Archive 84 - May 2009 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

Should biased polls guide public officials? by Dave Solem, Klamath Irrigation District manager, letter to H&N 5/31/09. KBC responds

A time to choose: collaboration or conflict? by Klamath Tribal members, biologist, and attorney, H&N 5/31/09. KBC notes.

Urgent Help Needed! Update concerning SB 670, anti-suction dredge mining legislation, by Dave Mack 5/31/09. Litigation Summary by James Buchal: "A reform group of Karuk Tribe members has also emerged, filing intervention papers which outline the unsavory history of the Tribe’s current leadership, and the degree to which the Tribe’s entire jihad against suction dredge mining is actually motivated by a desire to protect marijuana growers, rather than protecting the environment."

Endangered Species Act: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Has Incomplete Information about Effects on Listed Species from Section 7 Consultations, GAO/Government Accountability Office May 2009

The Klamath Reclamation Project was built solely for irrigation. Our settlers rerouted the lake water into canals, lakes for storage for irrigation water, then diverted it out of the Project, into the refuges and Klamath River:
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement changes the purpose of the Klamath Project: "15.1.3. Modification of Klamath Reclamation Project Purposes. "The Parties support the following term in the federal Authorizing Legislation. The purposes of the Klamath Reclamation Project include irrigation, reclamation, domestic, flood control, municipal, industrial, power, National Wildlife Refuge, and fish and wildlife purposes." Continue reading the above link for the allocations for wetlands, refuge farmers and walking wetlands.
From a KBC Reader: "Whose power does this expand? What landowner rights does this diminish?"

Leave dams in a better renewable energy option, Murl Metz, letter to editor H&N 5/30/09

Thumbs up to the legislators and their poll, even if flawed, H&N posted to KBC 5/30/09. KBC Comments

Klamath protesters return to Omaha, Indian Country Today 5/30/09. More on Karuk spokesman Craig Tucker

Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett Newsletter 5/29/09. "The passage of SB 76 will start the process that will result in the largest dam removal since World War II, and the largest planned dam removal project in the history of mankind. It represents the first domino to fall in the destruction of the hydroelectric project and the implementation of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. Incredible political pressure was exerted upon Oregon legislators to adopt SB 76, especially by governor Kulongoski and his staff. It appears that the dam destruction is an integral part of the Governor’s remaining legacy. This pressure was applied in spite of a recent poll of Klamath County registered voters that indicated overwhelming opposition to dam removal, and a recent poll of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho registered voters that indicated nearly identical overwhelming opposition to the destruction of the hydroelectric dams on the Snake River. "

House panel moves forward Klamath bill (SB76), Capital Press 5/29/09

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review of bills, 5/29/09

Oregon SB76 passed.
Rex Cozzalio testimony for Oregon Senate Bill 76A, posted 5/28/09

Klamath Water and Power Agency/KWAPA meeting 6/2/09

Poll shows how people feel about dam removal, posted to KBC 5/28/09, H&N by Tom Mallams. "The headlines announcing the results of this poll should have read, 'Only 11 percent of Klamath County registered voters favor dam removal.' These three elected officials seem to be representing their constituents as they were elected to do so"

Suction dredge mining ban passes Senate 31-8, Siskiyou Daily News 5/28/09

Klamath Water Report 5/28/09.

Health care, water hot topics; Senator speaks with Basin residents at town hall meeting, H&N, posted to KBC 5/28/09.

(Oregon Senator) Wyden's forest-protection bill has no regard for biology, posted to KBC 5/28/09 Statesman Journal

Back to the drawing board for NAIS, Capital Press 5/28/09. "...all but two of the 75 producers who testified opposed NAIS. These were not wild-eyed conspiracy theorists with tin foil on their heads. They included the state veterinarian, two statewide cattle organizations and other operators, large and small."

Use fish ladders to get fish past Klamath dams, H&N letter by Joyce Jacobus, Chiloquin 5/28/09

No Kidding, Pioneer Press, by Daniel Webster, posted to KBC 5/28/09. "So, why won't our leaders go after the heart of the matter and represent the interests of the vast majority of their constituents?"

Tucker, Gore and the other GAGs, Pioneer Press 5/20/09 letter by Nita Still

Family Farm Alliance May 2009 newsletter. "Feingold-Oberstar Clean Water Act Amendments: Many agricultural interests are opposed to proposed revisions to the Clean Water Act that would broaden the reach of the Act to include all water bodies everywhere and all actions affecting them."

NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Proposal to Protect Threatened Green Sturgeon, NOAA. Rule proposed to further protect green sturgeon, examiner.com, posted to KBC 5/28/09

Representative Bill Garrard R-Klamath Falls, District 56: Committee: "Vote on Senate Bill 76 Delayed . . . Again. The chair of the House Environment committee again delayed the vote on Senate Bill 76 (Klamath Dam Removal proposal).  A work session on this bill has been re-scheduled for Thursday, May 28th at 3:00pm in Hearing Room D.  I will post the results of the committee vote as soon as they happen."
Testimony of geologist Gail Hildreth Whitsett on SB 76, Klamath Dam Removal Bill 5/09

Restoration agreement is only plan in the works, by Patsy Gasser, H&N letter to editor, followed by comments from H&N website, 5/26/09. H&N reader comment: "The majority of citizen voters of all parties in Klamath County are opposed to the secretly derived KBRA and its primary component of dam removal. The Republican Central Committee has overwhelmingly voted to pass that information along to the few supporters of the KBRA. Many of the Central Committee that voted against the KBRA/dam removal are in fact KWUA members. Most KWUA farmers DO NOT support the agreement."

Farming For  Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, 2009. "This grant will sponsor an informational trip by some of the participating farmers and other agricultural stakeholders in the Skagit Delta to Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the Klamath Basin region of Northern California."

New poll shows Northwest voters value clean, reliable, renewable, climate friendly hydropower, 4/09, NW River Partners  

Legislators deserve praise for phone poll, Virginia Topham letter to H&N, followed by comments from H&N website, posted to KBC 5/26/09

Klamath County unemployment increases to 14.9 percent, H&N 5/26/09. "The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Klamath County rose for the 10th month in a row in April from 14.1 to 14.9 percent." (KBC NOTE: The endangered  Species Act regulations destroyed our timber industry.100,000 acres from off-Project land were acquired by gov't agencies and The Nature Conservancy in the guise of 'storage' and 'sucker habitat,'  which decimated our cattle industry. The proposed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement would further downsize agriculture, give timber land to the tribes which they previously sold to be taken off our tax rolls, and tear down 4 hydropower dams which serve 70,000 households and provide Siskiyou County's economic stability.)

Klamath Tribes, farmers make water settlement, Sacramento Bee 5/21/09, followed by Sac Bee comments.

Klamath Tribes, farmers make water settlement, KDRV 5/21/09. Video and article. "The settlement, filed Wednesday with the Oregon Department of Water Resources, mirrors key elements of the dam removal plan, under which the tribes agree not to use their senior water right to stop water for irrigation, and the farmers agree not to contest the tribes' claims. Klamath tribes have been fighting for senior water rights for close to 30 years."
(KBC NOTE: Why can KWUA give away our water rights to the tribes?
POLL RESULTS of Klamath County registered voters:
* Only 11% favor Klamath dam removal,
* 7% favor public purchase of reservation land for the Tribes ,  
*  5% favor the closed and confidential negotiations involved in developing the KBRA/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the AIP/Agreement in Principle.)

What the KBRA/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement says about walking wetlands on federal and private land, refuges, and measuring water, posted 5/19/09. "and all water delivered into and taken out of Klamath Reclamation Project facilities will be measured."

Refuges receive stimulus money, H&N 5/19/09. "The stimulus money will be used to create a block of 1,300 acres that will be flooded for two years this fall. In 2010, the land will be returned to crops for three to five years."

(Klamath Basin) Walking Wetlands, Iowa Public Television, posted to KBC 5/19/09. Tulelake refuge manager Ron Cole, and Tule Lake farmers Marshall Staunton and Rob Crawford, tell about the Walking Wetland program.

Klamath Water Report, Bureau of Reclamation 5/11-1/18/09

The KBRA and protections from the ESA: "20.4. Reservations. 20.4.1. Reservation of Rights by the Tribes.The Tribes hereby reserve their rights to enforce any Regulatory Approval, including biological opinions under the Endangered Species Act, contemplated by and Consistent with this Agreement under Applicable Law. The obligations of Section 20.3.B.iii (1) through (4), and iv (1) through (4), do not apply to such  enforcement; provided that Section 7.4.2 is applicable. Further, nothing in this Agreement shall preclude any Tribe from pursuing or obtaining authority under 33 U.S.C. sections 1377(e) nor limit its obligations under any such authority."

Hastings Rejects Activist Judge's Efforts to Tear Down Snake River Dams 5/19/09. “Dam removal would have devastating consequences on our region’s economy.  It would cost thousands of jobs, lead to large increases in greenhouse gas emissions, and there is no solid science that it will aid salmon recovery."

Our Electricity Deficit, parade.com posted to KBC 5/19/09. "The U.S. is barely generating enough electricity to meet current needs, and demand is expected to grow 26% over the next 20 years."

