Southern California's Imperial Irrigation District supplies water to farmers who grow most of the nation’s winter vegetables. It created a plan to reduce its draws from the Colorado River to help preserve the waterway following years of drought. But a tiny, tough and endangered fish called the desert pupfish got in the way.
Southern California's Imperial Irrigation District, which supplies water to farmers who grow most of the nation's winter vegetables, planned to start a conservation program in April to scale back what it draws from theNow, those plans won't start until at least June so water and wildlife officials can devise a way to ensure the endangered desert pupfish and other species are protected, said Jamie Asbury, the irrigation district’s general manager.
Today, it lives in a few areas in California, Arizona and Mexico, including the Imperial Irrigation District’s drains, which funnel waterOften, the district's drains have more fresh water than the Salton Sea, so the fish seek out those spaces, said Ileene Anderson, senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity. The fish has proven remarkably resilient and can survive in water with low oxygen levels, high salinity and temperatures of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit .
California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife declined to discuss the water conservation plan. The department said in an emailed statement that officials support water use reductions on the Colorado River and will work with other agencies to “find solutions that proactively minimize and mitigate any potential impacts to the great work underway.”
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