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January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005

 

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The Klamath Bucket Brigade is adamantly opposed to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement as they are currently constituted. The agreements represent a minority of special interest groups and spreads the cost to every U.S. taxpayer. The Klamath Bucket Brigade Board of Trustees will support an agreement backed by a majority of the residents of the entire Klamath River Basin and that assures all property and water rights are protected.

 

Read our Position Paper on the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement

            

Our Mission Statement:   Promote individual and property rights that are vital to the safety, social and economic well-being of the United States.  

 

What's In The News:

 

May 23, 2012 - The Bureau of Reclamation reports that although the upper Klamath Basin received a large influx of snow in March and early April, warmer than normal conditions have caused an early melt off, resulting in the loss of much of the projected Upper Klamath Lake inflows due to operational requirements. The most recent calculation of available water supply suggests a shortage of approximately 70,000 acre-feet of expected demand through the end of the irrigation season.   It is possible that a significant amount of this shortage could be mitigated with incentives through Klamath Water and Power Agency's (KWAPA) mitigation programs, to both pump groundwater and to fallow certain lands later in the irrigation season. However, at this time, not enough lands have been identified for fallowing to avoid having to curtail water deliveries later in the year.   Read more from yesterday's Bureau of Reclamation News Release Reclamation Issues New Water Forecast for the Klamath Project.

 

As warm, dry weather continues to rapidly melt snowpack in the Klamath Basin, projections for local irrigators are getting worse, foreshadowing a water shortage later in the growing season.   “If we don’t get some kind of significant weather event throughout the rest of the year and irrigation demand stays fairly high, when we get to August, there’s going to be trouble,” said Klamath Irrigation District Manager Mark Stuntebeck.   Read more from today's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Dry weather foreshadows a shortage for irrigators - BOR releases latest forecast Tuesday.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

Bob Davis, Copco Lake:  Latest Water Level drop at Copco  May 14, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News:  Shasta coho supplementation making progress  May 21, 2012

 

Important Reading:

Courthouse News Service:  Judge Blocks Controversial NDAA  May 16, 2012

Business Insider:  Humans Fit All Of The Government Criteria For 'Endangered Species'  May 21, 2012
Redding Record-Searchlight:  Bruce Ross' blog:  Lawyers vs. wildlife  May 21, 2012

Frosty Wooldridge:  Obama and Congress in violation of oaths of office  May 22, 2012

Haliburton County Echo:  Endangered Species amendment gains traction  May 22, 2012
TopNews:  Need To Strengthen the Endangered Species Act  May 22, 2012

OPB News:  Feeding salmon bycatch to the hungry  May 22, 2012

 

May 21, 2012 - Post-election talk often turns to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. It’s assumed: that candidates lost because they were for it; that candidates won because they were against it.   I think that’s wrong. Supporters of the controversial agreement shouldn’t throw their hands up in despair. Opponents shouldn’t throw up their arms in rejoicing. The KBRA is just a percentage of the whole message. There are all the other parts, including financial and employee management, providing public safety, and jobs.   Read more from Saturday's Klamath Falls Herald and News Editorial Post-election discussions and the KBRA obsession. 

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 1,320 cubic feet per second (cfs). Upper Klamath Lake elevation dropped to 4,142.38', down from 4,142.70' last week.  Flows through Link River  dropped during the week to 1,590 cfs this morning.  Releases from the Keno Dam started the week at 2,500 cfs and has dropped to 1,420 cfs. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam has also dropped and is at 1,940 cfs. The Scott River rose to 1,800 cfs on Wednesday and is at 1,160 cfs this morning. The Salmon River is flowing at 3,150 cfs.  The Trinity River dropped to 6,990 cfs.  The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing a drop to 18,900 cfs this morning.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Hoopa Tribe Press Release:  Hydropower Project Gets Feasibility Funding  May 18, 2012

Hoopa Tribe Press Release:  Tribe Gets Funding to Improve Fish Passage  May 18, 2012

Herald and News Editorial:  Post-election discussions and the KBRA obsession  May 19, 2012

Klamath News & Commentary:  The big loser of this week's elections... KBRA  May 20, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Letter:  Law is on county’s side on wolf issue  May 21, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Letter:  We must save the entire county, not just dams  May 21, 2012

