There is great irony in blaming farmers for taking 230 smelt at C.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plant in the Delta. Because the Feds take more than that when surveying fish in the area.
Taking 230 smelt has caused the pumps to be turned down really hurting West Side Agriculture, leading to job losses and lost tax revenue
But Tom Birmingham the General Manager of Westlands Water District in Fresno say the Feds take many more smelt in their surveys, about 108 each month from January until May.
Westlands encompasses more than 600,000 acres of farmland in western Fresno and Kings counties. The District serves approximately 600 family-owned farms that average 900 acres in size.
