UPDATE: 9:30 a.m., Sept. 28, 2017
California water users asked federal officials to ease protections this fall for endangered fish that live in the Sacramento Delta and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed.
The federal agency eased the rules designed to protect the Sacramento Delta smelt clearing the way for more water to be drawn out of the delta. That water could be sent south to farms and homes.
USFWS spokesman Shane Hunt offered a statement after the decision was made public.
"This adaptive management approach is supported by new investments in monitoring by our agency, our state and federal partners, and water districts," Hunt said.
State water contractors asked the federal government to adjust protections that require more fresh water to stay in the delta during the fall of wet years. The restrictions were put in place in 2008 to protect endangered delta smelt and other struggling fish species.
A group representing state water contractors has been monitoring the delta environment and their biologists demonstrated that rules don not have a big impact on the endangered fish.
"This is really the fact that we've been able to have a conversation about the research that's been done and to use that research to make an adjustment that we don't think has an impact on the species but could have a benefit for supply this year," said Jennifer Pierre, of the State Water Contractors.
Easing the rules with adaptive management guidelines allows for the 27 agencies Pierre represents to draw additional water this calendar year if there is enough rain to justify it.
RELATED: California Water: Debating The Delta Tunnel Plan
The Natural Resources Defense Council disagrees. The environmental advocates argue the rules were put in place to give fish populations a respite when there is extra water in the delta.
"This action really is designed to make sure we get a rebound. And that we have some fish that survive into next year," said Doug Obegi of the NRDC.
The threatened delta smelt population surged during the last wet year in 2011 and that happened because the federal regulations were in effect that fall, Obegi said.
"This proposal is to cut back on that so that farms and cities divert even more of the water and less of it flows through the delta. Which would harm delta smelt, and salmon and other species," Obegi said.
