By Christine Souza, Ag Alert
Due to extreme drought and minimum instream flows to protect fisheries on the Scott and Shasta rivers in Siskiyou County, the State Water Resources Control Board heard from the public last week as the agency considers a suite of possible drought actions.
The state water board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, as directed by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May 10 drought declaration, must evaluate minimum flows and other actions to protect salmon, steelhead and other native fish, and work with water users and other parties on possible voluntary measures.
Agricultural interests who took part in the virtual meeting recommended pursuing a voluntary agreement to benefit fish.
“You don’t need to tell us that we are in an extreme drought,” said Montague rancher Ryan Walker, president of the Siskiyou County Farm Bureau. “I think all farmers agree that actions need to be taken to blunt the impact of this extreme drought on anadromous fish populations.”
Walker suggested a voluntary and more “nuanced approach,” adding, “We’ve developed a toolbox to be used in events like this extreme drought and that’s why it’s particularly frustrating to see these proposed flows that don’t take into account what the fish needs are during different fish life cycles.”
On June 15, DFW requested that the board adopt emergency regulations that require dedicated minimum instream flows. No action was taken by the board last week. The issue is expected to be taken up again in the coming weeks.
(Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)
