Water Projects 



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Water diverted from Frianf Dam, background, has left salmon high and dry during spawning runs up the San Joaquin River. The c/epaj ;/fic..i ..as 

 seeking water for salmon at a State Water Rights Board hearing which began at the end of the biennium. 



— Bureau of Reclamation Photo 



Through the years the people of California have 

 been quici< to obtain legislation to prevent overhar- 

 vesting, or other direct damage, to the publicly owned 

 fish and game resources. Unfortunately, the absolute 

 necessity of maintaining a suitable habitat for these 

 resources has not always been so readily recognized. 



Water is a key element in the habitat of our fish and 

 game resources, and without proper amounts and 

 quality of water they will be destroyed. Thus, the 

 maintenance of these resources is inextricably tied to 

 water supplies, and water development projects can 

 have major effects on our fish and wildlife resources. 



Dams create barriers to migratory species of fish, 

 preventing access to their ancestral spawning grounds. 

 Diversion of water in excessive amounts can leave the 

 stream without sufficient water to provide for fish 

 food production, spawning, migrations, etc. The fish 

 may not be killed immediately, but the population 

 gradually declines and the end result is the same. The 

 water needs of waterfowl can be impaired and migra- 

 tion routes of game animals can be disrupted. These 

 are some of the more obvious adverse effects, although 

 there are many others. 



On the other hand, a water project can result in 

 improved water supplies or water quality for fish and 

 wildlife. In some cases they have provided better con- 

 ditions than existed prior to the development. Creation 

 of other types of water-associated recreation, and im- 

 proved access to recreation areas are other beneficial 

 effects of some projects. 



The prevention of damage to the fish and wildlife 

 resources involves the maintenance of adequate stream 

 flows, construction of fish ladders, fish screens, fish 

 hatcheries, project facility changes and many other 

 special provisions, all of which are costly and some- 

 times have a major effect on the economics or feasi- 

 bility of a project. 



Enhancement Opporfun'it'ies 



In most water development projects there are ex- 

 cellent opportunities for enhancement of fish and 

 game, and if advantage is taken of these opportunities, 

 through multipurpose long-range planning, it will have 

 a major effect on the economic .strength of the state in 

 the future. 



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