Tiny, endangered fish hinders California's Colorado River conservation plan
Jessica Humes, Environmental Project Manager for the Imperial Irrigation District, looks over a pond refuge for the desert pupfish, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Imperial, Calif. The Imperial Irrigation District created a plan to scale back draws from the Colorado River in a bid to preserve the waterway following years of drought. But a tiny, tough fish got in the way. The proposal to pay farmers to temporarily stop watering forage crops this summer has environmentalists concerned that irrigation drains could dry up, threatening the fish, she said. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
In this 2010 handout image, desert pupfish are seen in a refuge pond in Imperial, Calif. The Imperial Irrigation District created a plan to scale back draws from the Colorado River in a bid to preserve the waterway following years of drought. But a tiny, tough fish got in the way. The proposal to pay farmers to temporarily stop watering forage crops this summer has environmentalists concerned that irrigation drains could dry up, threatening the fish, she said. (Jessica Humes/Imperial Irrigation District via AP)
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 the critical Colorado River.
But a tiny, tough fish got in the way.
Now, 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. The proposal to pay farmers to temporarily stop watering feed crops such as alfalfa this summer has environmentalists concerned that irrigation drains could dry up, threatening the fish that measures the length of an ATM card.
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