A lawsuit between some environmental groups, and the operators of a Central Coast dam over endangered fish has finally been settled, with a court approving a proposed settlement.
The fight was over water releases from Twitchell Dam, northeast of Santa Maria. It supplies water to the Santa Maria Valley, and plays a key role in flood control efforts.
Environmental groups argued that not enough water was being released from the dam to support the Santa Maria River’s endangered steelhead population. The Environmental Defense Center and two other legal groups teamed up to represent San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper, and Los Padres Forestwatch in an effort to force more releases.
The dam’s operators were concerned about being able to meet the region's water needs.
A coalition of environmental groups sued the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Santa Maria Water Conservation District in an effort to increase water releases. The District manages the dam.
The case made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case. That handed the environmentalists a legal victory.
The two sides then worked out a deal to increase water releases, which environmentalists say will help the endangered steelhead make a comeback.
