Federal judge disagrees on delta smelt plan

New ruling from Judge Wanger on salinity levels and the Delta Smelt. Two things not mentioned: Wanger - who's made most if not all significant rulings about Delta water flows and the ESA - is retiring. Also, no mention of the role of climate change in increasing salinity.

Here's the article from the Fresno Bee.

Help the makers of the documentary film CRUDE with their legal fees

Chevron seeks all the footage and material collected for the making of the documentary film CRUDE as part of their huge legal fight in Ecuador. Whether you like the film or believe in its message, this legal action is an enormous trampling of journalists and documentarians First Amendment rights and will have a chilling effect on future work. Especially investigations of large corporations.

Another Cause of Delta Woes - Groundwater Pumping

This opinion piece in the Sacramento Bee points to excessive groundwater pumping in Sacramento County as another cause of the environmental decline in the Delta.

The Bee has also started an online page on all things Delta: http://www.sacbee.com/delta/

Ocean Conditions?

One of the reasons given over the last few years for the decline of salmon runs on the west coast is "ocean conditions," which is a euphemism for the lack of food for salmon to fatten up on before they return to the rivers to spawn. The cause can be just about anything: warmer water, tricky currents, not enough upwelling, etc., but it also seems to be one of those excuses that can explain a difficult problem while offering no realistic solution. Some fisheries experts believe this is just another excuse to not focus on the real problem: fixing the Delta.

Here is an interesting eyewitness account of current "ocean conditions"

Delta gates proposal builds support, but environmental impact remains murky

From Matt Weiser at the Bee:

"A plan to build gates across two Delta channels has strong support from state and federal leaders, though little is known about how the project would affect the environment.

The so-called "two gates" project would build moveable gates across Old River and Connection Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta."

Big backer is the Metro Water District of Southern California. More...

Rep. George Miller's speech at the Restore the Delta symposium

Part One:



Part Two:

Delta Blues is in Post-Production and Seeking Funds for Completion

We're editing the film and conducting final interviews. To make a tax deductible contribution or to learn more about the project contact us at info (at) veriscope.com

A Documentary about the California Delta

Welcome. Over the course of the production of this documentary about the California Delta we'll post updates about its progress. Check back for updates.

For more info about the documentary contact us at info (at) veriscope (dot) com.