Klamath water cutoff will impact wildlife
 

My Outdoor Buddy by Frank Galusha 06/25/13

 -- There is another wrong being done in the Upper Klamath Basin that could affect all of us including those who love the outdoors, all wildlife and the small agricultural communities who supply people, animals, and wildlife with food.

Family ranchers and farmers, supporters of agriculture, and people who love and treasure the pastoral landscapes of Klamath County, Oregon are being threatened with a water shutoff by court order that will threaten their livelihoods as well as our food supplies and the food wildlife need to survive in this area. These ranchers and farmers have planned a rally for July 1 at 9 a.m. at the Klamath County Fairgrounds. They are asking for support by inviting the public to attend this rally.

A recent court order has placed all agricultural use of irrigation water in the Upper Klamath Basin in jeopardy by establishing required stream flows that preclude the use of irrigation water in all but the wettest years. Without irrigation, over 100,000 acres of ranch land in the Upper Basin would become unviable for agriculture.

Not only would this cost Klamath County over 4,000 jobs, it would wipe out a community of historic family ranches and erase a rural landscape treasured by all who visit Klamath County’s scenic back roads. (See more background below.)

These fellow citizens are seeking a fair distribution of water rights in order to sustain the region’s agriculture-based economy, foster understanding in our diverse communities, and preserve the rural character of the area, which in turn supports big game, upland game, waterfowl, birds and all other life in the area. If their water is cutoff much is at stake.

Every day, more ranchers in the Upper Klamath watershed are losing their access to irrigation water. Without the ability to irrigate, ranchers cannot grow a hay crop to feed their cattle through the winter, let alone have adequate forage for summer months. No water and no hay means these ranches are no longer viable for agriculture, and will be forced out of business.

What does this mean to their community and to all those who love the outdoors?

• Disappearance of scenic rural landscapes

• Disappearance of family ranches, many with 150-year histories

For the past 150 years, the crystal waters of Klamath County have been used by the ranchers in the Upper Klamath Basin to irrigate their high desert hay meadows. In 1975, the United States Government, acting through the Department of Indian Affairs, brought a claim for these waters on behalf of the National Forest Service, the Klamath Tribes, and the Bureau of Reclamation. This claim was intended to supersede ranchers’ state adjudicated water rights dating back to 1864.

In March 2013, after nearly 40 years of ongoing litigation, the adjudicator, Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) issued its Findings of Fact and Final Order of Determination (FOD). This FOD has placed all agricultural use of irrigation water in the Upper Klamath Basin in jeopardy by establishing required stream flows that preclude the use of irrigation water in all but the wettest years. Without irrigation, over 100,000 acres of ranch land in the Upper Basin would become unviable for agriculture. Not only would this cost Klamath County over 4,000 jobs, it would wipe out a community of historic family ranches and erase a rural landscape treasured by all who visit Klamath County’s scenic back roads.

Allowing productive irrigated lands to dry up and rural communities to wither, is not in anyone’s best interest. The life-giving waters of the Upper Basin are a fundamental resource that needs to be shared by all stakeholders. The ranchers and farmers want to find a fair and equitable way to distribute this water that will give all parties some of what they need, though no one will receive all of what they want. Ranchers need to continue to ranch and in-stream flows for the Klamath Tribes need to be adequate for historic uses.