Blog: Groups, tribe urge regulators to control toxic pollution from selenium causing deformities in fish
In an April 1, 2024 letter to three water boards, fishing and conservation groups and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe urged regulators to control recently measured excess levels of selenium in Mud Slough. Mud Slough drains selenium-impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley into the San Joaquin River and ultimately San Francisco Bay. … Selenium has long been known to cause reproductive failure, deformities, and death in fish and waterfowl, according to a statement from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA). “Our groups have spent over a decade at the water boards and in court trying to bring runoff from Mud Slough into compliance with water quality standards,” said Chris Shutes, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.