From the California state water contractors, a new framing. It’s not that stupid little fish, or those pesky environmentalists:

Limits on pumping operations are an ongoing issue due to the Delta’s outdated water delivery system.

“Earlier this year, storms came through that could have provided a substantial boost to our water reservoirs, but we simply could not capture enoughwater due to restrictions facing the existing projects in the southern Delta,” said Terry Erlewine, general manager of the State Water Contractors. “If we had intakes in the northern Delta and a way to convey those supplies to the existing aqueducts, as proposed by the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, we could have diverted more supplies without impacting fish species such as Delta smelt.”

It’s all about outdated infrastructure.