Judge rejects reduced Klamath River flows for sucker fish

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — A judge has ruled against the Klamath Tribes in a lawsuit that accused a federal agency of violating the Endangered Species Act by letting water levels in a key lake fall too low for sucker fish to spawn.

In siding with the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. District Judge Michael McShane declined to stop water releases into the Klamath River to maintain levels in Upper Klamath Lake.

A severe drought has pitted the water needs of two species of protected fish  — sucker fish and salmon — against each other. Both fish are highly valued by different regional tribes.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/fish-health-science-business-government-and-politics-36651b1bd921921e4979f135ed50a846