KBRA Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement letters 2014 toc

KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement
Letters, Opinions, Speeches of The People
2014

KBRA PAGE includes links to previous year's
letters, opinions and speeches of the The People

AUDIO: Must Listen: 5 1/2 minute summary of Upper Basin's Klamath Settlement Agreement; audio by Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, Local News with Paul Hanson on KFLS News/Talk Radio 1450, 4/1/13. "The nearly 100-page agreement has seven objectives..."

RERUN: PCFFA Glen Spain ANALYSIS OF “Outline of Objections to the Klamath Basin Restoration and Hydroelectric Settlement Agreements.” Spain explains why environmental NGO's and Tribes should support the dam removal and ag-downsizing 'agreements', posted to KBC 2/20/10, 12/4/10. (KBC NOTE: PCFFA/Glen Spain, an author of the KBRA, has sued against the Klamath Project retaining an affordable power rate, and are suing Project Irrigators claim to be compensated for their deeded water that was withheld by the US government)
* "The primary “guarantee” the Project irrigators will get under the KBRA is the guarantee that in dry years they will typically get much less water from the river than before -- and the fish will therefore get that much more.
* “...guaranteed increase” in the volume of water for lower river salmon and endangered lake fish of between 130,000 and 230,000 additional acre-feet which would kick in immediately."
* "...KBRA leaves the ESA alive and well."
* "...short-term and long-term measures including: “conservation easements, forbearance agreements, conjunctive use programs, efficiency measures, land acquisitions, water acquisitions, groundwater development, groundwater substation, other voluntary transactions, water storage, and any other applicable measures.”
* agriculture "..permanently giving up as much as 130,000 acre-feet of current legally held water rights) that the Project and non-Project irrigators are surrendering."

KBC NOTE: Several of our readers have asked us if the KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement has been extended past the Dec. 31, 2014 deadline. Changes in the 2012 KBRA Amendment allows for extensions: Amendment to the KBRA/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. Page 3, 7.6.1. Cure for Potential Termination Event, it previously read that the KBRA would terminate, which was replaced by the words "be terminable."

Irrigation water block is no guarantee for Basin by Tom Mallams Klamath County Commissioner for Herald and News 12/16/14. "In the Dec. 13 Herald and News, I was incorrectly quoted as saying there is a “guaranteed” block of water for Project irrigators in the proposed water agreements. I have never said this. I have consistently said they only “claim” or “attempt” to have a guaranteed block of water for Project irrigators..."

Water pact failure results from history of bad choices, by Maudie Smith, Klamath Falls, letter to H&N 12/14/14. "I believe we’ve gotten to this point because of a long-term effort to secure tribal funding at the expense of agriculture..."

Letter from Klamath Falls City Councilman Bill Adams to Congressman Walden, Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Ron Wyden, posted to KBC 12/16/14. "...While their is mixed support by members of our agricultural community, I believe it is only because they have their backs against the wall. The majority of this community does not support this bill because it requires Dam Removal. This was shown by the election of all three County Commissioners who have opposed the KBRA and recently sent you a letter opposing SB2379..."

More water needs to be allocated for agriculture, by Brandon Criss, Siskiyou County Supervisor District 1, posted to KBC 12/7/14. "Eighty percent of Siskiyou County and 77 percent of the Tulelake basin voted no on dam removal. When dams are a Klamath County campaign issue, pro-dam candidates have consistently won. With the dams in place, we are seeing record runs of Klamath River salmon. Tearing out existing hydropower dams that have proven benefits for fish, Basin agriculture, and this past summer’s firefighting efforts, is no solution."

Controversy means new water pact is necessary, Herald and News letter to the editor by Wilma Heiney, Tulelake, posted to KBC 11/30/14.

Commissioners make good on election vows. H&N letter to the editor by Loren and Laura Little, Chiloquin, posted to KBC 11/30/14

Joint letter from Klamath County Commissioners and Siskiyou County Supervisors opposing SB2379 - Klamath River Dam Removal and Klamath "Agreements", posted to KBC 11/30/14. "The Commissioners of Klamath County, Oregon, and the Supervisors of Siskiyou County, California -- the elected officials representing two thirds of the Klamath River Watershed -- strongly oppose Senate Bill 2379...."

Cal-OR Bi-State Alliance ALTERNATIVES to the KBRA and KHSA (Klamath dam-removal agreements), May 2014. (Both agreements mandate Klamath River Hydro-electric Dam removals) Bi-State Alliance page

Saving the Klamath River Dams, the best alternative for Siskiyou and Klamath Counties, May 2014, Cal-Or Bi-State Alliance

More than 60 people packed into the 11/21/14 Klamath County Commissioners public meeting to discuss sending a joint letter with Siskiyou County Commissioners to Congress in opposition to the Klamath settlement agreements. Many opposing the Commissioners' letter criticized the elected officials for opposing the agreements that they were elected to oppose. Several speakers supported the Commissioners. The Klamath Tribes threatened to shut off water to irrigators again if the KBRA did not materialize. After public comment, when it became apparent the Commissioners were going to mail their letter regardless of the criticism and insults, most of the opponents stomped out while the Commissioners were explaining their stance and possible alternative solutions that seemed valid to the Klamath and Siskiyou elected officials and the constituents who elected them.
The room was packed	until Commissioners upheld their plan to send a letter in opposition	Many left, grumbling and laughing by the doorway

Herald and News articles concerning Klamath County Commissioners meeting to send joint letter with Siskiyou County elected officials to oppose the controversial KBRA dam removal agreement. H&N 11/22-23/2014.

