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<h1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>DELTA SMELT:</span></font></b><font
size=4><span lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:normal'><o:p></o:p></span></font></h1>
<h1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Smelt In Danger Of
Extinction<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<p class=firstparagraphsettextsize style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=dateline><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>KGO – TV Channel 7, Bay Area –
2/3/06</span></font><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class=firstparagraphsettextsize style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font
size=4 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
font-weight:bold'>Written and produced by Ken Miguel</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=firstparagraphsettextsize style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=dateline><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=firstparagraphsettextsize style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=dateline><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Feb. 2 - KGO</span></font></span><font size=4><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'> - Scientists in the Sacramento Delta are
saying that a species of fish is coming dangerously close to extinction. If it
disappears, it may be a sign of a greater ecologic catastrophe -- and it all rests
on the back of a little fish.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=firstparagraphsettextsize style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font
size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Delta smelt may look like any small fish
you'd find in the Sacramento Delta. But it is listed as a threatened species,
one that scientists have watched closely for nearly 50 years. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Dr. Tina Swanson, senior scientist, Bay
Institute: "They are considered to be one of the best overall indicators
of the ecological health of the estuary." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=followad style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Dr. Tina Swanson
is with the Bay Institute, a non-profit research, education, and advocacy
organization. She is among a growing number of scientists who are alarmed by a
State Fish and Game study released in October that showed the delta smelt
population has fallen to an all-time low.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=followad style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Dr. Swanson: "They were at such low
number that many scientists consider this species to be at great risk for
extinction in the next few years." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>There may be a variety of causes for the
dramatic drop. Invasive species like the Asian clam may be eating their food,
toxic pesticides may be flowing into the estuary and the man-made levees that
divert miles of water may be making the water too fast for them to lay eggs. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>But some scientists blame the massive pumps
that feed the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>
aqueduct. This is where water from the delta is pumped south to supply millions
of Californians with water. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>State water officials say the system is
fish-friendly and say there may be a number of reasons for the decline. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Doug Thompson, Department of Water Resources:
"It could be just a trend that they are going through now. Numbers
fluctuate from year to year depending on the water year, how much runoff we
get, temperature, predatory fish -- it could be a lot of different things that
are all involved in it." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Jim Odom, Skinner Fish Facility: "This
year we've actually only seen -- actually physically seen two delta smelt."
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Jim Odom is in charge of the Skinner Fish
Facility -- a screening complex upstream from the pumping station designed to
keep fish from being captured and sent down the aqueduct. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>The fish that squeeze past one screen are
corralled by a second set of screens where they are piped into holding tanks.
Those tanks are strained for fish which are then released back into the delta. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Jim Odom: "The water that actually passed
threw here is actually fish free. There are some small fish that get
through." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Dr. Joan Lindberg is worried that those small
fish may include the offspring of the delta smelt. Lindberg runs the Delta
Smelt Aquaculture Program in Byron. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>Joan Lindberg, Delta Smelt Aquaculture
Program: "The fish are small and they pass right through the screen and
there's no really effort to screen those smaller fish out so larvae would pass
right through there and they would have no estimate of how many." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Aquaculture Program is studying, among
other things, the screening process and the effect it may be having on the
fish. Scientists say now is the time to act, before it's too late for the delta
smelt. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:14.0pt'>"We have the possibility of making good
progress to approve the overall ecosystem which would be good not only for
delta smelt, but for all the other animals that live in the delta as
well." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><a
href="http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=assignment_7&id=3870722"
title="http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=assignment_7&id=3870722">http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=assignment_7&id=3870722</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Advisor, California Trout, Inc</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">http://www.fotr.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'>http:www.caltrout.org</span></font></u><font
color=lime><span style='color:lime'> </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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