KID rejoins KWUA after a year's
absence
An
uneasy quiet set in among board members after irrigator
Greg Carleton pitched the idea of rejoining Klamath
Water Users Association on Tuesday — possibly the
quietest part of the meeting — in which members later
voted unanimously to rejoin the advocacy group.
It
has been more than a year since the Klamath Irrigation
District (KID) voted to leave the association in late
2015. That spurred acrimony among the KID board that
eventually led to a recall election of three board
members last year; only one was successfully recalled.
“Timing is good right now, but for the most part, I want
a unified voice in the project, and we are doubling our
costs on several things that I don’t feel we need to,”
Carleton told fellow board members.
Carleton, KID president, has been favorable to the idea
of pooling district resources to help offset mounting
legal fees since taking the lead KID role, and
solidified his position Tuesday at the regular meeting.
“It’s a natural progression with the issues that we have
to deal with today,” Carleton said, following the
meeting. “We all hope to move forward and make Water
Users a stronger organization.”
Board member Dave Cacka emphasized that membership with
KWUA gives KID a “seat at the table” for key decisions
impacting Klamath Project irrigators, including the
formation of a new biological opinion in relation to the
outcome of litigation involving the Hoopa and Yurok
Tribes and KID.
“We have to go to Washington with a unified voice and I
don’t necessarily say that we’re going to get total ESA
(Endangered Species Act) reform or legislative relief,
but there are avenues that we can go down to give us
leverage.”
“If we rejoin Water Users as a district, it is up to
this board to appoint a representative that is going to
go to the meetings and reshape the organization in the
way KID would like to see it reshaped,” Cacka said.
“We don’t go to Water Users to see what Water Users is
doing for us. We participate within Water Users and tell
them what we would like them to do for us and do for the
(Klamath) Project and do for the community as a whole.
As a board, we have to take a more engaged approach.”
Scott White, executive director of the KWUA, was in
California Tuesday and said he is “thrilled” with the
decision.
“The division is clear when they pulled out of Water
Users,” White said. “I’m hopeful we can convince them
that the Water Users is an organization looking out for
the water rights of the Klamath Project water users.”
Various KID patrons at the meeting spoke out against
rejoining KWUA, including longtime irrigator John Bair.
Bair shared a belief with board members that KID had
been treated unfairly regarding voting rights while with
the KWUA.
Rob Unruh, longtime member of the KWUA, disputed the
claim.
“I
cannot recall a time that KID was outvoted,” Unruh said.
Irrigator David Oxley also weighed in. “If we can learn
from history and address these issues now … it could be
a positive thing,” Oxley said.
KID board member Grant Knoll expressed concern that not
enough patrons were favorable to rejoining the KWUA,
which prompted him to nominate himself to represent KID
on the KWUA after its approval.
When asked about concerns with the KWUA, White said any
and all KID patrons with questions or concerns can talk
with him.
For the benefit of KID patrons, White also expressed a
desire to attend KID meetings when able to do so.
“We’re looking at some better options to keep our
irrigation community better informed,” White said. “I’m
always eager to hear those concerns.”
Those wanting to learn more about KWUA and membership
can contact Scott White at 541-883-6100.
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