CORRECTION: On 5/14/09 a KBC reporter who attended the Klamath Central Committee meeting reported in error that Barb Hall spoke in opposition to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. The meeting report was on KBC overnight and taken off the next morning at Barb's request. The correction is: "I'm still on the fence because I want to see the final document before I decide if I'm going to support it (the KBRA) or oppose it publicly in its entirety." We apologize for the error. KBC

Farmers Losing Crops to Endangered Fish, FOX, posted to KBC 5/18/09

Lawmakers want input about dam removals, H&N 5/16/09. Includes KBC Comments regarding the critics of the poll by our elected lawmakers. "We'd like to thank our lawmakers Garrard, Whitsett and Gilman for asking their constituents their opinion of: removing..."

Talent Irrigation District's loss of their 30,000 acre foot diversion, which includes the KBRA citation, 1/23/09. Senator Whitsett and Craig Tucker, "as the Agreement is currently written, then the water right, instream water right for the Klamath River, that would be transferred into the river, would be have a priority date considerably better than the Talent Irrigation District's diversions from Hyatt Lake and Howard Prairie, and I can't see how they couldn't have a call on that water."

May 16th Tule Lake Migratory Bird Festival

A resolution opposing portions of the proposed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, the KBRA, posted to KBC 5/15/09, by the Klamath County Republican Central Committee.

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review of Bills, CFBF 5/15/09

Oregonians for Food and Shelter Legislative Update 5/15/09

Columbia Basin Bulletin 5/15/09

Klamath Republican Central Committee voted overwhelmingly in opposition to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, approximately 40 against, 10 for. 

Phone poll: (Klamath County) residents oppose (Klamath) dam removal, H&N 5/15/09

PRESS RELEASE: Poll shows overwhelming opposition to Klamath River dam removal, Senator Doug Whitsett 5/14/09

POLL RESULTS of Klamath County registered voters: Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement poll results, Senator Doug Whitsett Update 5/14/09.
* Only 11% favor Klamath dam removal,
* 7% favor public purchase of reservation land for the Tribes ,  
*  5% favor the closed and confidential negotiations involved in developing the KBRA and the AIP.

"The Legislative delegation from Klamath County continues to receive large volumes of emails, letters and calls regarding both the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) and the Agreement in Principle (AIP) to remove the four PacifiCorp owned hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. The preponderance of the correspondence from Klamath County received by our offices has been in opposition. During the same period, legislative committees have heard testimony from the Governor’s Office, PacifiCorp, Sustainable Northwest, the Klamath Water Users Association and others that little if any opposition exists to these two agreements."
   KBC NOTE:
How will Klamath County Commissioners vote?  Will they represent you?
  "Commissioner John Elliott said, "I supported the Agreement three years ago. There is a KBRA meeting next week I want permission to attend."
  "Commissioner Cheryl Hukill said, 'I am leaning toward the agreement.' "
  "When push comes to shove, I'll probably go the way you want me to go," (Commissioner) Switzer said (to Klamath Water Users Association) regarding supporting the Agreement."
KBRA opposition

Testimony of geologist Gail Hildreth Whitsett on SB 76, Klamath Dam Removal Bill, posted to KBC 5/14/09

Klamath dams debate roars on, Capital Press 5/14/09

< Klamath-area farmer Tom Mallams showed lawmakers last week this stack of (1850) petitions opposing a plan to remove four Klamath River dams. - Mitch Lies/Capital Press

Ore. Supreme Court in K. Falls to hear water crisis lawsuit, KDRV 5/14/09. Includes VIDEO
Supreme Court in Klamath (takings lawsuit with Klamath Irrigators vs Federal Government and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen (our new buddies now in the "Settlement agreement")

Oregon Senator Whitsett Newsletter: Republicans propose budget that protects core services without increasing taxes 5/13/09

Wyden’s proposal fails to address fundamental issues, Ontario Argus Observer 5/13/09

Action Alert, SB 519A right to free speech 5/13/09

Landowners and all interested in water rights for Klamath Project Irrigation, H&N 5/12/09

Klamath Project Irrigators Takings Case, Oregon Supreme Court in Klamath Falls 5/13/09 at Klamath Union High School. The public is invited. When the federal government withheld irrigation water in 2001 to 1400 irrigators who have water right appurtenant to their land, does this equal taking of property?  Article HERE

Dam removal bill remains stuck in committee, H&N 5/12/09

Klamath Water Report 5/4 - 5/11/09.

Comment by Katherine Lehman regarding Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong's response to Nita Still regarding dam removal and Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement involvement., posted to KBC 5/11/09

Electing same (Siskiyou County) supervisors? by Nita Still; response by Siskiyou Co. Supervisor Marcia Armstrong 5/9/09

Oregon Supreme Court in Klamath; Justices to hear case on 2001 water crisis this week, H&N 5/10/09.

Urgent: Senate EPW Likely To Vote On S 787 Thursday, May 14, Clean Water Act, 5/10/09. "The Real Goal of the Clean Water Restoration Act (S787) is to give Corps and EPA Control over your water and all your watersheds. That means National Land Use Controls as well as control over all your water and land. That’s because all land is in a watershed."

