Despite the wettest and snowiest winter in several years in the north state, two federal regulators are still proposing tight releases from reservoirs, to make sure two fish species don’t become extinct. But Nevada County’s Congressman, Doug LaMalfa, says the plans, for Shasta Lake and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, are contradictory and, either way, leave inadequate water supplies for residents and farmers…

click to listen to Congressman LaMalfa

LaMalfa is one of 15 members of Congress from California that has sent a letter urging the Obama Administration to reject the proposals, from the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service…

click to listen to Congressman LaMalfa

The Shasta Lake proposal is designed to protect the juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon, which has been nearly killed off over the last two summers. The delta proposal would help rescue the smelt. But critics say holding that much water behind Shasta would curtail water deliveries to Central Valley farmers at crucial times during the growing season.