SACRAMENTO
A national environmental group is recommending that California overhaul its water-delivery system by building a canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
A report released Wednesday by The Nature Conservancy endorses piping Sacramento River water around the delta, which is suffering from degraded water quality and declining fish populations.
The conservancy says a canal could help restore the region’s natural habitat if it has appropriate oversight.
Various groups support the concept as a way of avoiding problems caused by funneling water through the delta to the massive pumps that send it to the Bay Area and Southern California.
It’s the first endorsement of the canal by a major environmental group. Most environmentalists fear water diversions would deprive the region’s fish, wildlife and farms of much-needed fresh water.
