<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--></head><body><div class="ydp75bacd1cyahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> <div><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif"><u></u><u></u></span></b>
<p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:22.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<b><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:#c00000">“The
whole thing was a ripoff,” said Adam Keats, a lawyer for California
Water Impact Network and other groups. Keats said the deal surfaced
during a time when David Bernhardt,
who had represented Westlands as a lawyer and lobbyist, was Interior
secretary under then-President Trump.</span></i></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:22.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<b><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:#c00000">“We
prevented Westlands from validating their contract. That was our goal,”
Keats said. “And now we have a chance to reverse the contract.”</span></i></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-08-10/environmentalists-praise-court-ruling-against-water-district" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-08-10/environmentalists-praise-court-ruling-against-water-district&source=gmail&ust=1691867427682000&usg=AOvVaw0su31qEKZ6V5t_poPC4Mp1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-08-10/environmentalists-praise-court-ruling-against-water-district</a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"> <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Los Angeles Times</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment&source=gmail&ust=1691867427682000&usg=AOvVaw2LjY46ZDxNE_XEoPatgFKX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; border-width: 1pt; border-style: none; border-color: windowtext; padding: 0in;">CLIMATE
& ENVIRONMENT</span></b></a></span><u></u><u></u></p>
<h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black;letter-spacing:-.15pt">Battle rages over ‘sweetheart deal’ between Trump administration and giant water district</span><u></u><u></u></h1>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">( Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415byline-prefix"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;text-transform:uppercase">BY</span></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;text-transform:uppercase"> <a href="https://www.latimes.com/people/ian-james" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/people/ian-james&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw262wsLzOUbksmV_wAoZcRs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IAN
JAMES</a><span class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415author-title">STAFF WRITER </span></span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415published-date-day"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">AUG. 10, 2023 </span></span><span class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415published-time"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">3
AM PT</span></span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:22.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:22.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Critics
call it a “sweetheart deal” between the Trump administration and the
Central Valley’s largest agricultural water district, and they claim it
unfairly lines the pockets of
major farm owners while imperiling California salmon and other fish
species.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">For
the last three years, environmentalists, tribal activists and fishing
groups have been battling in court to reverse a contract between the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the
Westlands Water District. Among other provisions, the 2020 agreement
grants Westlands permanent access to as much as 1.15 million acre-feet
of water per year, more than double the amount of water that Los
Angeles’ 3.9 million residents use annually.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Now,
Westlands opponents are celebrating a legal victory they say puts them
one step closer to invalidating the contract. A state Court of Appeal
this week upheld a Fresno County
Superior Court <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-29/judge-declines-to-validate-water-deal-for-california-farm-supplier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-29/judge-declines-to-validate-water-deal-for-california-farm-supplier&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw3SCtPr5M4CDMhzC5ZaY-iQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">decision to deny</a> Westlands’ request that a judge validate the contract.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“The
whole thing was a ripoff,” said Adam Keats, a lawyer for California
Water Impact Network and other groups. Keats said the deal surfaced
during a time when David Bernhardt, who
had represented Westlands as a lawyer and lobbyist, was Interior
secretary under then-President Trump.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:22.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“We
prevented Westlands from validating their contract. That was our goal,”
