Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Fighting for Our Right
to Irrigate Our Farms and Caretake Our Natural Resources
Archive 14 - January-February
Klamath County Commissioners make decisions regarding current lawsuit targeting irrigators, and Barnes property storage, KBC news report 3/12/03 "Despite the concerns of mismanagement, illegal phosphorus levels, poor water quality, higher taxes, warm water releases killing fish, concerns of 60 fishermen and guides, soil absorption and evaporation (which uses more water than irrigating), and ‘no credit for Project irrigators’, and possible government acquisition (all of these consequences from past ‘water storage’ acquisitions), the commissioners voted 2 to 1 to support the ALC’s attempt to broker the Barnes Property. Commissioner Elliott, who continually questioned the logic, voted against the support."
| Statements, questions
and answers by Klamath irrigators' attorney Roger
Marzulla, 3/12/03, KBC report "The Secretary is being told it's a mess, there are multiple claims to the same water,and she's not getting the straight story. If people who work for you don't let you know what's going on, it's hard to know." Photo by KBC |
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Lawyer rallies area irrigators, H&N, Dylan Darling, 3/12/03
U.S. water bank tops ONRC's buyout idea, H&N VIEW, 3/12/03
Commissioners OK Barnes Ranch with conditions, by H&N Jennifer Bates, 3/12/03
ONRC urges irrigators to sell out, H&N Dylan Darling, 3/11/03
Water bank has 24,000 acres to choose from, H&N Dylan Darling 3/11/03
Three Counties Formally Support Water Users in Current Litigation, Press Release by Dan Keppen, executive director of Klamath Water Users Association, 3/11/03
Irrigators fear spring cutoff, seek county backing in suit, H&N By Jennifer Bates, 3/10/03. "Water could be cut off from farmers this spring," said Dan Keppen, Klamath Water Users executive director.
Tale of two seasons: Then and now, Herald&News by Dylan Darling, 3/9/03. "Bob Flowers, who grows alfalfa and raises cattle on about 1,000 acres, said he had to cut the acreage he works in half because of the 2001 water cutoff. Flowers isn't a fan of the water bank. "It's like me giving you a Band-aid when you cut your arm off," he said. He said he wakes every morning up wondering if he is going to have water for the summer."
Compensation suit report set for area farmers, Herald&News, 3/9/03, "Roger Marzulla, who is pursuing the case through the U.S. Federal Court of Claims, will answer questions about the lawsuit at a meeting at Exhibition Hall A at the Klamath County Fairgrounds at 4 p.m. Tuesday (March 11)".
KWUA
Weekly Update for March 7, 2003.
*Assistant Interior Secretary Bennett Raley Addresses Bush Administration
Western Water Priorities
* Family Farmers Looking to the Future - Learning from the Past
* Interior Secretary Norton Addresses Klamath Basin Adjudication Issues
* Klamath Tribes File Amicus Brief in PCFFA v. USBR
MARCH 5, 2003 PRESS RELEASE: CALIFORNIA'S 10 MOST THREATENED WILD PLACES IN 2003, California Wilderness Coalition " Medicine Lake Highlands -- Development of geothermal power plants would lay waste to wild forests and sacred lands. Klamath River Basin -- Excessive water diversion is killing thousands of salmon and hurting farmers, fishermen, tribes, and endangered wildlife" KBC comment: Isn't it amazing that a group that claims to be helping the environment is trying to destroy possibilities for geothermal power at Medicine Lake that will not destroy the forests and land. And isn't is amazing that these same folks say that keeping SOME of the water in the Klamath Basin that was stored by the farmers (historically the river went dry on low water years without the dam) can claim that sending excessive water to the ocean will help farmers, tribes, and fishermen 200 miles away??!! Remember, the Klamath Project is only 2% of the water in the Klamath Basin watershed! LINK
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Harper Presents Oregon Governor Kulongoski With a Symbolic Bucket Senator Steve Harper (R-District 28) sent the first 2 photos to the Klamath Bucket Brigade today, March 5, 2003, along with the 2001 Bucket Brigade story. The first is Jess and John Prosser dipping the first bucket of water of the Bucket Brigade. The center photo is Senator Harper and Governor Ted Kulongowski with the shovel and bucket that was presented Feb 28, 2003 by Bill Ransom and a team from the Klamath Basin. The photo on the right by Pat Ratliff is Ransom with Senator Harper. For article on the Feb 28th meeting of Ransom and team at the capitol, click here.
Alternative forms of power generation largely unexplored in the Klamath Basin, by Kehn Gibson, The Tri-County Courier. 2/26/03 As he did in a talk to the Tulelake Rotary in 1993, on Feb.15 environmentalist Andy Kerr gave an insight into a future avenue of attack against Klamath Basin agriculture.