 

Important Reading: 

La Grande Observer:  Umatilla County sheep attacked by wolves  May 18, 2012

Emergency Management:  Could Water Shortages be Used as a Weapon?  May 18, 2012

Roger Fredinburg:  Criminal Conspiracy and Agenda 21  May 18, 2012

Jim Beers:  Down On Your Knees - Bow To Your Betters  May 19, 2012

agprofessional.com:  Commentary: Celebrating or cursing Endangered Species Day  May 19, 2012
Idaho Statesman Opinion:  Warming climate expands need for species protection  May 21, 2012
Capital Press:  Farmers, foresters prepare to share ESA woes at hearing  May 21, 2012
Washington Post:  The end of fish, in one chart  May 21, 2012

 

May 18, 2012 - The Republican who ousted longtime Klamath County commissioner Al Switzer said his win in Tuesday’s primary election sends a clear message: Voters do not agree with the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.  Tom Mallams, a Beatty-area rancher and outspoken opponent of the KBRA, bested Switzer in Tuesday’s primary election, taking 43 percent of the vote in a four-way race.  Mallams, who was backed by Tea Party members and KBRA opponents, said he has been asked if he would rescind Klamath County’s endorsement of the KBRA his first day in office. Switzer was a proponent of the agreement.  Read more from Thursday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Mallams: Election win sends message - Republican nominee is opponent of KBRA.

 

For years, water in the Klamath Basin has been managed by a paradox of sorts. Two federal agencies maintained opposing and sometimes conflicting opinions about water requirements.   One of the so-called biological opinions says water must be held in Upper Klamath Lake to benefit endangered sucker. But another says water must be sent downriver for endangered salmon. Irrigators get whatever water remains.  Now the agencies — the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service — are developing a joint biological opinion that works for both sucker and salmon. They aim to issue the joint opinion by next spring, just in time for the 2013 irrigation season.  Read more from Thursday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article New joint opinion may help irrigators - Coordinated opinion for fish could mean more water certainty.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Siskiyou Daily News:  WEB UPDATE: Riverkeeper files Dwinell lawsuit  May 17, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Letter:  Wolf issue may go national  May 18, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News: 

New York Times:  Hatched and Wild Salmon: A Bad Mix?  May 16, 2012

Ukiah Daily Journal:  Record salmon numbers spark release on Eel River  May 17, 2012

 

Important Reading:

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin:  NEW Wolves number in dozens in Wash., Ore  May 16, 2012
Capital Press:  Can food production keep up with population growth?  May 16, 2012

Capital Press:  More sheep killed by wolf in E. Oregon  May 16, 2012

Science 2.0:  How Effective Is The Endangered Species Act?  May 17, 2012
Center for Biological Diversity Press Release:  Study: 90 Percent of Endangered Species Recovering on Time  May 17, 2012

Capital Press:  Independent film documents impact of wolves  May 17, 2012

 

May 16, 2012 - The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors is asking Congress to hold hearings looking into a federal whistle-blower's claims that federal scientific reports on removing dams on the Klamath River were influenced by politics.  The board voted Tuesday to send a letter to U.S. Rep. Wally Herger, asking him to hold a field hearing near the dams "whose fate is at stake in this politically perturbed process," the letter says.  Herger has said Houser's claims deserve an independent investigation.  Read more from yesterday's Redding Record Searchlight article Siskiyou supervisors want congressional hearings on dam claims.

 

State Sen. Doug Whitsett, a Klamath Falls Republican, likely will keep his seat as representing District 28.   In Klamath, Lake, Jackson, Deschutes and Crook counties, Whitsett averaged about 76 percent of the vote, while his Republican challenger, Karl Scronce, averaged about 24 percent.   In Klamath County, Whitsett garnered 6,133 votes, or 72 percent. He beat Scronce by 3,756 votes. Scronce received 2,377 votes in Klamath County, or 27.91 percent.  Read more from today's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Doug Whitsett retains Senate seat by topping Karl Scronce.