Keats said. “And now we have a chance to reverse the contract.”</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-02-28/westlands-water-district-gets-permanent-u-s-contract-for-massive-irrigation-deliveries" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-02-28/westlands-water-district-gets-permanent-u-s-contract-for-massive-irrigation-deliveries&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw01zQC7JgwYN8CFd-Av-Tbq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:blue"><img border="0" style="width: 100%; max-width: 0px;" id="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415Picture_x0020_4" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=dcef81a7e0&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1773959386247006097&th=189e5ea9b7390791&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ97YlrX1uhopnOM9Vz78g5EfPi6pIoFtYSH9o6f6NnH5JzbKoAzWp68PaOjieI2M5PA47Yd22Dpmo8DPj1-G9VLxxS11ik10OhdRC1FC6GQGwQioXWPosdqq3k&disp=emb" alt="Westlands Water District canals in California's Central Valley, photographed in 2009." data-image-whitelisted="" class="ydpcae572f9CToWUd" data-bit="iit" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true"></span></span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">In
a statement, Westlands General Manager Allison Febbo said the district
“continues to assess the ruling, but it is important to recognize that
neither the Court of Appeal’s ruling
nor the lower court’s judgment renders the contract invalid.”</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Mary Lee Knecht, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation, declined to comment, saying the matter remains under litigation.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">The water at the center of the dispute flows through the <a href="https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/central-valley-project" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/central-valley-project&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw2ifhgBGdGqqHFG1XoRmddH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Central Valley Project</a>,
a federally
operated system of reservoirs and canals that delivers water from the
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farmlands. Westlands spreads
across 600,000 acres in Fresno and Kings counties, and delivers water to
producers of almonds, pistachios, tomatoes and
other crops.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Stephan
Volker, a lawyer representing North Coast Rivers Alliance, the Winnemem
Wintu tribe and other groups, said the contract charges Westlands far
too little for water.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“This
is an enormous gift of public resources, scarce water resources, at the
expense of environmental protection, so that a few entrepreneurs
basically can reap enormous profits,”
Volker said.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">The three-judge appellate court <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23902217-2023-8-7-appeals-court-decision-ncra-v-westlands-water-district" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23902217-2023-8-7-appeals-court-decision-ncra-v-westlands-water-district&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw2gLKuo6qdKR-zdY2wSikSW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">agreed
with a Superior Court judge’s ruling</a> that the water district’s
draft contract was “materially deficient in its failure to specify
Westlands’ financial obligations under the anticipated contract.”</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">The
environmental groups also have a related case pending in federal court
and argue the government should be barred from delivering water to
Westlands under the contract. Volker
and others said in light of the latest decision, they hope Interior
Secretary Deb Haaland will rescind the contract.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-29/judge-declines-to-validate-water-deal-for-california-farm-supplier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-29/judge-declines-to-validate-water-deal-for-california-farm-supplier&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw3SCtPr5M4CDMhzC5ZaY-iQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:blue"><img border="0" style="width: 100%; max-width: 0px;" id="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415Picture_x0020_3" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=dcef81a7e0&attid=0.2&permmsgid=msg-f:1773959386247006097&th=189e5ea9b7390791&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_99K75yKxwU5pnkpKNmk56iyJjknXOUbsq4NbMnxK6CkVqU0o-cZPlFXIAzaP4logUUjW9N7ErSKYaC8JQASEVtmLbWTxbrphwZqcOFqL1GaONrOT0SXRmxsk&disp=emb" alt="FILE - In this June 25, 2013, photo, workers move irrigation pipes from a field in the Westlands Water District near Five Points, Calif. A California judge has declined to validate a permanent water contract between the federal government and the Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest agricultural water supplier. (AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka, File)" data-image-whitelisted="" class="ydpcae572f9CToWUd" data-bit="iit" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true"></span></span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">The
significance of the ruling will depend on the response from the federal
government, said Dave Owen, a professor at UC College of the Law in San
Francisco.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“What
this case does is give the federal government the option to back out of
a contract and renegotiate it,” Owen said. “It makes the contract
voidable. And that could be very significant
if the federal government says, ‘We don’t like the contract, we think
it was a mistake, we want to negotiate something new.’”</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">However,
Owen said, the Bureau of Reclamation hasn’t given any indication it’s
taking that position and has continued delivering water under the
contract.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“I
think if this litigation is going to eventually lead to changes in the
amount of water that stays in rivers and the amount of water that
Westlands gets, there’s probably a whole
