Salmon advocates warn of a new threat on the Sacramento River
The Golden State Salmon Association rang the alarm that the Bureau of Reclamation intends to manage Shasta Dam this fall in a way that could once again cook the Sacramento River’s next generation of Chinook. The dispute centers on cold water. Salmon eggs need it to survive the fall spawning season, and a federal biological opinion requires the Bureau to hold enough behind Shasta Dam to keep temperatures safe. The State Water Resources Control Board rejected the Bureau’s management plan on June 10, ruling it would violate both that opinion and state temperature law. According to the association, the Bureau has signaled it will proceed anyway, draining extra water to boost summer deliveries to Central Valley farms.
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