 

Read more Herald and News articles about yesterday's local primary races.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Pie N Politics:   Sam Aanestad’s opinion on Klamath Dam destruction  May 14, 2012 

The Wildlife News:  Niemeyer on wolves in California road trip  May 14, 2012

Redding Record Searchlight:  Siskiyou supervisors want congressional hearings on dam claims  May 15, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News:  Guest opinion: Keeping cattle from the jaws of wolves  May 15, 2012

State Water Resources Control Board:  Clean Water State Revolving Fund Application Status Report - Updated  May 15, 2012

Herald and News:  Tom Mallams beats Al Switzer  May 16, 2012

Herald and News:  Jim Bellet bests Cheryl Hukill  May 16, 2012

Capital Press:  Oregon ag has winners and losers in primary  May 16, 2012   

PNW Salmon News: 

Oregon Dept of Fish & Wildlife Press Release:  2012 summer and fall salmon seasons set for Columbia River  May 15, 2012

Wall Street Journal:  Salmon-Eating Sea Lions Get Their Day in Court  May 15, 2012
Seattle Times:  Group asks judge to halt sea lion killings  May 15, 2012

 

Important Reading:

High Country News:  Western legislatures grab for control of public lands  May 14, 2012

East Oregonian:  ODFW confirms second Umatilla County wolf attack  May 15, 2012

Seattle Times:  Second recent wolf attack kills NE Ore. sheep  May 15, 2012

JB Williams:  Global Agenda: Centralized Money, Power and Tyranny  May 15, 2012
Kelleigh Nelson:  Mind Control and Smart Growth  May 15, 2012

Arizona Republic Opinion:  Wasteful U.S. public-land policy must change  May 16, 2012

Salt Lake Tribune:  Utah the lone state standing in fight for federal lands  May 16, 2012 

Dr. Carl Parnell:  United States Socialist Republic (USSR), Part 1  May 16, 2012

 

May 14, 2012 -  Looking Back: This week in Klamath Basin history - Week of May 12-18, 1932:  Bass will be shipped by the State Game Commission to Klamath Falls and will be planted in Upper Klamath Lake. Arthur Fish, former research director for the commission, investigated conditions in Upper Klamath Lake and stated they are ideal for the propagation of bass. The Klamath Sportsman’s Association requested the lake be stocked with bass last fall and their request was granted, Secretary Glen Terrill of the association states. The commission advised the fish will be shipped here next month. 

 

Shortly after the March 15 water supply forecast, in the midst of a wet, “Miracle March”, the Bureau of Reclamation announced there likely will be approximately 320,000 acre-feet of water from Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) available to Klamath Project irrigators. This, only weeks after local irrigators were looking to the skies for precipitation, wringing their hands over the very real possibility that 2012 would be a repeat of 2001 or 2010, where most of their normal water supply out of UKL was curtailed.  This year is nothing new for the Klamath Project, where annual operations for over a decade have been characterized by uncertainty. In any given year, irrigators may not know what their water supply will be until April (or even later, as was the case in 2010), and uncertainty can persist through the season. Further, if there is a water shortage, it is not allocated according to any logical plan that would try to minimize impacts.  Read more from Sunday's Herald and News Commentary Establishing a plan for water certainty - KBRA On-Project Plan can help guarantee amounts of water in uncertain years.

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 1,620 cubic feet per second (cfs). Upper Klamath Lake elevation dropped to 4,142.70', down from 4,142.96' last week.  Flows through Link River  has rose to 3,000 cfs Thursday and is staying there.  Releases from the Keno Dam started the week at 2,310 cfs and rose to 2,500 cfs Thursday. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam is at 3,210 cfs. The Scott River rose to 1,490 cfs this morning. The Salmon River is flowing at 4,100 cfs this morning. The Trinity River dropped to 8,380 cfs even with higher releases from Lewiston. The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing a drop to 24,700 cfs this morning.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Herald and News:  County commissioners seek more time for KBRA study  May 13, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News:  Visiting expert calls wolves a 'limited threat'  May 14, 2012

Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor:  “Klamath Whistleblower” Part 1 of 2  May 14, 2012

Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor:  “Klamath Whistleblower” Part 2 of 2  May 14, 2012

Capital Press:  HBO documentary draws fire from spud industry  May 14, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News:

Kitsap Sun:  Union River restoration seen as key to salmon return  May 11, 2012
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:  Salmon season 'off to a good start,' but demand pushes cost up  May 12, 2012   

 

Important Reading:

The New American:  EPA's Plans for Implementing UN's Agenda 21  May 3, 2012

CNN:  Showdown at the H2O Corral  May 10, 2012

BetterFarming.com:  Endangered Species Act change approved for further study  May 11, 2012
Statesman Journal:  Oregon wolf gets first color photo  May 11, 2012
San Francisco Chronicle:  California's lone wolf seen mingling with coyotes  May 12, 2012
Statesman Journal:  Officials find invasive species  May 12, 2012

Seattle Times:  See it for yourself: How to get out and explore the Elwha  May 13, 2012
Stephen L. Wilmeth:  The Pegasus Syndrome  May 13, 2012 

Capital Press:  Wolf status under review in western Oregon, Washington  May 14, 2012 

 

May 11, 2012 - Dr. Paul Houser, a former science advisor for the Bureau of Reclamation, filed a whistleblower complaint in February against the Department of the Interior alleging scientific misconduct and unjust termination of employment. He told the audience that he played a role in stalling the removal of four dams on the Klamath River.  Houser also said that he hopes the issue of Klamath dam removal goes to a congressional hearing because “it would be a great way to publicize this further.”  Read more from Thursday's Yreka Siskiyou Daily News Dr. Houser's story: Former science advisor says he wants congressional hearing article. 

 

A program examining the status of sucker populations in Upper Klamath Lake will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at the Klamath County Museum.  Eric Janney, a fishery biologist for the U.S. Geologic Survey, will describe the methods scientist have been using to estimate the total number and age distribution of suckers living in the lake. 

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Herald and News:  Water report  May 10, 2012

Klamath News & Commentary:  The Essence of This Year's Election: KBRA  May 11, 2012 

 

PNW Salmon News:

Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife Press Release:  Draft southwest Oregon fall chinook salmon conservation plan available for public comment  May 8, 2012

San Jose Mercury News:  60000 tiny salmon trucked to Pillar Point Harbor  May 10, 2012 

Northwest Fishletter:  18,000 Fish Counted At Bonneville Dam In One Day  May 10, 2012

Northwest Fishletter:  Spill Cut At Bonneville To Aid Adult Fish Passage  May 10, 2012

Northwest Fishletter:  Analysis: Judge Breaches Silence Over Lower Snake Dams  May 10, 2012

 

Important Reading: 

 

May 9, 2012 - The former U.S. Bureau of Reclamation senior science adviser who claims he was fired in February for speaking out about the Klamath River dam removal process said removing the dams should be an "extreme" last resort.  Paul Houser told about 200 people in Yreka May 7 that removing the four dams from the river is "an uncontrolled experiment" with impacts such as poor water quality that could have dire consequences for fisheries.  He said much further study is needed of alternatives such as fish passage, adding that scientists should truck in fish above the dams to see if they can find suitable habitat.  "We don't know what would happen if we did nothing, so for me, taking the dams out is the most extreme option," said Houser, 41, a George Mason University professor and former National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist who was hired last year to oversee the Klamath scientific studies.  Read more from yesterday's Capital Press Fired scientist says Klamath dam removal 'extreme' article . 

 

The Oregon Cattlemen's Association is sponsoring six Water for Agriculture town hall meetings in coming weeks. The town halls will feature Elizabeth Howard, an attorney from Dunn Carney, who will discuss changes in Oregon's water quality standards and their impacts on agriculture.  In addition the meetings will address water rights, water measurement requirements, the state's integrated water resources strategy, conservation cost-share programs, technical resources and local agricultural water issues. The meetings are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m., and the one in Klamath Falls will be May 23 at the Klamath County Extension Office.

