CDT

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 4

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by Environmental Defense Fund:

What: Water experts from Environmental Defense Fund are available to comment on a new biological opinion released today by the National Marine Fisheries Service on the effects of California state and federal water projects on threatened and endangered populations of California salmon, steelhead, and green sturgeon (see biological opinion at http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocap.htm). The biological opinion (whether a federal action is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of a threatened or endangered species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat) will require a temporary reduction in water pumping from the Bay-Delta to prevent further declines in fish populations.

Why: Combined federal and state water pumping out of the Bay-Delta reached all time highs in recent years. At the same time, Chinook salmon and other delta fish have crashed as a result of increased water exports, combined with water pollution from toxic chemicals and invasive species that compete with native fish. In response, conservation groups filed a lawsuit in 2004 to invalidate the prior biological opinion which concluded that weaker protections for salmon and increased water exports above the historically high levels of recent years would not jeopardize salmon. The federal judge in the case, Oliver Wanger, subsequently required a new biological opinion from the National Marine Fisheries Service that may temporarily reduce water pumping from the Bay-Delta to protect fish. The pumping restrictions are a 5-7 reduction from recent and historic levels, and will still allow significant pumping and exports from the Delta.

Who: Ann Hayden, Senior Water Resource Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund

Cynthia Koehler, Senior Consulting Attorney, Environmental Defense Fund

A. Spreck Rosekrans, Senior Economic Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund

Hayden, Koehler and Rosekrans were three of the co-authors of the EDF report: "Finding the Balance: A Vision for Water Supply and Environmental Reliability in California"

When: Thursday, June 4, 2009

Contact: Sean Crowley, 202-550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org

Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 supporters. Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. http://www.environmentaldefense.org/

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund

Source: PR Newswire

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