Judge Blocks Delta Water Diversion Over Steelhead Trout

SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN RIVER DELTA, CA — A federal judge in Fresno, citing danger to the Central Valley steelhead trout, on Monday temporarily blocked the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from increasing water diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta for the Central Valley Water Project.

U.S. District Judge Dale Drozd issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting expanded pumping until May 31. He said evidence in two lawsuits filed by the state of California and conservation groups showed that the steelhead was in "an extremely precarious situation."

The steelhead is listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The month of May is a peak time for juvenile steelhead to migrate through the delta to the ocean, according to the plaintiff groups.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement, "We applaud the court for hitting pause on the Trump Administration's reckless attempt to expand water export operations at the expense of California's wildlife and habitats."

Drozd ruled in lawsuits filed in federal court in San Francisco in December by six fishing and environmental organizations and in February by the state of California. Both lawsuits were moved in March to the federal court in Fresno.

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