It is important for the two systems to work together, Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, said in a statement. She warned the Trump administration\u2019s plan could limit the state\u2019s ability to send water to cities and farmers. That is because the state could be required to devote more water to species protection if the federal project sends more to farms.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel.<\/p>\n Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director at Restore the Delta, said pumping more water out would result in more Delta smelt and juvenile salmon dying from getting stuck in the pumping system, and once the temperature warms, harmful algae blooms will develop that are dangerous to fish, wildlife, pets and people. That could have economic impacts, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you destroy water quality and divorce it from land, you are also destroying property values,\u201d she said. \u201cNobody wants to live near a fetid, polluted backwater swamp.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bureau of Reclamation denied the changes would harm the environment or endangered species.<\/p>\n The Central Valley Project primarily sends water to farms, with a much smaller amount going to cities and industrial use. Water from the Central Valley Project irrigates roughly one-third of all California agriculture, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. <\/p>\n The Westlands Water District, one of the largest uses of Central Valley Project water, cheered the decision. It \u201cwill help ensure that our growers have the water they need to support local communities and the nation\u2019s food supply, while also protecting California\u2019s wildlife,\u201d Allison Febbo, general manager, said in a statement.<\/p>\n During Trump\u2019s first term, he allowed more water to be directed to the Central Valley, a move Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom fought in court<\/a>, saying it would push endangered delta smelt, chinook salmon and steelhead trout populations to extinction. The Biden administration changed course, adopting its own water plan in 2024 that environmental groups said was a modest improvement. Newsom didn\u2019t immediately comment Thursday on the new decision.<\/p>\n
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