Klamath Water Users Association 2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3 Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603 Phone (541) 883-6100 FAX   (541) 883-8893   kwua@cvcwireless.net  Weekly Update May 21, 2004 Executive Director Leaves Water for Life, Inc. for New Opportunity Water for Life’s Executive Director, Brad Harper, announced that he is resigning from the non-profit organization effective July 2, 2004. Harper is proud of Water for Life and its accomplishments since he joined the group in 1999. "I am impressed with our achievements during my five years with Water for Life," says Harper. "We stood up for Klamath Basin producers threatened by federal litigation, we provided important legal services to our members, we successfully prevented the passage of legislation that would have been harmful to family farmers and ranchers, we brought the issue of water rights ownership back to the forefront of debate, and so much more." Harper is leaving Water for Life to become corporate counsel for a heavy transportation engineering firm in Portland. "I’m really excited about this new career opportunity," says Harper. Water for Life President, Doug Whitsett, praised Harper’s service. "The board will miss having Brad as our Executive Director and we wish him all the best. He will be difficult to replace." Whitsett said Water for Life will begin an extensive search for a new director as soon as possible. Water for Life, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded by farmers and ranchers in 1990 to represent the interests of agricultural water users. Source: Water for Life Press Release   Herger and Blumenauer Address Klamath Refuges on House Floor A potential fight on the floor of the House of Representatives for the third year in a row was averted Wednesday when Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) agreed not to offer up a controversial Klamath wildlife refuge amendment to an Interior Department appropriations bill. Although the proposed amendment failed to materialize, the issue still became a topic of discussion in the House, as both Blumenauer and Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) voiced their views on Klamath water issues. The floor statements of both congressmen are printed in full, starting on Page 3 of this Weekly Update. In 2003, for the second year in a row, refuge lease land legislation introduced by Rep. Blumenauer was defeated in the House of Representatives. Last year’s failed legislation aimed to prohibit the Bureau of Reclamation from issuing leases to farmers planting alfalfa or row crops in the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges. This year, Rep. Blumenauer drafted an amendment that, on the surface, proposed to study the water needs of the national wildlife refuges. "I have drafted language and shared it with committee staff to require the Fish and Wildlife Service to undertake a study of the water needs of the refuges both in terms of how much water and when during the year the water is needed," said Blumenauer on Wednesday. That amendment was never offered up by Blumenauer, who expressed interest in working further with congressional committee staff on the refuge water issue. Rep. Herger offered up a different perspective. "The studies (Blumenauer) proposed will not provide solutions for the Klamath Basin," Herger said yesterday in a statement on the House floor. -Continued on Page 3 -     Klamath Water Users Association 2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3 Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603 Phone (541) 883-6100 FAX   (541) 883-8893   kwua@cvcwireless.net  Weekly Update May 21, 2004 Statement by Rep. Earl Blumenauer on Klamath Refuge Water Needs -On Wednesday, June 16th, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives about a potential Klamath refuge amendment he had drafted – but never offered up - to an Interior Department appropriations bill. Source: Congressional Record - Mr. Chairman, in times past I have come to the floor debating ways to deal with reducing the demand for water in the Klamath Basin while being able to fulfill our many obligations. The problems in the Klamath Basin are not going away this year. As we begin another summer, it looks as though there will not be enough water to go around to meet these multiple demands that fundamentally result from the Federal Government’s promising more water than nature or creative plumbing can deliver. The land management on the refuges in the basin continues to be guided by two priorities that are not just in competition but are fundamentally incompatible: The reclamation of wetlands for agriculture and the preservation of wetlands and habitat for wildlife. The situation is further complicated by the Klamath Basin tribes, four of them, which have a longstanding and unique role in the basin which predates the water allocation decisions and environmental regulations. It is likely by the time this Congress completes the appropriations process we will have more conflicts in the basin. I hope not but I fear there may be additional fish kills and certainly another summer of dry refuges. In the past I have come to the floor to discuss ways in the Klamath basin to reduce the water demands in the wildlife refuge which hosts 80 percent   Statement by Rep. Earl Blumenauer on Klamath Refuge Water Needs (Cont’d) of the waterfowl in the Pacific flyway. They have been called The Everglades of the West. Unfortunately, they are the only refuges in the country where farming occurs purely for commercial purposes instead of including some benefit for wildlife. But one of the problems that has taken place in the debate, and we have had exhaustive discussions, has been a fundamental lack of factual understanding. And I thought this year, Mr. Chairman, it might be possible to look more broadly at the underlying challenges facing the wildlife refuges in terms of water use and supply. I have drafted language and shared it with committee staff to require the Fish and Wildlife Service to undertake a study of the water needs of the refuges both in terms of how much water and when during the year the water is needed. Much of the difficulty in finding common solutions has stemmed from our inability to have a comprehensive understanding of the competing demands. And I would hope that it would be possible in the course of a study to examine water deliveries, the amount of water necessary to be available to sustain the wetlands, issues that deal with providing the sufficient water for the wildlife refuges, feasibility of water storage. I have a series of elements here in the study, but rather than offering up an amendment at this point because I realize the committee has had a very difficult time and they have a carefully balanced item, but as it works its way through the process I was wondering if it would be possible to work with the committee and the staff to see if there is some way to coax this information from the process. -Continued on Page 4 -   Klamath Water Users Association 