WATER STORAGE

for Long Lake info and articles,
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Check out how much ag land has been converted to wetlands in the guise of 'saving water' and 'storage', and how much water it has depleted.

Ground-Water Hydrology of the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon and California, Prepared by USGS in cooperation with the Oregon Water Resources Department, 5/3/07.

Barnes Ranch Land Acquisition

Facts about Barnes Acquisition by Gail Hildreth Whitsett 2/18/05

Go here for audio of Barnes Ranch snow job. This land acquisition was promised as storage for irrigators by American Land Conservancy and our government agencies. Against the will of the public and elected officials, The Nature Conservancy bought Barnes and converted it into refuge...NO 50,000 acre feet of water storage that was promised. You will enjoy the audio, furnished by KBC.

Articles, press releases and testimony:

Governor stresses need to store water (in E. Oregon), Oregonian 11/9/07. (KBC NOTE: we could use the Governor's support to develop cold water storage in the Klamath Basin in Long Lake. At times more water goes into the ocean, in winter seasons when the fish don't need floods, than the Klamath Project uses in an entire season. But, as long as there is a 'problem,' the government and tribes have excuses to take our land and our water rights, blow up dikes, ...)

Bureau of Reclamation Responses to Senator Whitsett’s Written Questions regarding Barnes Ranch acquisition, by Jon Hicks and Cecil Lesley. (KBC NOTE: The Bureau gave Whitsett these "draft" answers in 2006 with the "final" soon to come. Upon request of the "final" answers, today, 10/9/07, Leslie sent these to KBC stating, "Attached are our responses to Senator Whitsett's questions; the Draft answers are our final answers." Thank you very much Mr. Leslie!)

Officials push Long Lake plans, H&N 8/9/07.

Long Lake part of the answer to water problems, H&N 7/23/07

Long Lake studies under way, H&N 7/15/07. "Long Lake would have less evaporation. It also might provide colder water that f ish thrive on. Hicks said geological drilling conducted two and a half years ago indicated the lake bed could hold 350,000 acre-feet of water without being porous. Depth would be about 160 feet."

Push the studies on feasibility of Long Lake, H&N posted to KBC 6/18/07.

Water Pressure, H&N, posted 6/15/07. Klamath Basin Long Lake water storage

Long Lake water storage considered, H&N 5/11/07
11/3/06 Klamath County Commissioner John Elliott responds to Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's (PCFFA) comments on Long Lake storage.

A Bold and Necessary Move by “The Governator” by Dan Keppen, Executive Director Family Farm Alliance, Klamath Falls, Siskiyou Daily News 1/16/07  "California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week triggered an outcry from West Coast environmental activists when he included provisions to build two new surface water storage facilities in his 2007-08 state budget."

Ca. Assemblyman (LaMalfa) glad governor discusses water, H&N, posted 1/15/07

Governor to push for new dams despite long-standing resistance, Signonsandiego.com,  posted 1/8/07

Governor pushes for more water storage, CA Farm Bureau, 12/13/06.  

Klamath County Commissioner John Elliott responds to Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's (PCFFA) remarks regarding Long Lake storage, November 4, 2006.

Bill Kennedy, Chairman of the Board for the Family Farm Alliance, traveled to Redmond, Oregon and spoke to an audience that included Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Dale Hall (Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Mark Rey (Under Secretary of Department of Agriculture), Rick Otis (EPA Deputy Associate Administrator,Office of Policy Economics and Innovation) and Bob Lohn (NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator). Attached is Bill’s written testimony, which was submitted for the record on behalf of the Alliance. Posted to KBC 9/2/06

Alliance Responds to Misguided CBO Report regarding water allocation, Family Farm Alliance, posted to KBC 9/2/06

