Category Archives: Fisheries

The Delta Conveyance Project: Either We Survive Together or Perish Together

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Sarah Vardaro

On December 8th, 2023, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued the Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) for its proposed Delta Conveyance Project, informally called the Delta tunnel. During the required comment period following DWR’s release of its Draft … Continue reading →

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California’s White Sturgeon: An Endangered Species within the Foreseeable Future

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Sarah Vardaro

On November 30th, 2023, San Francisco Baykeeper, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), the Bay Institute, and Restore the Delta petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to list the state’s white sturgeon as “threatened” under the California Endangered Species Act. … Continue reading →

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The View from under the Bus: Newsom Administration and Fish Agencies Sell Out Yuba River Flow for Fish Passage

Posted on May 20, 2023 by Chris Shutes

With nary a mention that the center of the prospective deal is no flow increases on the Yuba River, two fish agencies, a water agency, and the Newsom Administration used glowing words to announce on May 16, 2023 “a restoration … Continue reading →

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CSPA Tells Water Board: Limit Shasta Reservoir Releases and Sacramento River Deliveries in 2022 to Save Fish and Water in ’22 and ‘23

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Chris Shutes

On March 16, 2022, CSPA presented recommendations to the State Water Resources Control Board to manage the Shasta and Trinity reservoirs and the Sacramento River in 2022.  The State Water Board must act now to limit releases from Shasta Reservoir … Continue reading →

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CSPA Protests State Water Board’s Protection of Irrigated Agriculture at the Expense of Fisheries and the Environment

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Bill Jennings

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and allies have vigorously protested two recent actions by the State Water Resources Control Board that virtually ensure a repeat of the last drought, when the Board’s disastrous decisions decimated multiple year classes of … Continue reading →

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NMFS Gives Stockton East and Irrigators All the Water in the Calaveras River

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Chris Shutes

On September 14, 2020, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Stockton East Water District (Stockton East) issued a Final Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Calaveras River.  The HCP will require a minimum flow of 20 cfs upstream of … Continue reading →

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Landmark Lawsuit Settlement Between CSPA and State Water Board to Protect Public Trust Fisheries

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 17 July 2020, shortly before trial, CSPA and its partners, California Water Impact Network and AquAlliance, settled a contentious 2015 lawsuit against the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board).  The lawsuit alleged that the State Board had embraced … Continue reading →

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CSPA, Coalition Sues Interior and Westlands Over Long-Term Water Contracts

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 8 July 2020, CSPA and a coalition of fishing organizations sued the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Westlands, San Luis and Panoche Water Districts in federal court over a series of interim water service … Continue reading →

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CSPA, Coalition Sues Bureau Over Long-Term Water Transfers

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 11 May 2020, CSPA, AquAlliance, California Water Impact Network and the South and Central Delta Water Agencies filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority over the EIS/EIR … Continue reading →

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CSPA, Coalition Sues Waterboards Over Grasslands Bypass Pollutant Discharges to San Joaquin River

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 5 May 2020, CSPA and a coalition of fishing and tribal groups (CSPA et al.) sued the State and Regional Water Boards, Bureau of Reclamation and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority over illegal discharges of pollutants from the … Continue reading →

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A Busy End-of-Year for CSPA

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Bill Jennings

As we wait for the Newsom Administration to unveil the details of its proposed Portfolio Project, with a single Delta tunnel, results of the “Voluntary Agreement” process to replace/argument the existing Water Quality Control Plan proceeding and efforts by the … Continue reading →

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CSPA, Coalition Comment on Grasslands Management Plan

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Bill Jennings

On 9 September 2019, CSPA and a coalition of fishing, environmental, tribal and environmental justice organizations submitted comments to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) regarding the Grasslands Bypass … Continue reading →

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CSPA Wins Huge Ninth Circuit Court Victory

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Bill Jennings

On 6 September 2019, CSPA joined by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Friends of the River, San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association, Institute for Fisheries Resources and Felix Smith prevailed in a major decision by the federal Ninth … Continue reading →

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CSPA Et Al. Sues Over Delta Tunnels Environmental Documents

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Bill Jennings

On 21 August 2017, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Department of Water Resources (DWR) over the inadequacy of its 80,000 plus page Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the WaterFix … Continue reading →

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CSPA Files For Summary Judgment Against State Water Board

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Bill Jennings

On 27 July 2017, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, joined by the California Water Impact Network and AquAlliance, filed a motion for summary judgment in our pattern and practice and public trust lawsuit against the State Water Resources Control Board. … Continue reading →

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CSPA, Coalition Submits Multiple Comments on Stewardship Council’s Revision of the Delta Plan

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Bill Jennings

The Delta Stewardship Council is in the process of revising the Delta Plan and related environmental documents following the successful litigation by CSPA and others in vacating the previous Plan. Unfortunately, the Council is again ignoring the strict requirements for … Continue reading →

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CSPA Joins With Others in Protesting Westland’s Lobbyist Appointment as Deputy Secretary of Interior

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Bill Jennings

The Trump Administration has appointed David Bernhardt as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Interior. Mr. Bernhardt was a former Interior Solicitor and has been a lobbyist for Westlands Water District. He is a registered lobbyist for Westlands and a … Continue reading →

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CSPA Submits Comments on Amendments to Central Valley Water Quality Control Plan

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Bill Jennings

On 14 April 2017, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) submitted extensive comments on proposed amendments to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s (Regional Board) Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys (Basin Plan). … Continue reading →

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CSPA Submits Rebuttal Testimony in Part I of WaterFix Hearing

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Bill Jennings

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance et al. (CSPA, CWIN and AquAlliance) joined the County of San Joaquin and Local Agencies of the North Delta in submitting rebuttal testimony in Part I of the State Water Resource Control Board’s (SWRCB) evidentiary … Continue reading →

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CSPA Joins Broad National Coalition to Oppose Federal Legislation to Reduce Protection Against Invasive Species

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Bill Jennings

CSPA has joined with more than seventy-five other organizations from around the nation to oppose the Commercial Vessel Incidental Discharge Act that would expose our nation’s water to the spread of invasive aquatic species discharged by foreign shipping vessels. The … Continue reading →

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