The State Water Resources Control Board handed environmental and fishing groups a surprise loss Friday when it denied their petition for permanent instream flow restrictions on the drought-stricken Shasta River in Northern California. The denial came as a surprise because both the water agency and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom have said they want to prioritize making some emergency drought rules for rivers permanent this year in order to better insulate the state from recurring drought. The board already extended the emergency limits it put on the Scott and Shasta rivers during the drought in a December decision, but the temporary rules run out in February 2025.

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