Make Barnes Ranch prove it's worth buying, 3/03/03, H&N Editorial, ":... the Bureau has to answer some questions raised in a Feb. 24 commentary by Doug Whitsett in the Herald and News about how much storage the Barnes Ranch actually would yield, and whether a storage and pumping regimen might increase phosphorus levels in Upper Klamath Lake. Years ago,the Bureau misjudged the capacity of the Agency Lake Ranch and needs to be dead certain with this purchase. Then it needs to give Basin agriculture credit for giving ground."
Congressional hearing to examine the use of peer review,,
03/04/03 "The hearing by the U.S.
House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep.
John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN), is schedule to begin at 2 p.m. on Wednesday,
March 5th, .... Live audio and video broadcasts of the hearing will be
available at the Committee's website: www.house/gov/transportation"
More water storage better than screens for fish populations,
by Jack O'Conner, op-ed Herald&News 3/4/03: "The
old Geary Ranch farm ground, now the Running Y, would be a natural storage
site with very little engineering. Water could be pumped in during the
winter and released in the summer to lower water temperature for the benefit
of downriver salmon. That site has a potential to store half a million
acre-feet (7,000 acre-feet per foot of reservoir depth.)"
Water bank to offer some security, Herald&News 3/04/03 by Dylan Darling, "... the water bank won't offer any assurance that water stored up for irrigation will last throughout the summer."
Coming April 1: The new headgates, New structure, fish screens on schedule, by Dylan Darling, H&N 3/03/03, "Now will it (the $11 million fish screen) fully recover the species by itself?" he said. "No, of course not - but it will sure help."
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Bucket Brigade Keeps
Rolling
Klamath Bucket Brigade PRESS RELEASE by Pat Ratliff, March 4, 2003 "The Klamath Traveling Bucket took to the road again; traveling to the capital in Salem and Hillsboro, Oregon on February 28th, to meet with state representatives and address the state Future Farmers of America (FFA) Alumni Association". |
Bureau of Reclamation Met With Leary Audience at Public Meeting, KBC News 03/03/03 "So Cacka clarified that this water bank is not the one that KWUA committee meticulously drafted, but rather it is a BOR plan. "The 65 page document is still on the table, and didn't see the light of day."
2003 Klamath Project Pilot Water Bank to be Rolled Out Today, 03/03/03, PRESS RELEASE from Klamath Water Users Association Includes: Bureau of Reclamation’s 2003 water bank proposal, development of long-term water bank , and water users’ vision for a long-term waterbank. "The Bush Administration has requested that a water bank program be implemented this year," said Gasser. "I think that it is in the best interests of the Basin to work with the White House on this effort. This administration helped us to return water to the land in 2002; hopefully our cooperative efforts will result in continued, reliable water deliveries in 2003."
Monday, March 3, 2003 Klamath Project Water Bank Public Meeting . 10:00 a.m., Klamath County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall A, Klamath Falls, Oregon.The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will publicly offer opportunities to Klamath Project irrigators to participate in an innovative pilot environmental “water bank” It will outline Reclamation’s plan to help meet requirements of the 2002 Biological Opinions (BOs) on Klamath Project Operations for threatened and endangered species. Representatives from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) and local community leaders will also be present to assist in the discussion. Applications are due March 7. More Info
Extremists who denied water to Klamath farmers now want to protect salmon-killing fish, "...activists, led by the Center for Biological Diversity, have petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to withhold water from Klamath farmers to protect the eel-like fish known as the lamprey...The problem ....LAMPREY KILL SALMON."
KWUA Weekly Update for February 28, 2003
Reclamation's 2003 Water Bank
Proposal
Water Users' Reaction
Development of Long-Term Water Bank
Water Users Vision for a Long-Term Water Bank
Agenda for Monday' s Meeting
Interior secretary working on ways to avoid water fights in the West Washington News, by JOHN HEILPRIN, The Associated Press, 2/28/03 "In the Klamath Basin, Norton was criticized by environmentalists and Indian tribe leaders when she decided to divert water from the river to 1,400 farms. She later directed that more water temporarily be put back in the river to help fish. But chinook salmon died by the tens of thousands, a loss environmentalists and tribal fishermen attributed to warming from dropped river levels due to water taken out for irrigation.
