Klamath Basin Water Crisis archive 78 November 2008

Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.

Archive 78 - November 2008
also see main archive page

Around 1900, Link River, between Upper Klamath Lake and Lake Ewauna, occasionally went dry before the Klamath Project was built. There was no hydropower, no hatcheries, occasionally no fish (fish need water), no artificially-raised river flows or lake levels. HERE for more

HERE for page where tribes, enviros and agencies want to remove the Klamath Dams, blaming the hydroelectric dams for salmon decline. This year is a bumper crop of salmon. The dams provide power for 70,000 households.

Karuk Tribe petition against Klamath Dam removal, Nov., 2008
So far nearly 250 Karuk Tribal members and community members living on or near the Klamath River have signed a petition opposing removal of 4 hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. On each petition is printed:
"As Tribal Members/Community Members:
     * We do not agree with dam removal; dams are not the reason for the salmon net returning to the Klamath River.
     * Small groups of tribal members, along with small interest groups, are not representing all tribal members/communities along the Klamath; they represent their own agenda.
     * All tribal members and community members should be able to have a voice, not a select few."
HERE for Karuk Tribe cover letter on Petition.

Happy Thanksgiving! Remember our God, our veterans and settlers, and our military. God Bless You!

What Klamath County’s state lawmakers think (about dam removal), H&N, posted to KBC 11/25/08. (KBC NOTE: Nearly 98% of those who voted supported Senator Whitsett's re-election as Oregon State Senator in the five county District 28. Senator Whitsett opposes dam removal and the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. 300 Off-Project irrigators signed a petition against the KBRA. 640 throughout the Klamath Basin signed another petition, and more than 250 Karuk tribal members and people living on the Klamath River oppose the KBRA. Siskiyou County Supervisors, home of 3 Klamath River Dams, unanimously oppose the KBRA, and the Klamath County Natural Resource Council "cannot support draft 11 as written." 74 people signed a letter favoring the agreement in the Klamath Basin, however the green media calls the overwhelming majority "detractors". The Upper Basin Resource Conservancy was not allowed at the table; they represent 50,000 acres of Upper Klamath Basin agriculture.)

Gobble Warming, by Rudy Hiley 11/24/04

Dam bypass proposed; Opponents of removal offer alternatives, H&N, posted to KBC 11/25/08
Details of the proposed Hart Bypass, H&N 11/25/08

Transcripts from the four public scoping meetings that were held in Northern California in October regarding dam removal and environmental concerns. They were held by the Calif. Water Quality Control Board. Full transcripts of the public comments are included, as well as the introduction and full explanation of the purpose of the meetings. PLEASE send your comments to the board by Feb. 23. Yreka Klamath Orleans Eureka Two groups at the Klamath settlement table, North Coast Environmental Center and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen, support taking out the Keno Dam as well. People at the Yreka meeting presented testimony objecting to dam removal. Most of those objecting are not allowed at the table.

Environmental groups send detailed wish list to Obama, 11/25/08

Klamath River Dams - Agreement in Principle (AIP), Excerpt from Siskiyou County Supervisor's column this week 11/25/08. KBC NOTE - A few farmers, fishermen, and tribal members, along with many environmental groups and government agencies, drafted the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement which would tear out 4 dams, 3 being in Siskiyou County. Siskiyou County unanimously opposes the KBRA, and has many concerns about the AIP which are summarized in Armstrong's column.

Dam deal still stokes controversy, Critics from all sides assail new deal on Klamath Basin water, Mateusz Perkowski, Capital Press, posted to KBC 11/24/08

Ridin Point by Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong. posted 11/24/08. Regarding Klamath dam removal

Administration sued over owl plan, H&N 11/25/08. HERE for logging page.

Dan Keppen: Removing Klamath dams doesn't apply to the Snake: READER'S VIEW DAM REMOVAL, by Dan Keppen, Idaho Statesman 11/23/08. (For another viewpoint: Senator Doug Whitsett speech on Klamath dam removal and KlamathBasinRestorationAgreement, KFLS)

Oregon election completes democrat control, by Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, District 28 posted 11/24/08

From farms to wetlands; Walking Wetlands program benefits farmers, refuges and wildlife, H&N 11/20/08

From Farms to Wetlands, A partnership with agriculture, Herald and News 11/20/08

From farms to wetlands; Transforming tracts of farmland to wetland, Herald and News 11/20/08

(OFFICIAL) STATEMENT OF THE COUNTY OF SISKIYOU regarding the Agreement in Principle regarding Klamath River dam removal 11/19/08

< What about Copco?, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 11/22/08. "Numerous Copco Lake residents gathered this week to express their concern on a plan to tear down four Klamath River dams."

California jobless rate soars to 8.2%, SacBee 11/22/08.

