Federal, State Agencies Reach Partial Agreement in Delta

A new agreement announced by state and federal agencies today aims to benefit struggling salmon and steelhead populations in the south Delta while protecting water supplies for farmers and people.  

The proposed agreement among the National Marine Fisheries Service, the California Department of Water Resources and public water agencies establishes new approaches to managing state and federal water project operations in the south Delta.

It includes installing a seasonal rock barrier at the head of Old River to help keep steelhead from straying toward the pumps where mortality occurs, establishing a broader range of potentially permissible “reverse flows” in the lower Old and Middle rivers, and broadening acoustic tagging of fish to gather more precise information on migratory patterns.

The agencies will test the proposed agreement during the months of April and May. The proposed agreement can be found here.

"This is not the ultimate answer for water supply reliability for California, but it is a step in the right direction for advancing the science," Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin said in a media briefing. "The agreement provides space for us all to contribute to enhancing the science, so in the out years we can craft more effective ways for protecting fish."