 

The Oregon Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Symposium will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany, Ore. It is sponsored by the Oregon Animal Damage Management Council. The symposium will feature national and local experts in an informal and interactive discussion of wolf management practices, according to an Oregon Cattlemen's Association press release. Current research on conservation and management of wolf populations will be shared along with a look at the impact of the Canadian gray wolf population to Oregon.  For more information, see Monday's Capital Press article Wolf symposium set for May 12.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Capital Press:  (Oregon) Cattlemen host town halls on water  May 7, 2012
Capital Press:  Wolf symposium set for May 12  May 7, 2012
San Francisco Chronicle:  Siskiyou County officials want to ban wolves  May 7, 2012
Redding Record-Searchlight:  Siskiyou supervisors asked to outlaw wolves; board takes no action on new proposal  May 8, 2012

Herald and News:  Whistleblower is taking his case to the public  May 8, 2012

Medford Mail Tribune:  OR-7 is in California's Modoc County and doing well  May 9, 2012

San Francisco Chronicle:  Siskiyou County orders study of wolves  May 9, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News:

San Francisco Chronicle:  Banner year expected for local salmon  May 7, 2012
NBC Bay Area:  Return of the King: Salmon Is Back  May 7, 2012
Seattle Times:  Oregon Fish and Wildlife Columbia River region fishing reports  May 8, 2012
Seattle Times:  State Fish and Wildlife Southwest Washington fishing reports  May 8, 2012

 

Important Reading:

National Geographic:  Saving a River, One Farm at a Time  May 7, 2012
Washington Post:  US ramps up endangered-species actions  May 7, 2012

Jim Beers:  Move Along Little Doggies - More ESA Mayhem  May 8, 2012

Capital Press:  Water supply outlook a mixed bag  May 9, 2012

 

May 7, 2012 - Looking Back: This week in Klamath Basin history - May 5-11, 2002:  Robin King, Patsy Gasser and Diane McKoen met briefly with President George W. Bush, who eagerly accepted their “Klamath Basin Family, Friends and Freedom Quilt.” The three Klamath Basin women, accompanied by Rep. Greg Walden and his wife, Mylene, were among a small group that met Bush as he arrived on the White House’s south lawn by helicopter in Marine One. McKoen, King and Gasser arrived in Washington, D.C. with the 110-by 90-inch handmade American flag quilt, which was signed by about 1,200 Klamath Basin residents, for First Lady Laura Bush and a smaller quilt for President Bush. The large quilt is intended to thank Laura Bush for “the values, morals and dignity you bring to the White House” from people affected by 2001’s Klamath Basin water crisis.   Last summer, irrigation water was withheld from farms and ranches in the Klamath Reclamation Project because of a combination drought and decision to save limited water supplies for endangered sucker and threatened coho salmon.  

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 2,050 cubic feet per second (cfs). Upper Klamath Lake elevation dropped to 4,142.96', down from 4,143.03' last week.  Flows through Link River  has dropped to 2,570 cfs this morning.  Releases from the Keno Dam started the week at 3,390 cfs and has dropped to 2,310 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam started the week at 3,820 cfs and has slowly dropped to 3,220 cfs. The Scott River has fallen to 1,080 cfs this morning. The Salmon River has dropped to 3,260 cfs this morning. The Trinity River is up to 10,300 cfs due to higher releases from Lewiston. The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing a drop to 25,700 cfs this morning.  

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

 

PNW Salmon News:

Seattle Times:  Tony Floor looks at the influence Congressman Norm Dicks made on salmon management  May 4, 2012
Seattle Post Intelligencer:  Copper River Salmon: More to Love, Easier to Find  May 5, 2012
San Francisco Chronicle:  Banner year expected for local salmon  May 6, 2012

 

Important Reading:

Frontpage Magazine:  Obama Administration vs. Tombstone  May 1, 2012 

Waynesville, Missouri Daily Guide:  Bill to ensure individual property rights and protect animal agriculture heard in Senate Committee  May 4, 2012
Oregon Natural Resources Report:  Wolf kills four sheep in Umatilla  May 5, 2012
East Oregonian:  Traps set for killer wolf in Weston  May 5, 2012 

Jim Beers:  The Wolf in Divine Comedy  May 5, 2012

Kathleen Marquardt:  Agenda 21, the end of Western Civilization, Part 5  May 5, 2012 

Sustainable Industries Journal:  Defining "green" labels  May 7, 2012

 