Irrigation use of groundwater shows need of more storage, 7/28/06

Restoration of (Barnes Ranch) marsh on Upper Klamath Lake moving forward, Oregonian 7/10/06
Bill would boost size of Upper Klamath Refuge, H&N 7/10/06. (KBC Comment: We were told last month by a member of The Nature Conservancy that they had already bought the Barnes Ranch for more than $7 million dollars to be sold to Fish and Wildlife for a wetland. Regardless of the local letters and reasons against the federal government buying Barnes Ranch, Senators Wyden and Smith and DOI want to acquire this for USFWS. This will add to the 94,000 acres of ag land already acquired to 'restore' the Upper Basin. According to Dr William Lewis, Chairman of the National Research Council, this will not benefit suckers nor will it help Klamath Lake quality. Also it will raise lake temperatures and evaporate more water than it can store.  Note that they are no longer touting the 50,000 acre feet storage previously claimed. There were NO public meetings. Our voices and science and facts are not being acknowledged. KBC) HERE for letters regarding Barnes acquisition. HERE for Storage Page.
 

ONRC wrong about Long Lake, relies on outdated study data by JOHN ELLIOTT Guest columnist 6/18/06 John Elliott is a Klamath County commissioner and has been active in the effort to develop Long Lake for water storage. FOLLOWED BY: Long Lake no answer to Basin water puzzle by Steve Pedery, ONRC

OK - compare the costs, by Dan Keppen, Executive Director Family Farm Alliance, Klamath Falls. (this is a response to the ONRC opinion on Long Lake storage) 6/15/06, FOLLOWED BY: column by ONRC's Steve Pedery about Long Lake June 11. More on Long

Deep water storage remains the true answer, H&N 5/21/06.

It's time to do something with Basin's surplus water, H&N posted to KBC 4/5/06

Water for New Demands Must Come from New Storage....or it Will Come from Agriculture by Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance Executive Director, posted to KBC 3/8/06

 Wyden , Smith Secure Funds For Oregon Natural Resource Projects, Josephine County News 6/13/05

WATER STORAGE:

Solving the water crisis, it's a somewhat crazy concept - But, you know what? It could work to address all the water problems, by Lance Waldren, Pioneer Press, posted 4/16/07

Water for New Demands Must Come from New Storage, or it Will Come from Agriculture by Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance Executive Director, Klamath Falls, OR. 3/16/06 "The roaring river flows we have seen in the past several weeks ought to make every sensible person question the activists’ claims about "too little water". On New Year’s Eve, measurements on the Klamath River showed that flows over 400,000 cubic feet per second were being discharged to the Pacific Ocean. That flow rate equates to approximately 800,000 acre-feet of water in one day. By comparison, the Klamath Irrigation Project and adjacent national wildlife refuges use approximately 350,000 acre-feet of water in an entire typical irrigation season."

Recent weather makes case for water storage, H&N 1/8/06. "Basin interests have been pushing for water storage at Long Lake, a dry lake northwest of Klamath Falls, and attracted the interest of the Bureau of Reclamation to study it. It's been estimated it could hold 350,000 to 500,000 acre-feet, and could be as much as 200 feet deep."

Energy bill directs BOR to develop storage report posted 7/31/05 sent from Family Farm Alliance

“Storage big part of answer for water problems”, by Dan Keppen for Family Farm Alliance, H&N  5/23/05

Deep-water storage needed in Basin, H&N 5/22/05

Report on todays Family Farm Alliance Senate hearing 4/13/05
Family Farm Alliance Press Release 4/13/05, regarding water storage.
Testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on water storage by:
FFA President Pat O'Toole,
Testimony of Dan Keppen, Executive Director Family Farm Alliance, Submitted to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 4/13/05
Attachments to Keppen's testimony 4/13/05

PRESS RELEASE: Family Farm Alliance offers new supply tool to help U.S in meeting West's future water needs, 4/13/05.

Refuge expansion proposed, H&N 4/13/05.

