Lawsuit looms over tiny fish in drought-stricken West
Conservationists say they will sue U.S. wildlife officials over past-due decisions on protections sought for two rare fish
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Conservationists have notified U.S. wildlife officials that they will sue over delayed decisions related to protections for two rare fish species that are threatened by groundwater pumping in the drought-stricken West.
The Center for Biological Diversity sent a formal notice of intent to sue the Fish and Wildlife Service last week over the Fish Lake Valley tui chub near the California-Nevada line and the least chub in southwest Utah.
Utah and Nevada are the driest states in the country, and the lawsuits are among the many fronts on which conservationists are battling water districts and the users they cater to over plans to siphon water to either maintain or expand consumption.
The outcome of the court fights will likely have major implications for states' parched valleys and the people and species that inhabit them.
