A 20-year struggle to protect a rare bottom-feeding fish from extinction appears headed toward resolution as Inland Empire cities and water agencies are asking the court of last resort to intervene.
Two cities and 10 water agencies say they will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a plan to try to save the Santa Ana sucker that involves designating critical habitat that could restrict water uses on the Santa Ana River.
The governments argue that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's plan, upheld last month by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, unfairly imposes restrictions on water conservation, groundwater recharge and flood control operations that affect more than 1 million Southern California residents.