U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger will rule in the near future on whether or not pumps that deliver water from the northern part of the state should be shut down temporarily in order to protect a threatened fish species.

The Los Angeles Daily News said Friday that the Metropolitan Water District and officials from several Southern California cities were bracing for the loss of 20 to 50 percent of water imports for a period of time. The newspaper said a nine-day shutoff in May caused a significant draw-down of water in area reservoirs.