The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned a lower court ruling on the impact of long term water contracts on the endangered Delta Smelt. The eleven member panel unanimously ruled that the federal Bureau of Reclamation should have consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before deciding that contracts with California water users would not affect the environment of the Bay Delta and its species. Yesterday’s ruling will send the matter back to Federal District Court decide how federal and state agencies should manage water flow into and out of the Delta while still protecting the species that live there. Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.