Press Releases

The House Natural Resources Committee today voted unanimously to send U.S. Representative Jeff Denham’s (R-Turlock) bill, the Save Our Salmon (SOS) Act, to the floor of the House of Representatives for consideration. The SOS Act (H.R. 4582) eliminates the counterintuitive doubling requirement established by the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) for striped bass, a known non-native predator fish of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.

“The drought has taken a significant toll on the Central Valley and I’m proud to put forward a smart and bipartisan solution to a counterproductive policy from 24 years ago,” said Rep. Denham. “By eliminating the doubling requirement of non-native predator fish, federal agencies can focus solely on native fish recovery and stop wasting taxpayer dollars on a shortsighted policy.”

The CVPIA mandated population doubling for all anadromous fish in an effort to protect the fish populations. The policy included doubling requirements for both native species and non-native predator fish, specifically striped bass. As a result, millions of acre-feet of water have been sent to the ocean in addition to the expenditure of millions of dollars every year to protect fish populations across the Central Valley. Removing predator fish from the doubling requirement will give native fish species a better chance to repopulate while saving time, money and water.

Since its introduction in February 2016, the SOS Act has received support from 15 water agencies and irrigation districts throughout California. During a testimony in front of the Natural Resources Committee in April 2016, the Department of Interior stated its support for Rep. Denham’s SOS Act.

The SOS Act will now go to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. Full bill text of the SOS Act is available here.