Questions about Basin water issues continue, H&N letter by Karen Walther, posted to KBC 11/16/14. "I suggest you Google Agenda 21. See how far it has progressed in our Basin. Do you really want this to happen? If you do, then continue fighting for the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the like."

Report the news; don’t be the news, H&N editor Pat Bushey, followed by A worse future beckons without water settlement (a biased H&N view supporting KBRA water 'agreement' " 10/26/14

< "Talk about irrefutable first-class evidence that the Dams (Iron Gate & Copco) are absolutely critical to the local area and to the Public (as well as to public safety)... look at this!" by Captain William E. Simpson II - USMM

"Watch over the legitimacy, and the truthfulness, of what we call science," by Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, posted to KBC 6/23/14.
* "Upper Klamath Lake TMDL is based on the false assumption that development of the Upper Basin by European man has resulted in significant increases in the phosphorous concentration that helps to cause poor water quality in Upper Klamath Lake.
* We are asked to assume that the alleged decline of the endangered suckers is the result of declining water quality
* We are asked to assume that Coho Salmon are threatened in the Klamath River due to water storage for the Klamath Project
* We are asked to assume that the Northern Spotted Owl is endangered due to man-caused loss of habitat
* We are being asked to assume that the declining numbers of sage grouse are the result of loss of habitat due to cattle grazing.
* we are being asked to cooperate with the regulation of groundwater by the Oregon Water Resources Department based on a regional computer model that can only be described as fraudulent"

Water is a precious resource in the Basin, H&N letter to editor by Harvey Houston, Klamath Falls, posted to KBC 6/19/14. "In Southern California, the river waters were so low, they had to build dams to keep out the ocean water. Officials are thinking of building more dams on the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. Our Oregon officials want to remove the dams on the Klamath River."

The Senate Hearing is on June 3rd at 2:30 Eastern time:
* Letter signed by Klamath County Commissioners and Siskiyou County Supervisors opposing Klamath Dam Removal Agreements to U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock, 5/30/14
* Letter signed by Klamath County Commissioners and Siskiyou County Supervisors opposing Klamath Dam Removal Agreements, to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, 5/30/14

County taxpayers deserve more input in irrigation agreements, H&N letter by David Hurst, posted to KBC 4/25/14. "The upper Basin ranchers and farmers are not given a lot of choices in any of the agreements. The tribe had to vote on the agreement: Why doesn’t the taxpayer have the same choice?"

Siskiyou County Supervisor Brandon Criss' Newsletter, posted to KBC 4/22/14. "...a list of the broad sector of support for saving the Klamath River Dams, including county and local governments, non-profits, agricultural organizations, and the nearly 80% vote of the people of Siskiyou County. It was important to...counter the other side’s false rhetoric that the Klamath Basin supports dam removal."

Freedom of speech is key when talking irrigation, by Bruce Topham, Sprague River letter to H&N, posted to KBC 4/15/14. "This is what is currently being demanded of those of us who are ranchers in the north half of Klamath County. A foreign sovereign government (aka the Klamath Tribes) is requiring that for any water settlement to be met for irrigation or drinking water for our livestock we must surrender our right as Americans to express any opinions contrary to those advocated by the Klamath Tribes..."

AUDIO - Dr. Mike Newton and Senator Doug Whitsett, begin minute 30, I-Spy Radio 4/8/14, on Science of Upper Klamath Basin ranchers being denied surface and ground water with no proof of interference to stream water, yet studies support that groundwater use enhances stream flow. What is the government's excuse? KBC NOTE: If the Upper Basin irrigator does not agree with the Kitzhaber Task Force plan, they will be denied surface and groundwater to irrigate.

Culprit behind salmon kills not dams, but parasites; Answers to irrigation, environmental issues exist — just not in the form of dam removal, H&N by Siskiyou County Supervisor Brandon Criss, posted to KBC 1/15/14. " 'The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement is a dam removal agreement whose signers agree to support and advocate for dam removal... '(Congressman) Walden explained, '...When three-quarters of the population says no to dam removal, that’s a problem you can’t skip over.' Craig Tucker, of the Karuk Tribe 'defended the KBRA, saying that there are no guarantees of water for farms in the agreement; only a cap on how much can be diverted. ‘What’s capped in this agreement is agricultural water use,’ Tucker said.”