Tuolumne County RCD, 77 N Washington St, Sonora, CA 95370, US

Conservation and fishing groups say Monday that they have notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric Company that court action is planned unless steps are taken this summer to protect the threatened Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon population that spawns in Butte Creek.The coalition, which includes California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Friends of Butte Creek, Friends of the River, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Northern California Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, and Sacramento River Preservation Trust, represented by Earthjustice, says it has sent a formal notice to warn FERC that the coalition plans to file suit over ongoing violations of the federal Endangered Species Act stemming from PG&E's operation of the DeSabla-Centerville hydroelectric project on Butte Creek.