" KBC Commentary: the editor refrains from mentioning that most of the fish killed were Trinity river fish, 50-90% of Klamath River water is diverted to the Trinity for Southern California, the Klamath Project is 200 miles away from the fish kill, it was a record high run of salmon this year in the Klamath, 100 tributaries are between the Klamath Project and the fish kill, the water was not examined for a week after the kill, documented drug labs on the Klamath River are putting poison into the river, and The Irrigators are not diverting the water...much of the Klamath Project was a lake in a closed basin...this water historically never went into the Klamath River. AND only 2% of the water in the Klamath watershed comes from the Klamath Project, yet the project is expected to fix 200 miles worth of river."Water bank gets ready for new deposits, Bureau asks water users to contribute, by Dylan Darling, 2/27/03 "The opinion called for 33,000 acre-feet to be in the water bank last year, 50,000 acre-feet this year, 75,000 acre-feet next year and 100,000 acre feet the year after that," says Sabo, Bureau of Reclamation.
Still no backing for ranch plan, Commissioner Al Switzer said a deep reservoir with cold water is the best solution. The only way he can see to get that done is by building a dam."
Science panel water report delayed Activists, water users must wait until summer instead of March, by Dylan Darling, Herald&News.
Buy the Barnes Ranch for water storage? We better think this over Herald&News, 2/24/03 Douglas K. Whitsett, is a retired veterinarian affiliated with Klamath Animal Clinic, Inc., for 30 years. He and his wife own and operate two farms in the Klamath Basin where they breed and raise horses for dressage and jumping. He is past president of the Klamath County Cattlemen's Association, as well as a past president of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association: "We question why the storage management process of repeated flooding and pumping would not re-create the phosphorous loading of Upper Klamath Lake that the original purchase of the property was alleged to prevent."
Unspoken Issues of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by Ric Frost, M.S. Agricultural Economics, New Mexico State University..36-page document includes gov't land map, charts, court cases, and essential information regarding the ESA. 2/23/03
Western Land Use Conference in Klamath Falls, Oregon, exposes U.N. Wildlands Projects strategies behind ‘ESA’ and other ‘Environmental’ Scams, KBC news team February 23, 2003 "The only hope of the Earth is to withdraw huge areas as inviolate natural sanctuaries from the depredations of modern industry and technology. Move out the people and cars. Reclaim the roads and the plowed lands.’ Dave Foreman,http:www.wildlandsprojectrevelaed.org
HEADLINES: 'Thousands to lose {$8
million in Oregon} drug coverage' 2/23/03 Herald and News
HEADLINES: 'On time, on budget, but experts not
sure it{$11 million fish screen} will work'
'Tri-County Courier', 2/19/03
100,000 Oregonians, on March 1, will lose prescription drug benefits because
Oregon is going broke from locking up their natural resources: logging and
agriculture. Yet a $11 million fish screen is being built, it might not
work, and the federal gov't AND environmental agencies do not know how many
'endangered' sucker fish there were, are, or how many they want.
Salmon killed by illegal drug activities?, Sarah Foster, World Net Daily, 2/22.
Few Klamath Answers,
by Laura Brown, The Daily Triplicate, 2/21/03
The KBC team has been asked the following questions concerning the Barnes
Property:
Would it hold cold water to keep the downriver fish from 'fatal
temperatures' ?
What is it's phosphorus content--is it acceptable to be released downstream?
Over
94,539 acres
of agricultural Land has been taken out of production above Klamath Lake
with the promise by
conservancies to create 'more water to go around'. More was taken out
of production last year
LINK see
question #1
With that in mind:
Would the water stored on Barnes Property be credited to the Klamath Project
(will it diminish the amount of stored irrigation water demanded that
the farmers must send down the Klamath River this year and possibly in the
future?
Department of the Interior, if you can
answer those questions for us, we will know whether to support this
purchase. We thank you for your interest and support.
Environmental
groups plan lawsuit against Klamath River sturgeon decision, Herald
and News, February 21, 2003, combined local and wire reports.
Keppen said all these actions are
dedicated to forcing farmers out of the Basin.
KWUA Weekly Update for February 21, 2003, includes:
Project Water Users, Reclamation Prepare for 2001
Irrigation Season
Project Operations Still Guided by Rigid Lake Level, Flow Release
Regs
Conservation Workshop Scheduled
"The Project represents 2% of the land area in
the entire Klamath River watershed, and depletes roughly 2%
of the water that finds its way to the Pacific Ocean, 200 miles downstream.
It was built to provide water stored
in the federal project (Upper Klamath Lake, Clear Lake and Gerber Reservoir)
specifically for irrigation purposes."
