Supreme Court declines to hear appeals in California water dispute
Source: Reuters
Supreme Court declines to hear appeals in California water dispute
BY LAWRENCE HURLEY
WASHINGTON Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:44am EST
(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge by California growers and local water management agencies to federal guidelines that limit water diversions to protect the Delta smelt fish.
The decision not to hear two related cases means a March 2014 ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals siding with the federal government remains intact.
The federal guidelines, issued under the Endangered Species Act, say the state should reduce exports of water from north to south California. The plan leaves more water in the Sacramento Delta for the finger-sized fish, which is a protected species that lives only in the wetlands stretching north of San Francisco.
The dams and rivers that control water in the Central Valley Basin in California are overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, a federal agency.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/us-usa-court-water-idUSKBN0KL1HS20150112
