Office of Public Participation Comment

The Oroville Dam 2017 Spillway Incident: Lessons from the Feather River Basin

Legendary California Fishery and Water Quality Activist Bill Jennings Dies at Age 79

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and the fish of California lost Bill Jennings on December 27, 2022. Above all, Bill was a relentless activist. For over 40 years, he used the law, meticulously documented data, an irascible wit, and a stinging pen to defend and protect his beloved Bay-Delta Estuary and all the rivers that […]

CSPA Marks Poe Hiking Trail Victory over PG&E

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), along with American Whitewater (AW), scored a significant victory on October 20, 2022 when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an Order reaffirming a requirement that Pacific Gas and Electric Company must construct a “Poe Hiking Trail” along the North Fork Feather River.

CSPA Fall 2022 Newsletter: The Tyranny of the Deal, Defending Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, & CSPA Told You So

The Fall 2022 Edition of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance Newsletter is out now. Below is the introduction to the newsletter by Chris Shutes, CSPA’s Acting Executive Director. From the Desk of Chris Shutes: Changes at CSPA Bill Jennings has temporarily stepped aside from his role as CSPA’s Executive Director in the wake of cascading […]

Court Victory for California Water Quality and Rivers – and CSPA

On August 4, 2022, a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overruled the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), re-establishing California’s right to protect water quality in the Yuba, Bear, and Merced River watersheds for the next 40 years. Barring successful appeal, the ruling ends a three-year chapter in […]

D.C. Court Denies Waiver of Clean Water Act for Tuolumne River Hydro Projects; Ruling Vindicates CSPA and Allies

On June 17, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit issued a ruling denying waiver of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act in the licensing of two hydropower projects on the Tuolumne River.  Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District (Districts) had petitioned the Court to waive “water quality certification” for the relicensing […]

CSPA Develops and Supports Changes to Hydropower Licensing

CSPA has played a strong role over the last 12 months in developing and negotiating a package of proposed reforms to the Federal Power Act.  The package will, if implemented, change a multitude of on-the-ground aspects of how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licenses hydroelectric projects.  The package, with a short summary, was transmitted […]

CSPA and Allies Support Increased Tuolumne River Flows – Again

CSPA and ten allied conservation groups filed comments on January 7, 2022 in overall support of the Water Quality Certification (WQC) for the relicensing of the Don Pedro and La Grange hydroelectric projects on the Tuolumne River.  The State Water Resources Control Board (Board) issued the WQC in January 2021.  As it stands today, the […]

CSPA Fall 2021 Newsletter: Wildfire strikes our favorite fishing spots, CA Clean Water Act update, and defending the Tuolumne and Yuba Rivers

The Fall 2021 Edition of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance Newsletter is out now. Below is the introduction to the newsletter by Bill Jennings, CSPA’s Executive Director. From the Desk of Bill Jennings I hope each of you have had an opportunity to wet a line during this second drought year. Fisheries have grievously suffered, […]

Reckless Water Transfer Would Further Jeopardize Fisheries in 2021 & 2022

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network, and AquAlliance filed comments to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) on July 16, 2021 in opposition to the proposed water transfer of up to 100,000 acre-feet of water from New Melones Reservoir. The transfer is requested by South San Joaquin Irrigation District […]

Court Ruling Finds FERC 401 Waiver Not Justified – Important Implications for California Hydropower Project Licenses

On July 2, 2021, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued an important decision regarding Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, overturning an Order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  FERC’s Order had found that the state of North Carolina had unlawfully “coordinated” with the license applicant to delay the state’s certification […]