Peter Goin digital photograph archive : Colors of California agriculture
Series
San Joaquin River, June 2010
Other Identifiers
BANC PIC 2018.109--DIG :ag01269
Type
Image
Extent
1 photograph : digital, TIFF
Archive
The Bancroft Library
Note
For more than fifty years, the federal Bureau of Reclamation has used Friant Dam to diver almost all the San Joaquin’s natural flow for irrigation, eliminating legendary salmon runs and decimating once-thriving commercial fishing fleets. At this time, more than sixty miles of the San Joaquin’s channel is dry in all but the wettest years. IN 1988, the Natural Resources Defense Council and a coalition of fishermen and conservation groups brought suit in U.S. district court in an effort to bring the river and its native fisheries back to a sustainable life. In August 2004, a judge ruled that the operation of the Friant Dam violated Section 5937 of the California Fish and Game Code, which states: “The owner of any dam shall allow sufficient water to pass over, around or through the dam, to keep in good condition any fish that may be planted or exist below the dam.” On September 13, 2006, the NRDC announced the signing of a settlement agreement with the Friant water users and the U.S. Department of the Interior that will restore water flows and salmon to the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam while undertaking one of the West’s largest river restoration efforts. June 21, 2010.
Usage Statement
REPRODUCTION ALLOWED only for private study, scholarship, or research per Title 17, Section 108 of US Code. Requests for permission to publish must be directed to the copyright holder, Peter Goin.