May 4, 2012 - The Bureau of Reclamation joined the Klamath Irrigation District yesterday in a dedication ceremony for a hydroelectric facility located on an irrigation canal in the Klamath Project in Oregon, advancing the federal policy of encouraging non-federal development of clean, renewable power resources on federal water projects.  The C-Drop hydroelectric facility will use the force of water dropping 22 feet from the A Canal to the C Canal to generate up to 1.1 megawatts. Funds from power production will help offset electricity costs for the Klamath Irrigation District (KID) and help keep valuable farmland in production.  The facility will not change the diversions or timing of irrigation flows and will not impact fish due to an existing fish screen on A Canal. The hydropower project is supported by a wide range of local stakeholders and interested parties, including farmers, businesses, and local and state governments.  Read the Bureau of Reclamation Press Release Reclamation Joins Klamath Irrigation District in Dedication Ceremony for New Hydroelectric Plant on Irrigation Canal and today's Klamath Falls Herald and News article C Canal hydro project starts producing power - Facility will produce $250,000 worth of electricity annually for more information.

 

A new biological opinion that dictates how water is allocated for endangered fish in the Klamath Basin could be implemented before the next irrigation season, said one of the nation’s top water officials Thursday during a visit to Klamath Falls.  Federal officials are looking to develop a single, coordinated biological opinion to replace two, often conflicting, opinions for federally protected fish, said Michael Conner, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The decision could have major implications for Klamath Basin irrigators, who get a share of water only after certain amounts are allocated for endangered salmon and sucker.  For more information, read today's Klamath Falls Herald and News article New biological opinion by 2013? - Officials working to develop a single, coordinated biological opinion.

 

Federal Whistleblower Paul R. Houser, Ph.D. will be speaking Sunday, May 6 in Klamath Falls at Triad School, 2450 Summers Lane at 5 p.m.  And again Monday evening at the Yreka, California Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds at 6:30 p.m.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

Capital Press Editorial:  Family farms sigh with relief  May 3, 2012

Center for Biological Diversity Press Release:  Federal Petition Filed to Protect Black-backed Woodpeckers in California  May 3, 2012

Herald and News Letter:  Restoration will benefit many  May 4, 2012

Herald and News Letter:  Criticizing from side doesn’t help  May 4, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News:

Courthouse News Service:  Fishermen Fire Shot in California Water Wars  May 3, 2012
Central Valley Business Times:  Fishing fleet sues feds — says Delta water exports hurt salmon  May 3, 2012

 

Important Reading:

Jim Beers:  US Senators and Property Rights  May 3, 2012

CBS News:  SciTech La Nina ends: Will drought, hurricanes also go? 2 of 9  May 3, 2012
The Moral Liberal:  Playing God with “Endangered Species”  May 3, 2012
 Oregon Dept of Fish & Wildlife Press Release:  Sheep killed by wolf in northern Umatilla County  May 3, 2012

Jim Beers:  Predators and the Gold Standard  May 4, 2012

 

May 3. 2012 - Retired Klamath County Assessor Reg LeQuieu wrote the Klamath Falls Herald and News Letter to the Editor Consider the KBRA when you fill out your ballot that was in yesterday's paper where he states ". . . over $647,349 in lost property tax revenue for county services offset by just $213,333 from the KBRA for a net loss of $434,016 annually. And then, after 15 years, there would be no offset."

 

The Klamath Basin water situation this year is, for lack of a better term, fluid. Projections show the Klamath Reclamation Project will receive nearly 90 percent of its annual allotment of water, with groundwater pumping and land idling programs likely to cover the rest. But a recent warm spell melted snowpack, sending potential irrigation water downriver and leaving farmers concerned that there won’t be water left for their crops later in the summer growing season.  Read yesterday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Project irrigators lose water down river - Warm temps melt snow too quickly.

