Salmon are at risk with federal plans to give farmers more water from Shasta Lake, critics warn

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

The Trump administration says it will increase the water it’s sending to Central Valley farmlands this year from Shasta Lake, the state’s largest reservoir.The U.S.Bureau of Reclamation said agricultural water agencies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta will receive 25% of their total contracted amount, up from an initial 20%.

Cities and towns will also get more from the federal canals that are part of the Central Valley Project.The agency cited “modest improvements” in reservoir levels after some rainstorms in April.Environmental and fishing groups reacted to Tuesday’s announcement with concern, saying that taking too much water out of Shasta Lake threatens to harm Chinook salmon by depriving them of vital cold water in the Sacramento River in the late summer and fall.“This is really bad,” said Vance Staplin, executive director of the nonprofit Golden State Salmon Assn.The Trump administration’s plan, he said, “is likely to kill salmon.”The dispute is the latest fight over what California needs to do to protect seriously declining fish as it draws heavily from rivers.When Chinook salmon swim upstream from the ocean to spawn in rivers and creeks, they need cold water for their eggs to survive.

Research shows the water needs to be below 56 degrees.But when Shasta Lake is drawn down to low levels, the water flowing from Shasta Dam can get dangerously warm.During the last drought in 2021, it got so warm at one point that most of the eggs and young fish died.“The Trump administration has proven that they are very aggressive as far as sending water south,” Staplin said.“I would hope that they would rethink what they’re doing and come back and adjust their plan to save these fish.” Climate & Environment Trump’s order is premised on the idea that increasing Delta pumping would make more water available for the rest of California.

But ex...