(AP) - A federal judge in California has denied a request by Central Valley agricultural water providers to block emergency water releases to protect Klamath River salmon from the drought.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill in Fresno on Wednesday rejected a request for a temporary restraining order sought by Westlands Water District and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority.
Lawrence found they were unlikely to win their lawsuit, which claims the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has no authority to release the water and should have done a more detailed evaluation of the environmental harms.
Lawrence added that the potential harm to salmon far outweighed the harm to farmers, who were far from certain to get any more water.
The bureau started releasing water last Friday from a reservoir on the Trinity River.
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