The 9th District Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday to cancel a lower court order to release more water from Lopez Lake.

In Nov. 2024, U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett ordered San Luis Obispo County to implement a new water release plan for the Lopez Lake Dam.

A group of nonprofit environmental organizations had sued the County, alleging that its operation of the dam violated the Endangered Species Act by impeding steelhead trout migration, according to a San Luis Obispo County press release.

Garnett's decision favored the environmental groups and meant the County would be required to release hundreds of millions of additional gallons of water from the lake, said county officials.

The County appealed that decision, arguing that the increase could disrupt other protected spec

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