Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Fish Decline Amid Drought
SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Five fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta saw their numbers drop last year amid the state's historic drought.
The Sacramento Bee reports that Delta smelt recorded an all-time low population number in an annual fall survey of fish species.
Others in steep decline include longfin smelt, American shad, threadfin shad and striped bass.
The newspaper says the results are not unexpected because all the species are known to decline in drought years.
That's because they depend on ample freshwater outflow to support their habitat, and such flows decline during drought.
The fish have long been affected by water diversions from the estuary to serve the state's human population, as well as factors such as pollution, habitat loss and invasive species.
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