Why are Delta smelt going extinct?
2 min read
Asked by: Cheryl Cooper
Delta smelt are threatened with extinction due to anthropogenic alterations to their ecosystem, including urbanization, non-native species, water diversions, contaminants, and the conversion of complex tidal habitats to leveed channels. A survey in April 2015 found only one individual delta smelt.
How do the delta smelt affect the farmers in California?
For California farmers with thousands of acres to irrigate and millions of dollars on the line, the smelt are in the way – the state listed the species as endangered in 2009, and in effect constrained how much water can be pulled from the delta.
What is the delta smelt in California?
The Delta Smelt is a small fish, endemic to California that only occurs in the San Francisco Estuary. The slender-bodied fish typically reaches about 60-70 mm to a maximum size of about 120 mm (Figures 1, 2 and 3).
How do you save Delta smelt?
Releasing water from Sacramento Valley farm fields into the Yolo Bypass to increase the production of the zooplankton on which smelt feed. Increasing outflows from the Delta to generate more brackish water. Reoperating salinity control gates in Suisun Marsh. Improving spawning conditions by adding more sand and gravel.
Are there smelt in California?
The delta smelt, which is endemic only to California, spawns in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and feeds in the San Francisco Bay. CALIF. Scientists predict that the smelt could go extinct in the near future, mainly due to drought and water diversions.
Can you eat delta smelt?
Delicious. Historically, the principal smelts of the San Francisco estuary were longfin smelt, delta smelt, and, probably, surf smelt; the latter is mostly a marine species. Archaeological evidence suggests smelt were caught and eaten on occasion by the indigenous peoples of the region.
