Press release from the Center for Biological Diversity and the Planning and Conservation League:
Writing to three water boards April 11, 2024, conservation groups called for an investigation into control of dangerous selenium being released from federal irrigators into the San Joaquin River and Bay-Delta Estuary. Federal scientists have documented these selenium levels cause reproductive failure, deformities, and death in fish and waterfowl. “Action is needed to protect fish and wildlife from this toxic pollutant,” said John Buse, Center for Biological Diversity Senior Counsel. “Federal scientists have linked deformities in the Sacramento splittail to elevated levels of selenium in the San Joaquin River.”
The deformities to splittail, a native fish species, are documented in a federal scientific study released in 2018. Elevated selenium levels have been attributed to runoff from San Joaquin Valley lands irrigated with federally-subsidized water.
“We urge the water boards to strengthen the selenium standards to protect aquatic life from these toxic releases of selenium before it’s too late,” said Howard Penn, Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League. “The water boards need to immediately require a wet-year monitoring program of splittail funded by these federal drainage contractors and require more protective standards.”
The San Francisco Bay and Delta ecosystem is at risk due to environmental degradation from west side irrigation run-off and drainage. Scientific evidence indicates that elevated selenium levels can contribute to the decline of fish and aquatic-dependent birds. EPA scientifically protective standards were waived for these west side irrigators and more lax standards were allowed specifically for the Grassland Bypass Drainers. And now, even those lax standards have been exceeded. This is particularly disturbing given the state and federal actions underway to restore the San Joaquin River and San Francisco Bay Delta estuary.
Previous action by the water boards limited selenium tainted releases from these federal irrigators to state and federal wildlife refuges. Specifically, the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority was required to supply these refuges with better quality groundwater. However, a new plan would resume delivery of elevated selenium tainted water from the Grassland Drainers to Mud Slough to be delivered to the refuges. Considering the history of the Kesterson waterfowl deformities in San Joaquin Valley refuges from selenium contamination, the proposed change in source water is alarming.
Migratory birds, Pacific salmon, and people rely on San Joaquin Valley wildlife refuges that are part of the Pacific Flyway. Failing to enforce established protective selenium standards for these feeding areas could result in reproductive harm as well as deformities in fish and wildlife that depend on these sloughs and waterways.
CBD, PCL et. al. Cmts Selenium Exceedences & Mud Slough Discharges (1)
