Delta Smelt: Aquafornia Water Word of the Week
Aquafornia’s Water Word of the Week from sister site Aquapedia is Delta Smelt, just one of more than 200 definitions of water terms from A to Z on Aquapedia, the Water Education Foundation’s interactive online water encyclopedia.
“The endangered Delta smelt is a 3-inch fish found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,” according to an excerpt from Aquapedia’s definition. “It is considered especially sensitive because it lives just one year, has a limited diet and exists primarily in brackish (highly salty) fresh water. Along with other fish, smelt populations declined because of a combination of entrainment in pumping facilities, poor water quality, limited food supply, lack of habitat and nonnative species that compete for food.”
Aquapedia definitions also include additional references for those who want to learn more on the subject. Among the many Foundation publications on the Delta Smelt are these: “Layperson’s Guide to the Delta,” “All About the Delta,” “Meeting the Co-equal Goals? The Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Western Water, May/June 2013,” “How Much Water Does the Delta Need? Western Water, July/August 2012,” and “Making the Connection: Sound Science and Good Delta Policy, Western Water, July/Aug 2011.” Foundation resources also include the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Stakeholders Chart and the documentary, “Setting a Course: The California Bay Delta.”
To receive breaking daily news on the Delta Smelt, go to the related page on Aquapedia and click on “Search This Topic on Aquafornia” for the latest information.
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