Canal battle buoyed

In its recommendations to restore the ecosystems of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Nature Conservancy revealed that it is supporting plans for a new canal skirting the fragile estuary.

The high-profile conservation group is the first of its kind to speak in favor of the controversial plan that would help transport water supplies from the Sacramento River to various water districts throughout the state. In a press release, the organization said a peripheral canal must be part of a comprehensive solution to help the delta.

Many ecologists say the delta is on the verge of collapse, and much of the problem is attributed to the conveyance of the state’s water supplies. Giant pumps there have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem, endangering species, such as a finger-sized fish called the delta smelt.