Sacramento – Late Tuesday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources released their “Revised Draft Biological Assessment” for the California Water Fix (Delta Tunnels). The document is posted online here.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service will use the document to decide whether the tunnels would violate the Endangered Species Act.
The new document comes as supporters and opponents of the Delta Tunnels are presenting their cases at permit hearings before the California State Water Resources Control Board. Those hearings are expected to last six months.
Reacting to the new document, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, said:
“While we are still working through the document, it is clear the increased presence of toxic algal blooms will be a threat to species, and, thus, public health. As it has been every step of the way, the devil is in the details. What the Brown Administration sells as solutions through public relations ends up being a no pass when it comes to real science. We will keep the public up to date on our findings.”