NOAA ordered to override endangered species protections for access to water

The Union of Concerned Scientists criticizes a directive from Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that orders NOAA to prioritize water access for firefighting in California over the protection of endangered aquatic species. The document asserts that this policy is not grounded in scientific evidence, as state officials and firefighters report sufficient water availability. It further argues that the directive subverts the authority of state regulators and may be intended to favor agricultural interests over the recovery of species like the Chinook salmon and Delta smelt, while ignoring the role of climate change in increasing wildfire severity.

• Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross issued a directive to NOAA's Fishery division to prioritize water access for firefighting in California, which the author claims sidelines scientifically-sound water management for endangered species and contradicts NOAA's mission to regulate activities harming threatened aquatic species.
• There is no scientific evidence of a water shortage for firefighting in California; state officials and firefighters indicate that water is sufficient and that reservoirs near the Carr and Mendocino fires are at or near historic levels.
• The directive is viewed as an attempt to intervene in California's political conflict over water allocation, potentially favoring the agricultural industry's desire for crop irrigation over environmental efforts to preserve species such as the Delta smelt and endangered Chinook salmon.
• The administration's approach ignores scientific evidence regarding the impact of climate change on wildfire intensity and the risks associated with building homes in wildfire-prone areas.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). NOAA ordered to override endangered species protections for access to water. https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/noaa-ordered-override-endangered-species-protections-access-water

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. NOAA ordered to override endangered species protections for access to water. 2018. https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/noaa-ordered-override-endangered-species-protections-access-water.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=NOAA ordered to override endangered species protections for access to water |date=4 September 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/noaa-ordered-override-endangered-species-protections-access-water |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{unionofconcernedscientists2018noaa, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{NOAA ordered to override endangered species protections for access to water}}, publisher = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/noaa-ordered-override-endangered-species-protections-access-water}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }