Terrell (2015) states that the three-inch delta smelt was decided to be in danger of extinction just over twenty years ago. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said systems used by farmers to reclaim water from the delta have contributed to the delta's declining numbers of smelt. Environmentalists believe it is necessary for people and farmers to get water from sources other than the delta to preserve the delta's characteristics (Terrell, 2015). Dr. Peter Moyle of UC Davis said in an interview, “We have 80 species of fish in California, like Delta smelt, that are in trouble” (quoted in Terrell, 2015, p.12). Moyle insists that it is not just the delta delta that is in danger, there are at least seventy-nine other species that need protection. As interviewed by Siegler (2015), senior water rights farmer, Rudy Mussi knows the importance of the delta and its preservation, not only to be able to use its water in his fields, but also to keep it alive for the future. It has been suggested that water be taken from the delta and transferred to farmers in lower California who have smaller water rights (Siegler, 2015). The delta cannot be overexploited because it is important that the ratio of salt water to fresh water remains the same to preserve the fish population. In 2014, the excess water from the delta, the environment in which the fish live, amounted to almost two hundred and fifty billion liters of water, enough for over six and a half million people every year (“Water wars”, 2015) . Although these people cannot easily access this water source, some farmers are able to use limited amounts of water if they farm on the delta, creating a problem among junior farmers dealing with water rights