series of other dominoes that would need to drop,” Owen said.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Fishing and environmental groups have fought in court for years to limit the water Westlands receives from the delta.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Environmental
advocates said that if the district had prevailed in the case, it would
have been entitled to receive water without complying with certain
limitations, including a
960-acre limit per landowner and higher pricing requirements. They said
a victory for Westlands would have hindered efforts to restore water
quality and the ecosystem in the delta, where they blame large water
diversions for causing declines in salmon and
other fish species.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Keats
and other critics say they’re concerned not only about the effects of
diverting the water from the delta’s ecosystem, but also about issues
with selenium-tainted wastewater
from Westlands fields, which in the 1980s <a href="https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/kesterson-reservoir" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/kesterson-reservoir&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw3Abj5hYJemR1gBrJDHdH-K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">caused bird deaths</a> at nearby Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge. Instead of continuing to grow almonds and pistachios, he said,
a better use for the land would be to cover it with solar panels.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“They
should stop putting water in that ground, no matter what it produces in
terms of food. It’s a terrible place to be irrigating,” Keats said.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-03-15/salmon-fishing-banned-along-california-coast" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-03-15/salmon-fishing-banned-along-california-coast&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw1IP0RDpyaYFL9a3LexpCds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:blue"><img border="0" style="width: 100%; max-width: 0px;" id="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415Picture_x0020_2" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=dcef81a7e0&attid=0.3&permmsgid=msg-f:1773959386247006097&th=189e5ea9b7390791&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ9Rw5P4HW0VSVvqci_p4EvAgee9-EUUxna0F84uN0FRGl-x_MeXA-O-PqmKI70fpBbUjtFdq1_xyEsQswc8_g1lA6qPn0j35TEmz5lrcg_iI08oFGYZSVS3Ghw&disp=emb" alt="Anderson, CA - January 19: A fall-run Chinook salmon swims in a holding pond at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery in January. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)" data-image-whitelisted="" class="ydpcae572f9CToWUd" data-bit="iit" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true"></span></span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">John
Buse, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the
massive water diversions put the delta ecosystem at grave risk, and
“these schemes to lock in permanent
deliveries of California’s most precious resource are dubious and
illegal.”</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“We’d
like to see the Bureau of Reclamation just set aside this contract and
enter a new process with Westlands that looks at the full environmental
consequences, including on salmon
and Delta fish,” Buse said.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Westlands <a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-02-28/westlands-water-district-gets-permanent-u-s-contract-for-massive-irrigation-deliveries" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-02-28/westlands-water-district-gets-permanent-u-s-contract-for-massive-irrigation-deliveries&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw01zQC7JgwYN8CFd-Av-Tbq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">took advantage of
a 2016 law</a> to convert the district’s contract to an agreement that
would secure a permanent water entitlement. The law allowed for such a
change if agencies repaid what they owed the government for construction
of the Central Valley Project.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Febbo
pointed out that dozens of other water suppliers similarly sought new
contracts under the process laid out in the 2016 legislation, which was
signed by then-President Obama.
She said that the contract remains valid and that the district has paid
the federal government about $210 million as required under the
agreement.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Beyond
the dispute over Westlands’ contract, environmental advocates have
called for an overhaul of how the Central Valley Project is managed,
including how the costs are allocated.
In a recent <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ee697fa9db0955b9b1c0ba/t/64a5d1ee6686791807384fb3/1688588782565/CWIN_GombergCVP_June2023.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ee697fa9db0955b9b1c0ba/t/64a5d1ee6686791807384fb3/1688588782565/CWIN_GombergCVP_June2023.pdf&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw2NXV1bvM0tff-t7cafJyEZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">report released by the California Water Impact Network</a>,
former state water official
Max Gomberg said the federal government’s method of allocating costs
contains major flaws, and “the biggest omission is the environmental
damage” caused by water diversions.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Gomberg said he believes the federal government should be charging all water users significantly more.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">“The
entire cost structure of this project is both deeply unfair and a
contributor to why it does so much environmental damage,” Gomberg said.
