Urgent Action Alert: Delta Smelt on Brink of Extinction - call the Governor NOW! This is an urgent action alert from Restore the Delta (www.restorethedelta.org), California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and the Planning and Conservation League about the dire state of the Delta Smelt and other Delta fish. Please forward this to everybody that you know!

If the Delta smelt, an indicator species, goes extinct, spring run chinook, winter run chinook, San Joaquin fall chinook, steelhead, striped bass, longfin smelt are expected to follow them over the abyss. Dan

ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS IN THE DELTA - Time to Call the Governor (See Below for Phone Number)

DELTA SMELT on BRINK of EXTINCTION!

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR DELTA RESIDENTS?

• The Delta Smelt is the canary in the coal mine.
• As the Smelt goes, so do other fish populations.
• If the ecosystem collapses, so does the Delta economy.
• And if water quality and quantity are this bad in the present, how does this bode for agriculture and recreation (the cornerstones of our economy) and public health (our lives)

A just completed survey by the Department of Fish & Game found:

• Scientists failed to find any smelt in 30 of 36 stations.
• The survey found only 25 smelt, that is a 93% drop from 2006.
• This is the worst return in the history of this survey. In fact, these numbers show TEN TIMES LESS Smelt than the previous record lows.

NO RESPONSE TO SAVE THESE FISH BY THOSE IN CHARGE:

• Even though SEVERAL Delta species have been collapsing for SIX YEARS, the State has declined to commit to actions to avoid extinction.
• Last year the State and Federal water projects exported near RECORD amounts of water through massive pumps in the Delta Smelt's habitat.
• The State pumped 55 BILLION gallons of EXTRA water in January even while they were in telling the Judge there was no problem with Smelt.

MORE DELTA FISH ARE HEADED TOWARD EXTINCTION

Severe declines in multiple fish populations show that the Delta ecosystem is being ravaged. Since 2005 the State and Federal government have known about the problem, but have failed to commit to actions to save the Delta.

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SAVE THE DELTA?

Call the Governor and let him know that he should save the Delta Smelt before it's too late!

Tell the Governor to reduce the pumping and increase San Joaquin River flows throughout the first two weeks of June to save the Delta Smelt. This is the first of many actions that he must take.

Tell the Governor that if he is the "Environmental Governor," Delta species should not be going extinct under his watch.

Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Phone: 916-445-2841
http://www.govmail.ca.gov

Briefing Statement from the Delta Smelt Working Group:

Attached is the briefing statement from the Delta smelt working group that points out the extreme urgency of the situation - and their emergency recommendations to (hopefully) prevent extinction.