Some environmental groups have filed suit against the owners and operators of a Central Coast dam, seeking new protections for endangered steelhead fish. The lawsuit seeks more water releases from Twitchell Dam, which is on the Cuyama River. It contends limited water releases have restricted the ability of the fish to migrate from the streams where they spawn to the Pacific Ocean, where they mature.
The Environmental Defense Center and other legal groups filed the suit against the Federal Bureau of Reclamation, and the Santa Maria Valley Water District.
The suit was filed on behalf of San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper and Los Padres ForestWatch. Steelhead are one of the most endangered species of fish in the United States.
