Lance W. Johnson: Fish have been favored over people for years

Re “Lake Tulloch Water Outlook Precarious” (Page A1, March 11): The Bee article notes that state and federal regulations regarding Stanislaus River flows favor fish habitat and are impacting local irrigation districts and the water supplies to thousands of residents around Tulloch Lake.

For over 20 years farmers and water agencies reliant on water exported from the Delta by the state and federal water projects could be heard saying, “fish are more important than people?” as regulatory actions stripped away ever increasing quantities of previously deliverable water. Today the water lost to those regulatory actions under the scientifically unproven guise of benefiting fish amounts to about 5 million acre-feet per year – enough water to fill New Melones Reservoir twice.

State and federal water agencies warned regulatory agencies and legislators what would befall California farmers and urban customers during the next drought. Those warnings obviously fell on deaf ears. And now those regulations are impacting farm water agencies and urban customers in the Lake Tulloch region.

The article notes home owner’s groups are lobbying state and federal officials to relax Stanislaus River rules. Don’t hold your breath, folks. “Fish are more important than people.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Lance W. Johnson: Fish have been favored over people for years."