At just 3 inches long, the delta smelt is silvery and translucent, which helps protect it from predators in hazy waters — and yet, the California fish is surprisingly visible to an ever-growing list of enemies.
Efforts to save the tiny fish have long faced challenges, from the invasive mollusks that outcompeted the smelt for food in the San Francisco Bay estuary to the pumps that direct the region’s water supply across the state, while inadvertently dispatching aquatic life.
Now, President Donald Trump could usher the delta smelt from endangered to extinct, ending decades of work to revive fish that were once abundant in the bay in order to allow a freer flow of water to farmers and cities.
Practically speaking, smelt haven’t been detected in the bay for years, and breeding programs have yet to boost the species significantly in the wild. But researchers note that even if recovery efforts were to be permanently shelved, it wouldn’t create the California water free-for-all that Trump has touted. There is simply too much demand on a limited supply.
