California Should Reconsider Plan to Release Billions of Gallons of Water Into the Ocean: Expert

The state is preparing to release a vast amount of water into the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta this fall to help fish such as the endangered Delta smelt.

Water in the California Aqueduct flows south through the San Joaquin Valley in Kettleman City, Calif., on April 2, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

As California prepares to release billions of gallons of water into the Pacific Ocean this fall to protect a local fish, some experts warn the effort may have a minor effect on the species and could harm the state’s water supply.

Each year, a vast amount of water is released into the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta to help fish such as the endangered Delta smelt, which requires a specific salinity range and water temperature for spawning.