This week the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate approved a massive national water bill with an amendment aimed at water policy in California. Some say the $558 million dollar package is an important step toward helping farmers after years of drought. But others worry it stands to hurt protected wildlife.
The amendment could make it easier for farmers to get more water. But attorney Doug Obegi, with the Natural Resources Defense Council, says it undermines the Endangered Species Act.
“It actually overrides the biological opinions, the permits for the state and federal water project, that are necessary to prevent the extinction of salmon and steelhead and other native species," Obegi said.
But farmers like Paul Wenger, president of the California Farm Bureau, argue the Endangered Species Act shouldn’t be so rigid, given the drought.
“It’s an instrument that has just has not provided the flexibility we need, especially when we talk about adapting to climate change. And so it’s creating a lot of havoc," Wenger said.
When the water bill went before the Senate, California Democrat Barbara Boxer opposed the amendment. But her colleague, Senator Diane Feinstein, supported it. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature or veto.