Introduction: In 2001, the Klamath Basin, like most of Oregon, experienced a severe drought due to the low snow fall during the winter of 2000-2001. For protection of endangered fish, irrigation water normally sent to farms in the basin was cut off in summer 2001. The result was anger directed towards the federal agencies with responsibility for water and species management, a series of demonstrations featured prominently in national news, and a heated national debate about saving endangered species vs. providing livelihoods. The Klamath Basin in south-central Oregon has an extensive irrigation project, built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) in the 1920s. In the Klamath Basin, five native fish species, bald eagles, and a number of other species are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The current debate is focused on needs of two of the fish species, the Lost River sucker and the shortnose sucker, although other species are also affected by Klamath Project management. How to use this web page: Click to go down to: Klamath Farmers Go It Alone, April 28, 2002: An editorial in The Oregonian arguing that the Klamath water Users worked to eliminate the $175 million relief package because it would have provided money to buyout farmers to reduce water demand.
more coming here soon... Proposals to modify the Endangered Species Act: Several bills that stem
from the Klamath basin crisis have been introduced in Congress.
Environmentalists believe that these will all significantly weaken the
Endangered Species Act. NRC report criticizes decision not to deliver irrigation water: To see the NRC report, go to the National Research Council web page and search under Klamath Basin. Klamath Plan Backs Irrigation, Jan. 28, 2002: The Bureau of Reclamation has issued their draft plan for water management in the Klamath Basin in the coming year. The plan guarantees irrigators will receive most of the water they have been getting in the past, with less guarantee about the amount of water that will be left for ecosystems. The plan will be open for public comment. This is a newspaper story reporting on the draft plan and reactions to it. more coming here soon....
Cries of save the suckerfish rile farmers' allies, 6/20/01: Two U.S. congressmen who represent the Klamath Basin have requested Secretary of Interior Gale Norton to convene the "god squad". Under the Endagered Species Act, the god squad weighs environment vs. economics and has the power to override the ESA. This story reports on this request and on the hearing held June 16. The story gives background as well as reporting reactions at the hearing. Plan would give buyouts to Klamath landowners, 6/16/01: Conservationists and a group of Klamath Basin landowners Friday unveiled a proposal that would provide financial relief to farmers and more water for fish and wildlife. Endangered Species Act reform urged, 6/17/01: On June 16, six U.S. congressman held a field hearing in Klamath Falls. The overall tone of the hearing was highly critical of NMFS, BuRec, and envirnmental groups. Various views are quoted in this story. Letters to the Editor on Battle of the Klamath Basin, 6/5/2001: A series of letters in response to the Wall Street Journal's editorial of 5/16. Four are from representatives of environmental organizations in opposition to the editorial, and one is from a Klamath Basin resident in favor of the editorial.
Groups demand water for bald eagles, 5/24/01: "Conservation groups say a trickle of water going to a few farmers in the parched Klamath Project of Southern Oregon should be going to help imperiled bald eagles on national wildlife refuges instead, and they promised to go to court to make sure it does." People suck, 5/16/01: This is an editorial from the Wall Street Journal. They (WSJ) argue in favor of the positions taken by the Klamath Water Users association, and against the NMFS and BuRec decisions. They favor convening the god squad, to overrule ESA provisions in this case. They state that the Bush administration has missed a chance to "to take a bold step against junk science, the very root of bad environmental policy." Series in the Oregonian, 5/6-9/01: In early May, the Oregonian published, as the lead front-page story, a four-part analysis series on the Klamath Basin drought crisis. The first story provides a geographical and historical overview, the second focuses on economic impacts, the third focuses on the fish, and the fourth discusses possible solutions and barriers to solutions. Decision will leave Klamath Basin dry, 5/01/01: Judge Aiken hands down a decision in the suit brought by Klamath Basin farmers against the BuRec plan. Aiken decides the BuRec plan (to not deliver water to farmers this summer) will stand. This article also describes some of the effects already happening on the Klamath Basin. Farmers fight for water, 4/28/01: Farmers from the Klamath Basin demonstrated outside of the federal courthouse in Eugene, while their case requesting an injunction to prevent the BuRec from implementing its water management plan was being heard inside the courthouse. Farmers give their side of the issue. Districts send farmers water despite judge's order, 4/27/01: The Bureau of Reclamation had earlier decided to send irrigation water to farmers from 2 reservoirs on the eastern edge of the Klamath Basin project, but this action was ruled illegal by a federal judge. Despite the ruling, BuRec operators keep sending water until they could meet with irrigators. Irrigators filed a legal challenge to shutdown of irrigation on the entire Klamath project; this case will be heard in Eugene on 4/27. The Species Litigation Act, 4/20/01: This is an editorial from the Wall Street Journal. President Bush asked Congress for a one-year moratorium preventing private lawsuits aimed at adding new entries to the endangered list. This editorial strongly supports this idea, and explains why it supports it. While not dealing with the Klamath Basin drought issue directly, the editorial gives an informative perspective on opposition to the Endangered Species Act. Kitzhaber faces angry farmers, 4/13/01: Governor Kitzhaber faced angry farmers in Klamath Falls. He said that he believes the ESA should be should be overhauled to protect farmers as well as fish. Hundreds Protest Plan Giving Fish Precedence, 4/8/01: Following the BuRec announcement, a protest meeting was held in Klamath Falls for the farmers who will lose water. There is a lot of anger about this decision. Senator Gordon Smith, R-Oregon, attended to listen to the people's views.
