Part of the permit’s implementation will include methods for environmental restoration and spawning projects to benefit endangered species like the Chinook salmon.
By Alan Riquelmy, Courthouse News Service
A new operating permit issued Monday for California’s state water project is expected to help protect fish and ensure almost 30 million people can access a reliable water supply.
“The new incidental take permit for the state water project issued today provides California with new tools and resources to better manage our water supply for endangered fish species and millions of Californians,” said Karla Nemeth, water resources department director, in a statement.
The incidental take permit is required under state law to protect endangered and threatened fish species like the Chinook salmon.
The state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife issued the permit to the Department of Water Resources after the certification of a final environmental impact report for the state water project’s long-term operation.
Composed of over 700 miles of canals, pipelines, reservoirs and hydroelectric facilities, the state water project both stores and delivers clean water to some 27 million Golden State residents, along with 750,000 acres of farmland.
A series of planned actions and tools intended to reduce and offset potential impacts to fish species are linked to the new permit. They include tidal marsh and floodplain restoration projects supporting spawning, better fish passage in essential migration areas and support for hatchery production activity.
Officials also pointed to an adaptive management plan that will enable the state water project to tap into new scientific discoveries, allowing more efficient and effective species protection.
“In California, incidental take permits are an important way we regulate infrastructure projects that have the potential to cause harm to protected fish and wildlife,” said Chuck Bonham, director of the state fish and wildlife department, in a statement. “By requiring the state water project operation to avoid and minimize impacts, and to mitigate and counteract those impacts through habitat restoration, improved flow measures, monitoring, and hatchery production, we will make sure all fish and wildlife species impacted by the project have opportunities to thrive.”
The state water resources department has worked with the federal Bureau of Reclamation since 2021, along with state and federal fish agencies, to update operating rules for the project. That work fell on the heels of 2020 litigation against federal rules.
The state water resources department worked toward meeting California Endangered Species Act requirements, which are separate from the federal rules. This makes it easier to manage and means state coverage of the Endangered Species Act would stay in place regardless of possible federal rule changes.
“Extreme storms and extended droughts mean we need to be as nimble as possible in operating our water infrastructure,” Nemeth said. “[The Department of Water Resources] remains committed to using the best available science to operate the state water project to support the water supply needs of California’s communities while protecting fish and wildlife.”
The State Water Contractors praised the new permit in a statement, saying that it appears to resolve lingering issues, includes the best available science and heralds regulatory stability for water managers.
“We will work closely with our state partners to ensure the reliability and viability of the state water project for the millions of Californians who rely on it,” said Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, in a statement.
The contractors group is a nonprofit association comprised of 27 public agencies that buy water from the state water project.
