91,000 acres of California water now off-limits to development for a tiny fish

The US Fish and Wildlife Service wants to designate 91,630 acres of the San Francisco Bay-Delta as critical habitat for the longfin smelt. This means new restrictions on development and water management in that area to protect the fish.

Protecting an endangered species often means restricting human activity in specific areas. This designation means that any federal project, or any project requiring a federal permit, in the designated 91,630 acres will now face a higher bar for approval. Developers and water managers will need to prove their plans do not harm the longfin smelt or its habitat.