Response to Channel 12's three-part series on the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement news videos by Rex Cozzalio, Yreka, 5/10/09.
4/29/09 - Channel 12 report on KBRA Parts 1, 2 and 3
Comment of Channel 12's "reporting on the proposed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement/KBRA, by Katherine Lehman, immediate past president People for the USA Grange 835. "If you had read the KBRA you would know THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF ANY WATER TO ANY IRRIGATOR. The KBRA does, though, guarantee irrigators will lose water, and not just in the upper Klamath Basin."

A Plan for Oregon's Transportation, Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett Newsletter 5/10/09. Whitsett Page HERE.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers, grandmothers, aunts!

Sunday verse: Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the lord your God is giving you."

5/9/09. Great quote for the day - Today I visited a Civil War Society encampment in the Lava Beds National Monument where the Modoc Indian war took place. I asked one of the men if they had seen any rattlesnakes. He seriously responded that "the snakes stay across the road in the wilderness area (maybe 50 yards away)."

Legislature Considers Funding For Klamath Dam Removal, OPB posted to KBC 5/9/09. "The measure would allow dam-owner PacifiCorp to put a surcharge on electric bills to pay for removing the dams."

Dam issue all business;  Removal may be best option for ratepayers, The Triplicate 5/9/09. "Currently, the dams only produce ... enough to power 70,000 homes."

Agencies dispute pesticide reviews; EPA questions ‘transparency’ of NMFS analysis, Capital Press 5/9/09

Calif. Central Valley - People or fish: Who gets water under ESA? by M. David Stirling, Guest comment 5/7/09, Capital Press.

PRESS RELEASE: Pablo Arroyave Appointed as Deputy Regional Director for Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of Reclamation 5/9/09

Electing same (Siskiyou County) supervisors? by Nita Still; response by Siskiyou Co. Supervisor Marcia Armstrong 5/9/09

Sea Lions Avoid Traps In Favor Of Dam's Concrete Pad; Stellers Taking More Salmon, CBB May 8, 2009

Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong -Suction Dredge Mining, State and Local Government Budgets, Pioneer Press May 8, 2008

TID meeting agenda 5/8/09

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review of bills 5/8/09. E-verify, regulatory agencies, "card check", Williamson Act "reform", mitigation fees, labor and employment.

Oregonians for Food and Shelter Legislative Update 5/8/09

Tulelake Irrigation District well report 5/8/09

New Anti-Dam Group Part of "Well-funded, Well-Coordinated" Attack Against Snake River Dams, Congressman Doc Hastings, posted to KBC 5/8/09.
(KBC NOTE: Perhaps the Snake dam removal activists and Klamath activists will team up): Learning from the Dam-Removal Pros - featuring an author of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, Interview with Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator, Karuk Tribe, International River, posted to KBC 5/2/09. HERE for Tucker's biography and related articles and letters.

***Tulelake Irrigation District Fact Sheet May 2009: acres, pumps, automation, power cost and increases for drain pumping.

Tulelake Irrigation District well information 5/4/09. TID archives

Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Basin water report 4/28-5/5/09

Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett Newsletter, posted to KBC 5/7/09

24 million-acre wilderness plan divides East, West; Northern Rockies lawmakers fear effect on natural resource-based jobs. Capital Press 5/7/09.

Experts: nearly 1 billion hungry people in world, Capital Press, posted to KBC 5/7/09

Click here to watch Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) discuss the national energy tax with Fox Business Channel’s Stuart Varney, 5/7/09.

PRESS RELEASE Walden: Relocate wolves to nearest wilderness, keep livestock producers informed, 5/7/09

Klamath Water and Power Agency public meeting 5/5/09

Learning from the Dam-Removal Pros - featuring an author of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, Interview with Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator, Karuk Tribe, International River, posted to KBC 5/2/09. HERE for Tucker's biography and related articles and letters.

TULELAKE - John Bowen: So many decades on the land, Herald and News, posted to KBC 5/2/09

Calif. bill to ban dredge mining moves forward, kdrv 5/2/09. Miners page HERE

Damn those dams; Klamath River Dam Removal negotiations uncertain, The Lumberjack 4/29/09. 5 Comments at the end, "These are the most misleading statements I've read! Riverkeeper claims to be not at the table of the KBRA...all three are on the Klamath Riverkeeper board of directors"

Failure is not an option, Interior Secretary supports water agreement collaboration, H&N 5/2/09

Tulelake Irrigation District 2008 crop report, posted 5/2/09. HERE for more reports and Crop Page.

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review of bills 5/1/09

OFS Legislative Report for the Week of April 27 - May 1, 2009

Montana Governor Signs New Gun Law, Panama Law 5/1/09