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Delta pumps kill 4.4 million splittail, 3600 salmon in 8 days
During the 8-day period from May 16 though May 23, the federal pumps killed 4,241,089 Sacramento splittail and the state facilities took 157,349 fish. That’s a total of 4,400,073 splittail.
Photo of adult Sacramento splittail courtesy of the California Department of Water Resources.
Photo of adult Sacramento splittail courtesy of the California Department of Water Resources.
Delta pumps kill 4.4 million splittail, 3600 salmon in 8 days
State and feds do nothing to stop massive fish kill
By Dan Bacher
In spite of outrage by fishermen, Tribal members and grassroots environmentalists, state and federal officials continue to do nothing to stop the unprecedented massacre of Sacramento splittail and threatened Chinooks in the California Delta pumps.
The state and federal water project pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta continue to kill 400,000 to 600,000 imperiled Sacramento splittail and up to 700 threatened spring-run Chinook salmon each day. These fish are being destroyed to divert Delta water to subsidized corporate agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and southern California water agencies.
During the 8-day period from May 16 though May 23, the federal pumps killed 4,241,089 Sacramento splittail and the state facilities took 157,349 fish. That’s a total of 4,400,073 splittail.(http://www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/data/salvage/)
A native minnow species found only in the Delta and Central Valley, the Bush administration stripped “threatened” status from the fish under the Endangered Species Act in 2003 under pressure from a political appointee. In October 2010, the Obama administration denied a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity to again protect the fish, in spite of the species declining to barely detectable levels during the Department of Fish and Game's fall surveys in recent years.
During the same 8-day period, the federal pumps killed 1935 threatened spring run Chinooks and the state facilities took 1,660 salmon. That’s a total of 3,595 spring Chinooks prevented from ever getting to the ocean.
The pumps have killed over 13,500 chinooks since the beginning of the year, with the take of both splittail and Chinooks accelerating over the past week.
The Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon population, after years of rising abundance due to the removal of dams and other habitat improvements on Butte Creek and other Sacramento River tributaries, has declined over the past few years also, due to the operation of the Delta export pumps and declining water quality. A total of 4,612 adult fish, including 1,661 hatchery fish and 2,951 natural spawners, returned to the system in 2010. In contrast, an estimated 21,319 natural spawners and 4,052 adult hatchery fish came back in 2005.
A friend of mine was recently cited by a game warden for the “offense” of allegedly throwing a cigarette butt into the water – a butt that he never tossed into the water. At the same time, DFG personnel, Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, DFG Director John McCamman and the Obama administration are presiding over the slaughter of millions of imperiled splittail and tens of thousands of spring run Chinook salmon with impunity!
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representatives claim that the killing of the big numbers of splittail in the pumps demonstrates that there were good spawning conditions for the species this year, due to high water conditions in the Sacramento River and Yolo Bypass.
However, Bill Jennings, executive director/chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, responded by saying, “The butchery continues – this is a massacre and they will take creme of the crop of this year’s spawn."
“The DFG reported zero splittail in its fall 2010 midwater trawl survey. The state and federal governments are now sabotaging the rebound of the species this year,” Jennings stated.
At the same time, the state and federal contractors that are demanding ever-more water have refused to install state-of-the art fish screens in the state and federal pumps, as mandated under the CalFed Record of Decision to protect fish, Jennings emphasized.
The Brown and Obama administrations are engaging in the wholesale slaughter of millions of Sacramento splittail and tens of thousands of Sacramento River spring-run chinook salmon. Are they trying to exterminate these species so the path will be cleared to divert all of the water south to corporate agribusiness and southern California water agencies?
Urgent Action Alert!
What can you do to stop the massive fish kill in the state and federal pumps?
First, please contact John Laird, California Natural Resources Secretary, and demand that he take immediate action to stop the killing of millions of Sacramento splittail and thousands of threatened spring run Chinook salmon by the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources!
His contact information is:
California Natural Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-5656
(916) 653-8102 fax
Email: secretary [at] resources.ca.gov
Second, mark Sunday, June 5 on your calendar to support the Winnemem Wintu Tribe’s dance for the salmon at Sogorea Te, Glen Cove, in Vallejo, where Native Americans are holding a spiritual encampment to stop the desecration of a native burial site by the Greater Valley Recreation District (GVRD). The Tribe has launched a campaign to restore endangered winter run Chinook Salmon to the McCloud River above Shasta.
