Sacramento Valley Contributes to Delta Smelt Food Production

 

Sacramento Valley water suppliers–as part of the ongoing effort to creatively manage water for various beneficial purposes—have stepped up these past several weeks to provide water into the Yolo Bypass “to boost production of the zooplankton” that are important food sources for the Delta smelt. Food web impacts are thought to be one of the major factors responsible for the decline of Delta smelt.

These same water suppliers are already working with state and federal agencies and conservation partners to implement the Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program. These new actions are also part of a larger effort underway throughout the Sacramento Valley to spread water across the region to serve multiple benefits: increased food production for fish and other aquatic species in bypasses and related areas; important habitat and food for birds along the Pacific Flyway; and groundwater recharge that will be important for groundwater sustainability and preparing for future dry years.

Sacramento Valley water suppliers have been progressive leaders in environmental and economic stewardship by proactively managing precious water resources for multiple beneficial uses, including domestic deliveries to cities and rural communities and supplying water for farms and habitat for fish and birds. Nowhere in California are the natural and human resources more closely integrated and cared for than the Sacramento Valley.

These actions help carry out the Governor’s direction in the May budget revisions and the California Natural Resources Agency strategy, which is available at: California Natural Resources Agency. 

The following is a summary of the program:

 

Great Blue Heron and Egret
Yolo Bypass
Photo by Leslie Morris