/Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
By Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler | Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is taking unprecedented steps to combat President Donald Trump’s efforts to ship more water to his agricultural allies in the San Joaquin Valley.
Saying Trump’s water plans are scientifically indefensible and would violate the state’s Endangered Species Act, the state Department of Water Resources on Friday began drawing up new regulations governing how water is pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the southern half of the state.
The move sets the stage for another confrontation between Trump and Newsom over the future of California’s water supply and the fish that live in it. Already, the state has sued the Trump administration more than 45 times over issues ranging from immigration to climate change.
State officials believe the Trump administration’s plans will hurt the Delta’s fragile fish populations — and could lead to water supply cuts to the 25 million Californians who receive drinking water from the state’s pumps in the estuary. The Trump administration has argued that the pumps can be opened wider without harming the endangered fish.