PRESS RELEASE: Family Farm Alliance Invited to Participate in Two Important Congressional Panels, Focus to be on Storage Needs, Cost Containment Issues 4/4/05

Long Lake reservoir, H&N 3/7/05. (Several years ago the irrigators were asked to find storage. They found Long Lake, deep cold water storage. Here we are, 2005, the Bureau of Reclamation is beginning to drill holes and will still be studying the concept for years. At the same time they are downsizing the Project irrigated agriculture by 1/3 with the mandatory water bank. However they support the Barnes Ranch acquisition, which will further take more ag land out of production to add to the government's 100,000 acres of acquired ag land in the upper basin, making shallow warm water storage that will further harm the water quality and increase evapo-transpiration. KBC)

Basin projects need to be part of overall plan, Herald and News 2/18/05.
Facts about Barnes Acquisition by Gail Hildreth Whitsett 2/18/05

Feds seek contract to flood Barnes Ranch, H&N 2/14/05.  

Basin bucks budget trend, H&N 2/7/05. "Nearly $63 million is earmarked in President Bush's proposed 2006 Interior Department budget for Klamath Basin water issues...Also included is $6 million to buy the Barnes Ranch near Upper Klamath Lake, which would improve water quality and restore fish populations." {Go HERE for more on Barnes. Over 94,539 acres of agricultural land as primary water usage (above Klamath Lake) has been converted to wetlands. Wetlands use over 2ce as much water as ag lands. This will be shallow warm water, possible increasing the phosphorus loading, and will cost millions more to make 25' dikes if it were to be used for storage.
   At this summer's science conference, according to Dr. William Lewis, Chairman of the National Research Council, "Lewis was asked about making more wetlands for suckers, and he responded that there are 17,000 acres of restoration already. He cautioned how much faith we should put into wetlands regarding the suppression of algae... He added that we should not count on retiring agricultural land land for saving suckers."
   On these issues, the community was not consulted and these do not necessarily represent the views of the community.  KBC}

How about a different approach to water storage? Herald and News guest editorial 11/29/04

PRESS RELEASE: Doolittle: House Sends CalFed to President's Desk, Storage Vital to Entire Program 10/6/04

Even now the federal agencies ask us for local solutions. We find solutions. We found them 40 years ago. They do nothing---read on:
Valley in Oregon may hold Klamath Solution, winter excess could be stored, pumped to river, Crescent City's Daily Triplicate posted to KBC 9/9/04 "John Elliott, a commissioner in Klamath County, Ore., believes excess water that flows into Klamath Lake in the winter can be pumped into a natural bowl known as Long Lake. The area, which lies southwest of Klamath Lake, has the potential to store 350,000 to 500,000 acre feet of water that could be pumped into the Klamath River in emergency situations, such as the threat of a fish kill, Elliott said."

Letter asks for priority on Klamath water storage, H&N 8/30/04.

KWUA Media Advisory: "In the wake of a recent field hearing held in Klamath Falls, the Chairman of the House Resources Committee sends letters to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner and Assistant U.S. Interior Secretary"
Two letters signed by the five congressman present in Klamath Falls for the recent field hearing, plus Chairman Richard Pombo, that urge the following:
To Craig Manson, Ass't Secretary of Interior: Bring the NAS to peer review the 5-year status review of suckers. (counting the fish is a suggested place to perhaps begin)
To John Keys, USBR Commissioner: Accelerate implementation of the Water Supply Enhancement Act, regarding water storage and the water bank.

Storage still crucial to support farming, H&N posted to KBC 5/19/04.
Submitted by KWUA director Dan Keppen is a list of POTENTIAL water storage options that should be studied--go HERE.

Cut Long Lake's costs, keep water storage project moving ahead, H&N 4/12/04, by Dan Keppen, Executive Director of Klamath Water Users Association.

Keep Long Lake storage project moving, H&N 4/1/04. More on Long Lake, go HERE.

Bureau study says Long Lake is solid on the bottom, H&N 3/31/04.  "...more than 20 other groups - including five counties in Southern Oregon and Northern California - have drafted letters in support of such a study." "If the valley is found to be a good place to store water, construction could begin after 2010." (the US Gov't can come up with funds to downsize Klamath Agriculture with a mandatory waterbank, spending millions of dollars, essentially downsizing the Klamath Basin economy, however they cannot come up with funds now to study and build this water storage! KBC jdk)