Jeffrey McCracken, 916/978-5100, 916/769-1109, jmccracken@mp.usbr.gov

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agree to Reduce Pumping to a Minimum To Protect Delta Smelt

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) today filed with U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California a plan for the immediate protection of the threatened Delta smelt at the two major export pumps in the South Delta.

Under the plan, the two projects will re-operate to ensure no net effect on Old and Middle rivers from the two diversions until water temperatures in the South Delta reach 25 degrees centigrade, the lethal temperature for juvenile Delta smelt.

Reclamation said that pumping at the federal CW “Bill” Jones Pumping Plant will be reduced to the minimum required for health and safety. In addition to cutting back to 850 cubic feet per second (cfs), Reclamation will be evaluating other technical and water acquisition measures which could be taken to provide the needed water and, at the same time, reduce pumping further. The 850 cfs will be pumped from its smallest pump of the six pumps at the Jones Plant. Normally at this time of year, pumping is up to 3,500 cfs.

Simultaneously, Reclamation will provide an equivalent 850 cfs of flow into the south Delta.

The other major export system, the California State Water Project, announced today that it will shut down completely its pumps at Clifton Court Forebay for seven to 10 days.

However, other diverters in the South Delta can pump up to 3,000 cfs, which could affect the flows in Old and Middle rivers.

“The Bureau of Reclamation and the State Department of Water Resources are voluntarily reducing their pumping to help the Delta smelt,” according to Steve Thompson, Manager, California-Nevada Operations for the Service. “We all recognize that the Delta smelt is in serious trouble; those agencies are cooperating to provide short term help to the species as we put longer term survival solutions in place.

“The Delta faces a survival crisis. It will take the cooperation of all interests on the broad range of problems – food, exotic species, climate change, pesticides and pumping -- to save this species and the Delta, ” Thompson added.

The federal agencies also advised the court in its plan that, working with National Marine Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Game, they will determine the water needs for the Delta smelt and other listed species to ensure that there will be sufficient water for equally critical summer and fall seasons.

The spring tracking surveys are finding record low numbers of juvenile Delta smelt this spring, so it is difficult to draw inferences about their distribution. Until recently, no young smelt were taken at the pumps. However, in the last 10 days some Delta smelt have been collected at the pumps.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.

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