“The people who are responsible for
the damage are the people who should be paying. And the way that this
project has been operated, that hasn’t been the case.”</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw1L9iy26_7gHF0-t1p31ME6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase">CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT</span></b></a><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/california&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw0_qkZhpVzwBnytuAjUwKfU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase">CALIFORNIA</span></b></a><a href="https://www.latimes.com/topic/california-drought" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/topic/california-drought&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw1ue_DdypPJY-inbNwx4opn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase">WATER
& DROUGHT</span></b></a></span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/people/ian-james" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/people/ian-james&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw262wsLzOUbksmV_wAoZcRs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:blue"><img border="0" style="width: 100px; max-width: 0px;" id="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415Picture_x0020_1" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=dcef81a7e0&attid=0.4&permmsgid=msg-f:1773959386247006097&th=189e5ea9b7390791&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ-OMyHwdBUrXuSdWhAUqDxR6p4V2Kn8-y7mOSWHbSp8lFLQpHd5vlbrk6GSOcyUlQCnb8mLu50VavHOv1MbImSvZAGbq8RlekF0wmKGEUHpe1ZxUjY51otUnwk&disp=emb" data-image-whitelisted="" class="ydpcae572f9CToWUd" data-bit="iit" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true"></span></span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/people/ian-james" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/people/ian-james&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw262wsLzOUbksmV_wAoZcRs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ian James</a></span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415author-bio-text" style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black">Ian
James is a reporter who focuses on water in California and the West.
Before joining the Los Angeles Times in 2021, he was an environment
reporter at the Arizona Republic and the Desert Sun. He previously
worked for the Associated Press as a correspondent in the Caribbean and
as bureau chief in Venezuela. He is originally from California.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"> <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"> <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-category" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;text-transform:uppercase"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw1L9iy26_7gHF0-t1p31ME6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT</a></span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<h3 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black;letter-spacing:-.15pt"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-02-28/westlands-water-district-gets-permanent-u-s-contract-for-massive-irrigation-deliveries" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-02-28/westlands-water-district-gets-permanent-u-s-contract-for-massive-irrigation-deliveries&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw01zQC7JgwYN8CFd-Av-Tbq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Westlands Water District
gets permanent U.S. contract for massive irrigation deliveries</a></span><u></u><u></u></h3>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-timestamp" style="margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Feb. 28, 2020<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-timestamp" style="margin:0in"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-timestamp" style="margin:0in"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"> <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-category" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;text-transform:uppercase"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/california&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw0_qkZhpVzwBnytuAjUwKfU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CALIFORNIA</a></span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<h3 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black;letter-spacing:-.15pt"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-29/judge-declines-to-validate-water-deal-for-california-farm-supplier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-29/judge-declines-to-validate-water-deal-for-california-farm-supplier&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw3SCtPr5M4CDMhzC5ZaY-iQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judge declines to validate water deal for California
farm supplier</a></span><u></u><u></u></h3>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-timestamp" style="margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Oct. 29, 2021<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-timestamp" style="margin:0in"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-category" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;text-transform:uppercase"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw1L9iy26_7gHF0-t1p31ME6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT</a></span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<h3 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family:Times New Roman,serif;color:black;letter-spacing:-.15pt"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-03-15/salmon-fishing-banned-along-california-coast" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-03-15/salmon-fishing-banned-along-california-coast&source=gmail&ust=1691867427683000&usg=AOvVaw1IP0RDpyaYFL9a3LexpCds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="enhancr_card_2650312036">Salmon