Despite a historic shutdown of coastal salmon fishing, the number of salmon returning to the Sacramento River is collapsing, according to preliminary data released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Returning fall Chinook salmon numbers have dropped to their lowest level since monitoring began in the 1970s, the report said.

A federal judge turned down California farmers' emergency request Wednesday to suspend water pumping restrictions in the state's delta in a ruling aimed at keeping a threatened fish species from being ground up in the pumps. The decision by U.S.

Grape growers in Northern California's cool, fertile Sonoma County wine region are stomping mad at a new plan to limit the amount of water vineyards can pump from local rivers and streams to protect crops from frost - a proposed regulation meant to safeguard coho salmon, a species on the brink of local extinction.

Colorado water officials are optimistic that a California court ruling invalidating a conservation plan won't derail agreements affecting seven Western states. Dick Wolfe, director of the Colorado Division of Water Resources, said Tuesday that water officials have shown a "collective will" to overcome obstacles.

The perilously low populations of salmon and native fish are symptoms, according to numerous scientists, of a crashing ecosystem in the West Coast's largest estuary. Numerous theories abound for the decline, from too much water being pumped from the delta for drinking and irrigation to the use of agricultural chemicals. Whatever the cause, Gov.

A judge invalidated a landmark pact Thursday intended to curtail Southern California's overuse of water from the Colorado River but left the deal in place during an appeals period.