"The Biggest California Water Decision You’ve Never Heard Of"

"Many of California’s farmers, facing severe water cutbacks yet again this year, are blaming the hand they’ve been dealt on environmental protections for endangered fish. The protections limit how much water can be taken up by the huge pumps that serve much of the state.

But there’s another root of the problem, often overlooked, that controls both the state’s water supply and the fate of endangered fish: the San Joaquin River.

Soon, state officials will make a pivotal decision about how much water should flow down that river each year and the decision will stick for years to come."

Lauren Sommer reports for KQED August 19, 2016.