May 31: The Day the Pumps Shut Down

I suggest that we set aside 31 May 2009 as an annual CSPA holiday in celebration of the Day the Pumps Shut Down. Perhaps, 31 May should be our annual fundraiser, as it symbolizes our holy grail. Attached is a pdf of May salvage and exports.

Admittedly, the stoppage only occurred because salvage of Delta smelt at the state and federal project pumps had reached 423 the previous day and the legal limit for “take” in May was 449. DWR and the Bureau would have been in violation of the take provisions of the federal Endangered Species Act had they salvaged 27 more Delta smelt the next day.

Had that occurred, I'm sure some imprudent, radical, recklessly unreasonable and irresponsible group of environmental stone throwers, like us :), would have surely sued. So, perhaps for the first time, both the Banks and Tracy pumping plants were shut down (Banks actually shut down the day before).

Miraculously, reverse flows in Old and Middle Rivers suddenly went positive (+925 cfs) and no smelt were taken at the pumps. Imagine that: no exports = no dead smelt or splittail.

Unfortunately, today started a new calendar and I'm sure the pumps were quickly restarted. But, for one shining moment, the export pumps (which the contractors keep telling us are not the problem) were quiet and the killing stopped. Cheers!


Bill Jennings, Chairman
Executive Director
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
3536 Rainier Avenue
Stockton, CA 95204
p: 209-464-5067
c: 209-938-9053
f: 209-464-1028
e: deltakeep [at] aol.com
http://www.calsport.or