“Salmon need the splittail to survive in the Estuary,” said Caleen Sisk-Franco, chief and spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. “The Estuary is necessary for the survival of Chinook. The Chinook are necessary for the water to be drinkable, and for the People. Climate change will come in to balance once we follow the salmon runs. This is why the Winnemem will dance for the salmon and the Estuary on June 5th at Glen Clove in Vallejo!”
For more information and directions to Glen Cove, go to: http://protectglencove.org.
Third, please write a letter to stop Legislation by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) aimed at gutting protections in the Bay-Delta Estuary and blocking the restoration of the San Joaquin River. Send your letter by going to the Center for Biological Diversity website, http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/action/alerts/.
State and feds do nothing to stop massive fish kill
By Dan Bacher
In spite of outrage by fishermen, Tribal members and grassroots environmentalists, state and federal officials continue to do nothing to stop the unprecedented massacre of Sacramento splittail and threatened Chinooks in the California Delta pumps.
The state and federal water project pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta continue to kill 400,000 to 600,000 imperiled Sacramento splittail and up to 700 threatened spring-run Chinook salmon each day. These fish are being destroyed to divert Delta water to subsidized corporate agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and southern California water agencies.
During the 8-day period from May 16 though May 23, the federal pumps killed 4,241,089 Sacramento splittail and the state facilities took 157,349 fish. That’s a total of 4,400,073 splittail.(http://www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/data/salvage/)
A native minnow species found only in the Delta and Central Valley, the Bush administration stripped “threatened” status from the fish under the Endangered Species Act in 2003 under pressure from a political appointee. In October 2010, the Obama administration denied a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity to again protect the fish, in spite of the species declining to barely detectable levels during the Department of Fish and Game's fall surveys in recent years.
During the same 8-day period, the federal pumps killed 1935 threatened spring run Chinooks and the state facilities took 1,660 salmon. That’s a total of 3,595 spring Chinooks prevented from ever getting to the ocean.
The pumps have killed over 13,500 chinooks since the beginning of the year, with the take of both splittail and Chinooks accelerating over the past week.
The Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon population, after years of rising abundance due to the removal of dams and other habitat improvements on Butte Creek and other Sacramento River tributaries, has declined over the past few years also, due to the operation of the Delta export pumps and declining water quality. A total of 4,612 adult fish, including 1,661 hatchery fish and 2,951 natural spawners, returned to the system in 2010. In contrast, an estimated 21,319 natural spawners and 4,052 adult hatchery fish came back in 2005.
A friend of mine was recently cited by a game warden for the “offense” of allegedly throwing a cigarette butt into the water – a butt that he never tossed into the water. At the same time, DFG personnel, Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, DFG Director John McCamman and the Obama administration are presiding over the slaughter of millions of imperiled splittail and tens of thousands of spring run Chinook salmon with impunity!
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representatives claim that the killing of the big numbers of splittail in the pumps demonstrates that there were good spawning conditions for the species this year, due to high water conditions in the Sacramento River and Yolo Bypass.
However, Bill Jennings, executive director/chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, responded by saying, “The butchery continues – this is a massacre and they will take creme of the crop of this year’s spawn."
“The DFG reported zero splittail in its fall 2010 midwater trawl survey. The state and federal governments are now sabotaging the rebound of the species this year,” Jennings stated.
At the same time, the state and federal contractors that are demanding ever-more water have refused to install state-of-the art fish screens in the state and federal pumps, as mandated under the CalFed Record of Decision to protect fish, Jennings emphasized.
The Brown and Obama administrations are engaging in the wholesale slaughter of millions of Sacramento splittail and tens of thousands of Sacramento River spring-run chinook salmon. Are they trying to exterminate these species so the path will be cleared to divert all of the water south to corporate agribusiness and southern California water agencies?
Urgent Action Alert!
What can you do to stop the massive fish kill in the state and federal pumps?
First, please contact John Laird, California Natural Resources Secretary, and demand that he take immediate action to stop the killing of millions of Sacramento splittail and thousands of threatened spring run Chinook salmon by the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources!
