A federal judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction barring wildlife officials from poisoning a Sierra waterway in an attempt to recover a rare species trout.
SACRAMENTO — A federal judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction barring wildlife officials from poisoning a Sierra waterway in an attempt to recover a rare species trout.
The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Frank Damrell apparently ends plans to attempt to restore the Paiute cutthroat trout to Silver King Creek by eliminating its competitors for food.
"This is going to pretty much do it for us. We're not going to move forward. We're very disappointed," said California Department of Fish and Game spokesman Steve Martarano.
Environmental groups opposed the plans, contending the poison, called rotenone, might harm other organisms in the water. They argued that the U.S. Forest Service had not adequately measured the project's environmental impact.
State officials are expected to propose another round of poisoning for Lake Davis, a Sierra lake infested with a trout-eating species of pike.
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Matarano said the judge's ruling means his agency will have to work closely with the Forest Service on that project.
Source: Associated Press
