Opinion: San Joaquin River restoration project at Fresno pond delayed
Fresno’s largest body of water — and likely its most diverse wildlife habitat — shimmers in silence on a sunny spring afternoon. … Where we’re at is Milburn Pond, a reclaimed gravel mining pit that belongs to the San Joaquin River Ecological Reserve and is managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. … Listed at 287 acres, Milburn Pond is large enough to be considered a lake. Except for the fact that it’s not surrounded by land on all sides. … Now, though, there’s a state-approved proposal to isolate the pond that has been kicking around since the historic 2006 settlement to restore river flows and self-sustaining salmon runs. It’s a plan Moosios and others believe would irreparably harm this little-known or observed wildlife sanctuary — even though less destructive and expensive options have been proposed that would accomplish virtually the same stated purpose.
-Written by columnist Marek Warszawski.