Media Advisory for 2/17: Fishers, Delta Leaders, Water Advocates To Protest Move to “Destroy Salmon”

Media Advisory for Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; 916/956-4592-cell; steve@hopcraft.com Twitter: @shopcraft
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 barbara@restorethedelta.org; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta

Fishers, Delta Leaders, Water Advocates
To Protest Move to “Destroy Salmon”
Protest Push by Westlands, Feinstein to Overpump Delta, Destroy Fisheries;
If Endangered Species Go Extinct, No Need for Protections

Delta fishing, community leaders, and state water experts will hold a news conference on Tuesday, February 17th, outside the scheduled State Water Resources Control Board meeting to protest a push by Westlands Water District, other Federal and State Water Contractors, and their political allies to further overpump the Delta for export water. Thus far, the SWRCB has enforced an inadequate standard that fails to protect Salmon, Delta smelt and other fisheries, yet Federal and State water contractors are seeking additional waivers from meeting this less than ideal standard which would result in the permanent destruction of Winter-run Chinook salmon, Delta smelt, and other fisheries. The SWRCB needs to at least hold the line on this less than ideal standard because fishery agencies are failing to stop the permanent loss of these species.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta said, “The latest push by Sen. Feinstein on behalf of Westlands Water District would exterminate Winter-run Chinook salmon, Delta smelt and steelhead, mainly to benefit a small number of huge corporate agribusinesses on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. If there are no fish, then there are no protections for fish needed, and the greedy mega-growers can grab all the water for three of California’s drought stricken counties.”

Who: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Ex. Dir., Restore the Delta
Mike Jackson, Water Law Attorney, California Water Impact Network
Bill Jennings, Ex. Dir., California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
Fishers, Farmers, and additional policy experts available for questions

When: 1:00 pm, Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Where: Outside Cal EPA, 1001 I Street, Sacramento

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