Lance W. Johnson: Maybe environmentalists should help build that fish ladder

The stunning news just keeps coming for Turlock and Modesto irrigation districts’ water and power customers. Previously it’s been that Tuolumne River unimpaired flows must be increased to about 35 percent to benefit fish, causing the loss of tens of thousands of acre-feet of water that previously was delivered to farmers to grow food.

Now the “other shoe” drops. In the Aug. 12 article “Fish passage faces TID cost questions” (Page A1), The Bee reported the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is mandating the implementation of a fish-passage program to enable salmon to get past Don Pedro Dam. The estimated cost: up to $150 million, on average “just” $100,000 per fish. TID board member Rob Santos said “It’s asinine.” Amen.

In the past I’ve said “fish are more important then people.” Now, I will add add: “regardless of the cost.” Maybe those who are so fervently and adamantly advocate for fish health should step up to the plate and endow a fish-ladder program with the capital, operation and maintenance costs to ensure its success. I won’t hold my breath on that thought any more than I would on Sens. Dianne Feinstein, or the anti-ag Barbara Boxer coming to the rescue.

This story was originally published August 13, 2015 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Lance W. Johnson: Maybe environmentalists should help build that fish ladder."