Drought dread rises in Klamath,
by Michael Milstein, The Oregonian, 2/21/03;
"There is this huge diversion of water
from the Trinity, and we're being looked at to subsidize that loss," said
Heiney, whose eyes still well up over the loss of his crops in 2001. "To be
held responsible for all that is ridiculous."
| Klamath Commissioners Question Barnes Ranch Purchase, | |
| "The Klamath County Board of Commissioners is not convinced the purchase of a 2,785-acre ranch for conservation purposes will help save water or farmers." |
Canadian irrigators ask Basin farmer Steve Kandra to address ESA issues, The Tri-County Courier 2/19/03
On time, on budget, but experts not sure fish screen will work, The Tri-County Courier, 2/19/03 "...technical factors including water flow velocities and the openings in the stainless steel screens may not be optimal for sucker survival, but Korson, fish passage manager in the Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Falls office, said even that is unknown. Randy Wyatt of the Bureau states, "For an $11 million project, we are doing pretty well."
Counties hit ruling on Trinity River published 2/19/03 by Laura Brown, Triplicate staff writer
Irrigators suffered much more than report indicated,
Last
December, those of us whose irrigation water was shut off in 2001 were
appalled to learn that a recent Oregon State University economic study
suggests that we actually made money that year. I, for one, can tell you
another story that I hope will reveal the major flaws in the OSU report."
H.R.652
Appropriations for Land Acquisitions
BAD NEWS
"Looks like an addendum to HR-488 and the Wildlands Project to me."
[Clarice Ryan] Note acquisition of large wildland areas, closing all
grazing, mineral rights not owned by U.S., road closures, etc. as part of
first round of Forest Service land and resource management plan. 2/16/03
KLAMATH FISH KILL NEWS RELEASE
What Caused
Salmon Deaths: METHAMPHETAMINE DUMPS FOUND AT KLAMATH RIVER TRIBUTARY ON OHPAH CREEK,
A TRIBUTARY OF THE KLAMATH RIVER, SUMMER 2002!!!!
"Could
the illegal marijuana and meth producers dumping chemicals, poisons and
waste above the fish kill into creeks, watersheds and river be accountable
for the dead fish or at least have magnified the impact of the gill rot?" "Several members of the
DFG stated they were familiar with the chemicals listed and stated, "Of
course they could kill fish."
"John Martinez, until recently, was
employed by the Karuk Tribe in Happy Camp for nearly four years. " Martinez
stated. "I believe my safety is still in danger for having exposed potential
illegal drug-related activities." Barry R. Clausen writer,
Siskiyou Daily News, Feb. 17, 2003.
ESA Forum Exposes Keppen's Species Recovery Plans and Kerr's Lack of Facts, "By saying we are going to retire land now, you're jumping to the conclusion that the project is the curse of all the problems in the Klamath Basin and that's a pretty drastic solution to undertake before having a pretty good sense of how all these other things are factored in." Keppen also added that in the last 10 yrs, USFWS is using historically more water than before". KBC news report 2/17/03
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KWUA Weekly Update for
February 15, 2003. Dan Keppen and Andy Kerr on Bald Eagle Conference ESA
panel Saturday night 44-page report of innovative environmental restoration and water conservation efforts undertaken by water users, Herald and News Sucker Experts Needed, James Buchal, "Government biologists couldn't find suckers in 1988, when they listed them, and yet in the 1990s, they counted hundreds of thousands of them." HeraldandNews 2/13/03 Kalina's Hardware in Malin celebrates celebrates 90 years in business February 13-15th. There will be prizes and refreshments, so come to the celebration. (By the way, some of the Malin area wells are still dry because of the 'Tribal Trust' water demanded by the Dept of the Interior from our aquifer this summer. Pray for these hard-working honest folks--they don't deserve this!) See PRAYER PAGE for farmer's prayer for President Bush, Sue Ellen Wooldridge, Gail Norton, John Keyes and others making live-or-death decisions for our community.
What did
the Sawgrass Rebellion accomplish?
by Jan Jacobson, director, the Everglades Institute.
Management shift dooms local wildlife refuges
February 9, 2003,Herald and
KWUA Weekly Update for
February 8, 2003 - Contains the following: Stream flow forecast dry, grim, Dylan Darling, H&N, 2/6 Diversions to Rogue Targeted, Dylan Darling, H&N, 1/31.
KWUA Weekly Update for January 31, 2003 - Contains the following:
* Enviros To Sue Rogue Irrigators over
Klamath Diversions
* Green Sturgeon Petition Rejected: Lampreys Now Proposed
for Listing
Water users plan meeting to discuss lawsuit - Herald and News, January 30, 2003 - The law firm of Saltman and Stevens will meet with interested people, 2 p.m. Saturday February 1, 2003, at the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds home economics building. Klamath bashers do nothing to try to improve things - Herald and News Op/Ed by Mike Connelly, January 29, 2003 NMFS Determines Green Sturgeon Does Not Warrant ESA Listing - After reviewing the available scientific and commercial information, NMFS has determined that the petitioned species is comprised of two distinct population segments (DPSs) that qualify as species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but that neither DPS warrants listing as a threatened or endangered species at this time.
