Central Valley Daily

Feb. 11: Funding At Stake For The Tiny Fish At Center Of California’s Water Wars

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Published February 11, 2025 at 6:52 AM PST

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President Donald Trump is cutting funding for a lab that studies a small fish known as the Delta Smelt. The tiny fish are an indicator species, meaning they help reveal the health of the ecosystems where they live. But the fish have also become a symbol of the tension between environmental groups and many politicians. Today we’re talking with John Buse from the Center for Biological Diversity about the future of the fish.

Plus, the latest news headlines, including the latest on the reopening of Madera Community Hospital and the opening of the World Ag Expo.

Central Valley Daily

Elizabeth Arakelian

A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden