A California water board has adopted a contentious plan to revive dwindling salmon populations by boosting flows through a Central California river and its tributaries.
The State Water Resources Control Board adopted the plan on Wednesday over the opposition of water districts serving the state's agricultural heartland.
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The board voted to study a last-minute agreement among several key water agencies to voluntarily curtail their water usage and pay into a fund for habitat improvements.
The agreement was reached after Gov. Jerry Brown and his successor, Gavin Newsom, asked water users to find an agreement that could support salmon populations without a strict state mandate. However, it lacked support from water agencies that rely on two of the three affected tributaries to the Lower San Joaquin River.
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