Endangered Species Protection

Adult fall-run Chinook salmon congregate near the Nimbus Hatchery Fish Ladder on the American River in Sacramento County, California.

Adult fall-run Chinook salmon congregate near the Nimbus Hatchery Fish Ladder on the American River in Sacramento County, California.

The State Water Project (SWP) is operated in a manner that protects endangered and threatened species under the State and federal endangered species acts. DWR does this in part through compliance with a permit granted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).

The permit, called the Incidental Take Permit (ITP), represents a novel but prudent way for the SWP to ensure species protection -- through science, collaboration and transparency -- while protecting water delivery to millions of Californians.
In the past, DWR obtained coverage for SWP operations under CESA by securing a consistency determination from DFW based on the federal BiOps. In February 2019, State agencies confirmed they would for the first time pursue a separate state permit to ensure SWP’s compliance with CESA. This permit would be developed without need to rely on federal permits and utilize transparent, science-based guidelines to establish rules to protect endangered and threatened fish species.

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