Category Archives: Authors

In Memoriam: “Striper Mike” McKenzie

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Chris Shutes

Mike McKenzie, plier of Delta waters for striped bass over many decades, moved on to purer waters on September 25.  Striper Mike was well known as a superb striper fisherman, but fished for all kinds of fish all over California … Continue reading →

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CSPA Submits Testimony and Exhibits for State Water Board Hearings on Delta Tunnels

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Bill Jennings

CSPA is a formal protestant and party of record in the continuing battle over the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s (USBR) scheme to construct twin tunnels to divert the Sacramento River under the Delta to … Continue reading →

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Major CSPA Victory as State Water Board Acts to Protect Spring-Run Salmon in Butte Creek

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Chris Shutes

On Tuesday, August 2, 2016, the State Water Resources Control Board took an important action to protect the spring-run Chinook salmon in Butte Creek.  Butte Creek contains the only run of spring-run Chinook in the Central Valley that is considered … Continue reading →

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CSPA Files Objections to “WaterFix” Testimony and Exhibits Hearings on Delta Tunnels Begin July 26

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Chris Shutes

CSPA filed objections on July 12 to testimony and exhibits that the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Water Resources (collectively, “proponents”) submitted in support of their “WaterFix” effort to construct tunnels under the Delta in order to move … Continue reading →

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Lend Your Voice to Save the Delta Striped and Black Bass Fisheries

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Denise Zitnik

The California Striped Bass Association has published an online petition asking the California Fish and Game Commission (DFG) not to pass proposed regulatory changes that would decimate striped bass and black bass populations. The regulations would allow anglers to keep … Continue reading →

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It is not too late for Delta smelt

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Tom Cannon

Before the 2012-2015 drought, Delta smelt had a recovery period in 2010 and 2011. Now, in 2016, there remains an opportunity for some form of recovery, albeit small. What is needed is exactly what the US Fish and Wildlife Service … Continue reading →

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CSPA Objects to Reduced San Joaquin River Flows

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Chris Shutes

CSPA and allied groups California Water Impact Network and AquAlliance have filed an Objection to an April 19, 2016 Order that allows reductions of April-June flows in the lower San Joaquin River from the flows required in Water Rights Decision … Continue reading →

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Coalition Sets High Bar for Analysis of Proposed Dam

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Chris Shutes

CSPA and allies in the Foothills Water Network submitted 25 pages of comments today on the analysis Nevada Irrigation District (NID) must perform to inform decision making about a proposed new dam on the Bear River. NID’s proposes to build … Continue reading →

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Give Voters the Opportunity to Vote on the Multi-Billion Dollar Delta Tunnels

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Denise Zitnik

On April 13, 2016, CSPA joined a coalition of environmental and fishing groups to send a letter to California assembly member Susan Eggman in support of Assembly Bill 1713. The bill would prohibit the construction of any infrastructure like the … Continue reading →

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Irrigation Districts Can’t See Past Killing Bass to Save Salmon

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Tom Cannon, Bill Jennings and Chris Shutes

Many San Joaquin Valley irrigation districts can’t get past the refrain on the broken record that controlling striped bass and black bass will save salmon and steelhead. They’ll do anything to avoid releasing more water from reservoirs; in many cases, … Continue reading →

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California Cannot Wait for Water Quality Protections Any Longer

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Denise Zitnik

CSPA and more than 150 other environmental, fishing, environmental justice and tribal organizations have submitted two letters regarding the supposed three-year update of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. A letter to the State Water Resources Control Board urges the … Continue reading →

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CSPA Says “NO” to Privatizing the Public Trust

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Chris Shutes

Oral Comments of Chris Shutes, CSPA Water Rights Advocate, to the State Water Resources Control Board, April 5, 2016. Item 9: 2016 Operation of New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River [based on notes as read; exact delivery was slightly … Continue reading →

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CSPA and Coalition Urges SWRCB to Address WaterFix’s Changing Project Description

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Denise Zitnik

On April 1, 2016, CSPA and a coalition of environmental groups submitted their second letter in two days to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), urging the SWRCB to dismiss the upcoming California WaterFix hearings. The new letter comes … Continue reading →

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What Caused the Impending Extinction of Delta Smelt?

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Chris Shutes

CSPA’s fisheries biologist Tom Cannon gave a presentation entitled “Contributing Cause of Smelt Decline: Water Exports” at a symposium on March 29, 2016 at UC Davis. The theme of the conference, sponsored by the Delta Stewardship Council, was: “Delta and … Continue reading →

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CSPA Persists in Challenging the Broken Delta Tunnels Project

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Denise Zitnik

Following a petition by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) requesting to further delay the “Change in Point of Diversion” hearings, CSPA and a broad collation of environmental and water agency groups has … Continue reading →

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CSPA Formally Protests Delta Tunnels to State Water Board

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Bill Jennings

On 5 January 2016, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) filed a formal protest of the WaterFix Project petition to change the point of diversion for the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP) WaterFix Project that was … Continue reading →

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CSPA et al. Assails Water Board’s Delta Tunnel Hearing Process

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Bill Jennings

On 24 November 2015, CSPA joined Friends of the River, Restore the Delta and the Environmental Water Caucus in sending a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board regarding the hearing process with respect to the petition by the … Continue reading →

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CSPA Comments to Army Corps on Pending Water Fix Permits

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Denise Zitnik

On November 8, 2015 CSPA, CWIN, and AquAlliance submitted comments to the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 and River and Harbors Act (RHA) Section 10 permits recently requested for the California Water Fix … Continue reading →

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CSPA’s Submits Comments at the Conclusion of the Water Fix’s RDEIR/SDEIS Public Comment Period

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Denise Zitnik

On October 30, 2015 the public comment period for the Recirculated Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS for Bay Delta Conservation Plan/California WaterFix (RDEIR/SDEIS) ended. CSPA submitted comments with CWIN and AquAlliance, and in a separate effort worked closely with the Environmental … Continue reading →

Posted in Bay Delta Conservation Plan, California Delta, Denise Zitnik, Fisheries, Water Quality | 1 Comment

CSPA and Allies Defend Butte Creek Protections

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Chris Shutes

Virtually everyone agrees that PG&E’s DeSabla – Centerville Hydroelectric Project on Butte Creek and the West Branch Feather River provides important benefits to salmon. Fortunately, the ten-year-long relicensing of this project is close to completion. In the most recent process … Continue reading →

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