2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3 Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603 Phone (541) 883-6100 FAX   (541) 883-8893   kwua@cvcwireless.net  Weekly Update May 21, 2004 Congressman Herger Responds to Rep. Blumenauer on Klamath Water Issues -On Thursday, June 17th, Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA), who represents irrigators on the California side of the Klamath Project, responded on the floor of the House of Representatives to an earlier speech by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (see p. 3) Source: Office of Rep. Herger- Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for engaging in this colloquy with me about the need to increase water storage in the Klamath Basin, and to seek balanced solutions that will allow everyone to get well together, rather than unfairly targeting agriculture as the problem. Mr. Chairman, first please allow me to clarify some inaccuracies in a colloquy that occurred last night involving my colleague from Oregon. Allow me to point out that the gentleman from Oregon who engaged in that colloquy with you last evening, through which he professed concern about the Klamath Basin, does not represent that area. In fact, his district is nearly 300 miles away and, to my knowledge, he has never visited the lease lands. I want to clarify that for the record, because I think there was a misunderstanding. In fact, the three members of Congress who actually do represent the citizens of that area--myself, Congressman Walden and Congressman Doolittle--do not support the position of the gentleman from Oregon. The studies he proposed will not provide solutions for the Klamath Basin. These issues have been studied and restudied. There is no smoking gun. While the proposed "studies" and other past efforts to regulate the lease lands are said to be benign, they are far from that. They are an attempt to undermine farming. I ask that the committee not support anything that attempts to misconstrue the   Herger Responds to Blumenauer on Klamath Water Issues (Continued) farming situation on the refuges and wrongly imply that it is a problem or poses a conflict with wildlife. It simply is not and does not. In fact, quite the contrary. Agriculture and wildlife are thriving on the refuges. Finally, Mr. Chairman, let me clear up one other misconception. The Klamath Basin disaster of 2001 was not about too much demand. It was about an unbalanced regulatory regime and scientific failings that caused water to be needlessly taken from agriculture and from refuges for endangered species. After updating the law and the science, the other important step for us to achieve balance is for Congress and the administration to work to increase water storage. My concern, Mr. Chairman, is that new water supplies are not being pursued with the vigor and the commitment that they require. Congress authorized the "Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act" nearly five years ago. However, we have yet to see significant, measurable progress toward developing new supplies. Mr. Chairman, we hope to have your support for encouraging the Secretary of the Interior to put more money and more energy into using this authority to support aggressively pursue new storage opportunities--such as a Long Lake Reservoir--which can provide more water for all interests in the Klamath Basin. One last thing, Mr. Chairman. If any of my colleagues want to work to find solutions for the Klamath Basin, I want to personally invite them to come to the Resources Committee Field Hearing on July 17th. Rather than uniformed debate here on the house floor, we will talk to the people on the ground - Continued on Page 5 -   Klamath Water Users Association 2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3 Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603 Phone (541) 883-6100 FAX   (541) 883-8893   kwua@cvcwireless.net  Weekly Update May 21, 2004 OIT Filmmaker Awarded for "A" Canal Headgate Documentary Don Haynes, director of Oregon Institute of Technology’s (OIT) Klamath Community Television, on Saturday will receive an Award of Excellence in the 2004 Best of the Northwest Video Festival for his documentary entitled One Headgate, Two Uses. The six-minute documentary provides a factual description of the A Canal headgate and fish screen, the major diversion point of the Klamath Project. Julienne Turner, Chair of the Alliance for Community Media Northwest Region notified Haynes last month of the award, which drew over 100 entry nominations from western states and Canada. "I am always conscious that the image is presented in a controversial manner, but your presentation was captivating and inviting," said Turner. The film was the only one to receive two awards from the Alliance; one for best documentary, and the other for "Making a Difference". Haynes and his assistant Josh Rindfleisch, a videographer and editor who recently moved to Klamath Falls from Madison, Wisconsin, will soon release a new, 10-minute documentary entitled Where the Water Goes. Haynes’ latest effort was developed in close coordination with local water users. Bob Flowers, who farms near Keno, and Rob Crawford, a Tulelake farmer, assisted Haynes with access onto property that provided stunning panoramas of the Klamath Project landscape. Klamath Water Users Association Executive Director Dan Keppen is the narrator for the film, which follows "one drop of water" as it winds it way through the various pathways that can it can follow through the Project, starting from the A   OIT Filmmaker Awarded for "A" Canal Headgate Documentary (Continued) Canal and ending at the Straits Drain discharge to the Klamath River. Keppen and Crawford were provided a sneak preview of the nearly completed product earlier this week. "This film is incredibly informative and beautifully done," said Crawford. "It gives you a real appreciation for how complex the Klamath Project plumbing system is. Don Haynes and the folks at OIT are to be commended for their efforts." Herger Responds to Blumenauer on Klamath Water Issues (Cont’d from p. 4) and engage in a thorough discussion about the real problems and constructive solutions. We will talk about what farmers are actually doing for the refuges. We will discuss the scientific shortcomings and how to fix them for the long term. We will talk about how to develop more water supplies to create water supply certainty for all interests. Mr. Chairman, again, I appreciate you support for honest debate and balanced solutions. I hope that we will have your support to implement expeditiously whatever common sense; balanced solutions might arise from our hearing. CALENDAR OF EVENTS Wednesday, June 23 – Thursday, June 24, 2004: Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force Meeting. Shilo Inn, Klamath Falls, Oregon. Friday, June 25, 2004: California Fish and Game Commission. Crescent City, California. Potential state listing of coho salmon on Klamath River and tributaries will be considered.

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