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water is released into streams and the ocean -- rather than the water delivery system -- in order to boost fish populations and dilute the salinity of the delta.



Ummm...

There's kind of a good reason why diluting the salinity of the delta is important, that has nothing to do with fish populations. You see, if there isn't enough flow through the delta, then hundreds if not thousands of farmers in the delta would be pumping overly saline water into their fields. I'm not a farmer myself, but I've heard that's kind of a bad thing. Biblical sowing of salt and all...