His contact information is:
California Natural Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-5656
(916) 653-8102 fax
Email: secretary [at] resources.ca.gov
Second, mark Sunday, June 5 on your calendar to support the Winnemem Wintu Tribe’s dance for the salmon at Sogorea Te, Glen Cove, in Vallejo, where Native Americans are holding a spiritual encampment to stop the desecration of a native burial site by the Greater Valley Recreation District (GVRD). The Tribe has launched a campaign to restore endangered winter run Chinook Salmon to the McCloud River above Shasta.
“Salmon need the splittail to survive in the Estuary,” said Caleen Sisk-Franco, chief and spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. “The Estuary is necessary for the survival of Chinook. The Chinook are necessary for the water to be drinkable, and for the People. Climate change will come in to balance once we follow the salmon runs. This is why the Winnemem will dance for the salmon and the Estuary on June 5th at Glen Clove in Vallejo!”
For more information and directions to Glen Cove, go to: http://protectglencove.org.
Third, please write a letter to stop Legislation by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) aimed at gutting protections in the Bay-Delta Estuary and blocking the restoration of the San Joaquin River. Send your letter by going to the Center for Biological Diversity website, http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/action/alerts/.
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Comments
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This writer continues to add a new twist to his daily post to keep this non-story in front of his readers. He now criticizes both the Bush and Obama administrations for preventing the splittail from being protected under the Endangered Species Act. To have biologists from both these administrations denying the protection status provides a convincing argument against coverage under the ESA. If we are going to ignore science-based decisions, any chance of finding real solutions to the bigger problems in the Delta is unlikely.
Mike Wade
California Farm Water Coalition
Mike Wade
California Farm Water Coalition
For more information:
http://www.farmwater.org
I think it's pretty clear who controls government operations. The government has turned into a corporate clone starting with the Reagan/Watt administraton. Science has been drained of substance and environmental laws have had their teeth pulled. The cold, lifeless, paranoid world of bureaucracy sees living beings only as words on a page. Fish and people have been reduced to numbers.
For those not completely numb to other species try thinking about what a salmon has to go through to survive. If the new salmon was lucky enough to hatchout it has to avoid instream predators, man made stuff like pumps and then more predators. Think about it- Humans (sport, commercial and pirate fisherman), killer whales, salmon sharks, lampreys, sea birds, sea lions, daggertooth fish, parasites and diseases plus the "Red Devil" (Humboldt squid) and this is a partial list. Perhaps the Humboldt squid or "Red Devil" is a fitting metaphor of the salmons demise. It travels in schools of 1000 or more, is an aggressive deadly predator and has spread from Baja California to Alaska. Marine biologist call it the velociraptor of the ocean. And now thanks to human enhanced global warming, pollution and corporate fishing techniques the Red Devil is loose and multiplying.
Perhaps the only people that really care about the salmon as a being are the few indigenous healers that still try to keep a spiritual outlook. I wish them well in their ceremonies. This may be the only help the salmon get.
For those not completely numb to other species try thinking about what a salmon has to go through to survive. If the new salmon was lucky enough to hatchout it has to avoid instream predators, man made stuff like pumps and then more predators. Think about it- Humans (sport, commercial and pirate fisherman), killer whales, salmon sharks, lampreys, sea birds, sea lions, daggertooth fish, parasites and diseases plus the "Red Devil" (Humboldt squid) and this is a partial list. Perhaps the Humboldt squid or "Red Devil" is a fitting metaphor of the salmons demise. It travels in schools of 1000 or more, is an aggressive deadly predator and has spread from Baja California to Alaska. Marine biologist call it the velociraptor of the ocean. And now thanks to human enhanced global warming, pollution and corporate fishing techniques the Red Devil is loose and multiplying.
Perhaps the only people that really care about the salmon as a being are the few indigenous healers that still try to keep a spiritual outlook. I wish them well in their ceremonies. This may be the only help the salmon get.
your premise that governments give convincing arguments is flawed. Governments exist to protect property. In order to protect property [and capitalism], the natural world must be exploited. Learn your history. All governments and civilizations that were based on the exploitation of non-renewable resources have ended in a bitter collapse. Ours is based off this exploitation (as we see with the water. Most from the corporate ag side of this argument just say, 'well, people gotta eat'; but they know that is absurd. The agribusiness that is demanding this exploitation is demanding it because they want to feed their business. This is not subsistence agriculture where the natural world is only exploited to the extent that will subsist the population. This is FOR PROFIT agriculture, not because 'people gotta eat'.
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