In tonight's State of the Union Address,
January 28, 2003, President Bush gave hope and promise of help for those
being double taxed, health care patients, drug addicts, disadvantaged
children, babies being killed in
Water politics leave scars on farm families
January 27 2003, The Daily Triplicate.
"I'm tired of people telling us
we're farming the desert. It wasn't a desert, it was a lake and all we did
was take it out of here and stick it in Upper Klamath Lake and bring it back
to here at a more beneficial time and produce products that the world could
utilize." John Crawford, Tulelake farmer. Switzer cleared of ethics rap. Jennifer Bates, H&N, 1/24
KWUA Weekly Update - January
25, 2003 - Contains the following: To be held: February 22 & 23, 2003 -- Klamath Falls, Oregon -- Klamath Community College, 7390 South Sixth Street Agenda for Saturday and Sunday Conference Schedule for Saturday and Sunday: Registration at the door will start at 7:30 AM (but you need to call 541-857-0678 to reserve your spot) Breakfast will be from 8:00 to 9:00 AM Conference will start at 9:00 AM - Lunch Break - And end around 5:00 PM Breakfast and lunch is included in your registration fee For more information please go here.
People for the USA (PFUSA) Grange #835, the California State Grange, and Bull trout plan draws local fire - Herald and News Article, January 23, 2003Conservancy has key part of Basin water puzzle - Herald and News Op/Ed Guest Columnist Rich McIntyre - Oregon Coordinator for the American Land Conservancy - January 20, 2003Wilderness Society analysis of payments was not anti-farmer - Herald and News Op/Ed Guest Columnist Bob Freimark - Director of the Pacific Northwest Region of The Wilderness Society - January 20, 2003Masami Hog Farm Appeal Meeting - Tuesday, January 21, 2003 Klamath County Commissioner's Hearing Room, Klamath County Government Building, 2:00 PM Barnes Ranch deal goes to Washington - Herald and News - January 17, 2003Watershed groups oppose hog farm - Herald and News - January 17, 2003Klamath Falls -- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Bull Trout Habitat informational meeting and public hearings next week: January 22: Klamath Falls, Oregon KWUA Weekly Update - January 17, 2003 - Contains the following: * Western Economists Question USGS Draft
Klamath Recreational Study
Wilderness Society continues its
attack
Herald and News Editorial - January 15, 2003
Review of USGS Study on recreational benefits of eliminating farming in the Klamath Basin, Richard McCann, Ph.D. "...anomalous results in the survey where recreational users were found to be staying on AVERAGE several months on site...". And much more junk science exposed. See e-mail, and full report. Farmers Dispute (Wilderness Society) Report - Herald and News Article January 12, 2003Herald and News Editorial - Drought key part to low river flows January 10, 2003Klamath Water Users Weekly Update - January 10, 2003 Includes Vogel's comments on CF&G Fish Die-off in the Lower Klamath RiverMasami Seeks State Permit Animal feeding operation subject to public comment 1/09Top Danish Environmentalist Rejects Fraud Charges Send Your Comments! 1/09Bush Plan To Save Farmers A Mistake? Scientist disputes agency's conclusion that feds caused massive fish kill 1/09Review of USGS Study on recreational benefits of eliminating farming in the Klamath Basin, Richard McCann, Ph.D. "...anomalous results in the survey where recreational users were found to be staying on AVERAGE several months on site...". And much more junk science exposed. See e-mail, and full report. California Fish & Game Report Releases Assessment of Klamath River Fish Die-Off. Many Questions Remain to be Answered, Say Klamath Irrigators. Klamath Water Users, 1/4. Klamath Water Users' comments of Wilderness Society's assessment of 2001 Basin relief program, 1/03. Klamath Water Users' Assessment of the OSU Economic Reports, 1/03. Klamath Crisis overestimated, study says, Eric Bailey, LA Times, 1/03/03. A quick look at a country where the government has been taking farms away from the farmers, Reuters, 1/4. Site stats updated through 2002.
Commissioners to hear Masami hog farm case,
Matt Hall, H&N, 1/2. This link goes to the forum where Kfalls transcribed
the story. "The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the
Klamath County Government Center, 305 Main Street in Klamath Falls."
IMPORTANT MEETING.
See Archive 13: Nov-Dec 2002
also see main
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Archive 14
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also see: environmental news and commentary
also see main archive page for past months