Where's the chair for (Klamath) taxpayers 11/20/08. "You point out that almost half of the estimated $450 million cost of removing four dams from the Klamath River will be paid for by PacifiCorp customers, and that the “Agreement” seeks “the use of public funds to buy private land for the Klamath Tribes.”

Klamath Water Users Association annual report, 11/2008

Klamath lake level and river flows, posted to KBC 11/17/08

Klamath dams water timeline, H&N, posted to KBC 11/17/08

Dear Green River friends, by Ric Costales. "When (not if!) the salmon fail to rebound if the dams are decommissioned, there will be immense pressure to end irrigated agriculture in the entire Klamath Basin. The farmers who have sold out thinking that supporting decommissioning will somehow guarantee their way of life will have only bought themselves time to live out their lives on their farms. It will be the next generation who will have to live with the final round of “takings.”

Reuniting a River, National Geographic Dec 2008 issue. "Today the dams are the backbone of the power system that produces 750,000 megawatt hours for Pacific Power in an average year, enough to meet the electricity needs of 70,000 homes. It's especially useful power in that it releases no carbon emissions and can be turned on in an instant to supply peak needs." " ...removing the four hydroelectric dams...advocates hope this might restore the river to its natural condition.

Klamath County Charter - Table of Contents, The Charter, Districts, and location of petitions. Updated 8/23/08

***Interim Rule and Request for Comments (on the NAIS), deadline November 17, 2008, Citizens for Constitutional Republic

The Klamath Restoration Agreement supports planting fish parasites, Klamath Lamprey, in Upper Klamath Basin. Klamath Riverkeeper and dam removal activist and Karuk spokesman Craig Tucker, is offended by the fact that KBC News said lamprey are fish parasites: "Will you guys please stop referring to lamprey as fish parasites? Native people (and sushi lovers around the world) love lamprey. They are part of God’s creation too! Thanks, S. Craig Tucker, Ph.D., Klamath Campaign Coordinator, Karuk Tribe". Posted 11/16/08

Restoration(KBRA) proposal unfair to many in Basin, by Tom Mallams, H&N, posted to KBC 11/16/08. "Sprague River Water Resource Foundation and the Resource Conservancy umbrella organization represent virtually all of the contestants in the adjudication and they represent the vast majority of all Off-Project irrigators. Sprague River Water Resource Foundation has been active in water-related issues for more than 25 years, settling many claims in the adjudication. Resource Conservancy... 11 years." (KBC NOTE - Resource Conservancy was not allowed at the KBRA table as a stakeholder--they farm 25,000 acres off Project. Already Nature Conservancy and gov't agencies have acquired more than 100,000 acres of off-Project once-productive ag land and made swamps. Of 50,000 acres left, this agreement forces them to give up 30,000 more acre-feet of water. Becky Hyde, who works with tribes and Sustainable NW, is trying to create a new group, claiming to speak for the off-Project folks and supporting the agreement. She was welcomed to attend the closed-door settlement meeting in Sacramento with other chosen 'stakeholders.') 300 off-Project people, in addition to 640 Klamath Basin petitions, oppose the 'agreement.

Reaction to Klamath agreement, H&N 11/16/08

Bush wants solution, Secretary of Interior hopes dam agreement will help Basin, H&N 11/14/08

Hurdles remain for Klamath dams , H&N 11/26/08

Notice of scoping comment deadline extension for Klamath River Hydro Project, new deadline for public comments to California Water Resources Control Board, February 23, 2009. The following article and video will explain what the Control Board needs from you. It is important to write to them! Water board mulls PacifiCorp project; Locals say they want Upper Klamath Basin dams to remain, Capital Press

This (Klamath) dam deal will cost you, Albany Democrat Herald opinion 11/14/08

Pact Would Open (Klamath) River, Removing Four Dams, New York Times 11/14/08. (KBC NOTE: although the National Academy of Science, and other fish scientists, said that in 2002 the Trinity River fish did not die because of Klamath Project irrigation, which is 200 miles away using 5% of the water at the mouth of the Klamath River, urban journalists and attorneys, tribes and environmentalists, as well as Interior Secretaries, insist on repeating the mantra that farmers killed the fish. There were years with lower water that had no fish kill.)

Stakeholders react to agreement, H&N 11/14/08

Fed-State-Utility Agreement May Lead To Removal Of Four Dams On Klamath River, CB Bulletin 11/14/08

PacifiCorp Agrees To Remove (Klamath) Dams, Wall St. Journal 11/13/08

Klamath dam removal plan unpopular with farmers, Capital Press 11/13/08. "Common sense says, what are they thinking?" said Tom Mallams, a hay farmer and president of the Klamath Off-Project Water Users, who opposes dam removal. "It's an absolute disaster, the way they're trying to do this." "Removal will be paid for with $200 million worth of surcharges on PacifiCorp customers in Oregon and California, as well as $250 million in general obligation bond funds from the state of California...The dams currently provide enough electricity to service 70,000 homes..."