fishing banned along California coast as population plummets</a></span><div><br></div><div id="ydp8cb4877eenhancr_card_2650312036" class="ydp8cb4877eyahoo-link-enhancr-card ydp8cb4877eymail-preserve-class ydp8cb4877eymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:400px;font-family:YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" data-url="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-03-15/salmon-fishing-banned-along-california-coast" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MEDIUM" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-03-15/salmon-fishing-banned-along-california-coast" style="text-decoration-line: none !important; text-decoration-style: solid !important; text-decoration-color: currentcolor !important; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;" class="ydp8cb4877eyahoo-enhancr-cardlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><table border="0" class="ydp8cb4877ecard-wrapper ydp8cb4877eyahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="max-width:400px"><tbody><tr><td width="400"><table border="0" class="ydp8cb4877ecard ydp8cb4877eyahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:400px;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(224, 228, 233);border-radius:2px"><tbody><tr><td class="ydp8cb4877ecard-primary-image-cell" background="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/yRuvHMuxL8OrX6cAkiGuSA--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTQwMDtoPTIwMDthcHBpZD1pZXh0cmFjdA--/https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2d9c5bc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4200x2205+0+298/resize/1200x630!/quality/80/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F43%2Fcd%2F0dfa667d484a86bf4c0daa6cd59d%2F890757-me-salmon-along-sacramento-river-26-ajs.jpg.cf.jpg" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top" height="175" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; position: relative; border-radius: 2px 2px 0px 0px; min-height: 175px;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><v:rect fill="true" stroke="false" style="width:396px;height:175px;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;"><v:fill type="frame" color="#000000" src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/yRuvHMuxL8OrX6cAkiGuSA--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTQwMDtoPTIwMDthcHBpZD1pZXh0cmFjdA--/https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2d9c5bc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4200x2205+0+298/resize/1200x630!/quality/80/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F43%2Fcd%2F0dfa667d484a86bf4c0daa6cd59d%2F890757-me-salmon-along-sacramento-river-26-ajs.jpg.cf.jpg"/></v:rect><![endif]--><table border="0" class="ydp8cb4877ecard-overlay-container-table ydp8cb4877eyahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td class="ydp8cb4877ecard-overlay-cell" background="https://s.yimg.com/cv/ae/nq/storm/assets/enhancrV21/1/enhancr_gradient-400x175.png" bgcolor="transparent" valign="top" style="background-color: transparent; border-radius: 2px 2px 0px 0px; min-height: 175px;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><v:rect fill="true" stroke="false" style="width:396px;height:175px;position:absolute;top:-18px;left:0;"><v:fill type="pattern" color="#000000" src="https://s.yimg.com/cv/ae/nq/storm/assets/enhancrV21/1/enhancr_gradient-400x175.png"/><v:textbox inset="0,0,20px,0"><![endif]--><table border="0" class="ydp8cb4877eyahoo-ignore-table" height="175" style="width: 100%; min-height: 175px;"><tbody><tr><td class="ydp8cb4877ecard-richInfo2" style="text-align:left;padding:15px 0 0 15px;vertical-align:top"></td><td class="ydp8cb4877ecard-actions" style="text-align:right;padding:15px 15px 0 0;vertical-align:top"><div class="ydp8cb4877ecard-share-container"></div></td></tr></tbody></table><!--[if gte mso 9]></v:textbox></v:rect><![endif]--></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><table border="0" align="center" class="ydp8cb4877ecard-info ydp8cb4877eyahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-size: auto; position: relative; z-index: 2; width: 100%; max-width: 400px; border-radius: 0px 0px 2px 2px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(224, 228, 233);"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:16px 0 16px 12px;vertical-align:top;border-radius:0 0 0 2px"><img class="ydp8cb4877ecard-object-1 ydp8cb4877eyahoo-ignore-inline-image ydp8cb4877eymail-preserve-class" src="https://s.yimg.com/nq/storm/assets/enhancrV2/23/logos/latimes.png" height="36" style="min-width:36px;margin-top:3px"></td><td style="vertical-align:middle;padding:12px 24px 16px 12px;width:99%;font-family:YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;border-radius:0 0 2px 0"><h2 class="ydp8cb4877ecard-title" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; font-family: YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 34, 40); max-width: 314px;">Salmon fishing banned along California coast as population plummets</h2><p class="ydp8cb4877ecard-description" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(151, 158, 168);">California's Chinook salmon population is suffering, forcing the cancellation of the fishing season along the Pa...</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><u></u><u></u></h3>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-timestamp" style="margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">March 15, 2023</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9m_1423132040316616415promo-timestamp" style="margin: 0in;"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="ydpcae572f9MsoNormal"><u></u> <br></p></div><div><br></div></div></div></body></html>