Klamath Farms Go Without Water, 4/07/01: On April 6, the BuRec announced that this summer they will not deliver irrigation water to 90% of the irrigated farm land in the Klamath Basin Project. This is a newspaper story from The Oregonian newpaper. Here is a small map that appeared with this story:
Governor Kitzhaber declares drought emergency in Klamath County, March 28, 2001: This link takes you to the Oregon Department of Water Resources Drought Conditions web page. You can link from there to the Governor's drought emergency declaration for Klamath County. Water fight may go to the top, March 15, 2001: Klamath basin irrigators may ask Interior Secretary Gale Norton to convene the "God Squad" to overrule the water plan and send water to irrigators instead of holding it in the lake for endangered fish. Klamath Project Rules out Coexistence of Wild Coho and Farms, March 21, 2001: This story covers several points in this complex issue. Some farmers are being paid to not plant crops; others are being paid to deliver their well water to Upper Klamath Lake to help out the endangered fish. In addition, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has determined that diverting water form the Klamath system for irrigation will harm coho salmon that use the Klamath River downstream from the project. Mandated Water Deliveries Made to Keep Bald Eagles from Starving, March 25, 2001: The USFWS has decided that the BuRec most deliver water to Lower Klamath Marsh (a national wildlife refuge) to support waterfowl populations that bald eagles feed on. Governor Declares Drought Emergency for Klamath County, March 29, 2001: Governor Kitzhaber has declared a drought emergency in Klamath County, and requested a federal drought emergency declaration, making farmers eligible for federal drought relief funds.
klamathbasincrisis.org: This web page supports the needs and rights of Klamath Basin farmers to water for irrigation. The page is highly critical of the NMFS biological opinion that irrigation would endanger fish, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's subsequent actions, the environmental movement in general, and professional eco-activists. It has lots of news and press releases, links to other organizations, updates on the irrigators legal challenges, photos, essays against environmentalists, and suggestions for how to take action. The page appears to be sponsored by the Klamath Water Users Association. Klamath Water Users Association: This web page has been under construction since March. Presumably it has been supplanted by klamathbasincrisis.org, above. Oregon Farm Bureau: Go to Issues, and scroll down to Endangered Species. This is a general statement, they do not have anything specific posted about the Klamath Basin issues. Oregon Natural Resources Council: This environmental group is very active in the Klamath Basin. This page gives their view on the current situation. They call for supporters to write letters to elected officials urging that officials resist pressure to circumvent the Endangered Species Act (through the God Squad). Water Watch of Oregon: This is an environmental group "devoted to restoring and protecting natural flows in Oregon's rivers. We work in the courts, state and federal agencies, and the legislature to ensure enough water is left in our rivers and streams to sustain the fish, wildlife, and people who depend on them." This link takes you to their web page on "Water Quantity Issues in Oregon." This page has nothing specific on the Klamath Basin, but talks about the issue of overappropriation of water in general.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Project web page: The BuRec is the agency that built and operates the irrigation system. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Klamath Falls Fish and Wildlife Office Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges Drought Watch, Oregon Dept. of Water Resources: This web page has government information on drought conditions, including water forecasts, drought declaration, information on water rights laws, etc. Governor Kitzhaber declared a drought emergency in Klamath County on March 28, 2001, and since then, he has declared drought emergencies in seven additional Oregon counties. Map of the Klamath Basin drainage network: This map shows diversion for power generation and for irrigation. This is the transparency I showed in lecture on April 11, 2001.
last update: 02/12/07 10:45 PM
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