 

The American Farm Bureau Federation this week asked members of Congress to support H.R. 4965, a bill that would preserve existing U.S. water rights and responsibilities to the Clean Water Act. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Reps. John Mica (R-Fla.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio).  According to AFBF, H.R. 4965 does not alter the Clean Water Act, but it merely reaffirms longstanding provisions in the law. It would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers from pursuing the agencies’ proposed Final Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act and from using it as a basis for regulation.  “In Farm Bureau’s view, the agencies’ proposal improperly changes the law of the land,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman in a letter to House members. “The Guidance effectively eliminates the term ‘navigable’ from the Clean Water Act. It dramatically expands the scope of federal jurisdiction under the act and virtually eliminates a central precept of the act, which reserves certain waters to the exclusive jurisdiction of the states.”  Read more from the April 30 Press Release New Bill Would Preserve Clean Water Act.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Pie N Politics:  National Chief Intregrity Advisor Paul R. Houser Ph.D. speaks May 6-8  Apr 30, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News:  Wolf expert to speak in Yreka  May 1, 2012

Herald and News:  Tribes land $500,000 grant for preschool  May 2, 2012

Herald and News Letter:  Consider the KBRA when you fill out your ballot  May 2. 2012

Siskiyou Daily News:  Siskiyou County critical of coho recovery plan  May 2, 2012

Herald and News:  Reclamation head to visit hydro project  May 3, 2012

Herald and News:  Water Report  May 3, 2012 

 

PNW Salmon News:

Zeke Grader:  Buon Appetito! (West Coast Salmon)  May 1, 2012

Mid Columbia Tri City Herald:  SALMON: Students release salmon fry into river at Columbia Park  May 2, 2012

 

Important Reading: 

American Farm Bureau Federation Press Release:  New Bill Would Preserve Clean Water Act  Apr 30, 2012

OPB News:  ODFW Releases Update On Possible Wolf Killing  May 1, 2012
Wallowa County Cheiftain:  OSP: 'Criminal act' killed possible wolf  May 2, 2012

Blue Mountain Eagle:  Police order tests in reported wolf killing  May 2, 2012

Oregonian:  State police seek tips on who killed wolf in northeastern Oregon's Union County  May 2, 2012

Capital Press:  OSU, UC-Davis form ag economics partnership  May 2, 2012 

Sacramento Bee:  The killing agency: Wildlife Services' brutal methods leave a trail of animal death  May 2, 2012

Sacramento Bee:  Wildlife Services' deadly force opens Pandora's box of environmental problems  May 2, 2012

Sacramento Bee:  Environmental group sues to halt killing practices of federal wildlife agency  May 2, 2012

 

April 30, 2012 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) have taken a significant step in their effort to make the process of proposing or changing boundaries of critical habitat designations for species protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), more efficient, less complex and less expensive.   By eliminating lengthy textual descriptions and replacing them with maps illustrating critical habitat boundaries, the two agencies will effectively provide landowners and the general public with information that is clearer, while simultaneously reducing costs for the American taxpayer.  Previously, when the agencies designated or revised critical habitat for ESA-protected species, they were required to describe, in text, the boundaries of the designation for the Federal Register, in addition to using visual methods such as maps.   These textual descriptions often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to publish and can be difficult to interpret and understand.  Read more from today's Press Release Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries Make it Easier to Describe and Understand Critical Habitat Boundaries for ESA-Protected Species - Using maps instead of lengthy written descriptions is more efficient, less expensive and clearer. 

 

House leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture Committee introduced H.R. 4965, a bill to prohibit the Obama Administration from finalizing or implementing the EPA and Corps Clean Water Act “guidance” in order to significantly broaden the scope of federal jurisdiction under the Act.  This guidance would allow the unprecedented regulation of waters, occasionally wet areas and land use decisions not previously subject to federal regulation.  Any regulatory expansion under the Clean Water Act must follow proper, transparent rulemaking procedures – not the unlawful, backdoor conversion of publicly unvetted agency guidance into de facto federal regulation.  The legislation introduced today prevents the Administration from skirting the law and would require a formal rulemaking for any attempt to change the definition of “waters of the United States” and increase the federal government’s power under the Clean Water Act.  Read more from Friday's Press Release House Bill Halts Administration's Power Grab & Expansion of Water Regulation.

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 2,200 cubic feet per second (cfs). Upper Klamath Lake elevation dropped to 4,143.03', down from 4,143.16' last week.  Flows through Link River  has risen to 3,190 cfs this morning.  Releases from the Keno Dam started the week at 2,110 cfs and rose to  3,390 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam started the week at 3,300 cfs and increased to 3,820 cfs Thursday. The Scott River has fallen to 1,710 cfs this morning. The Salmon River has dropped to 4,720 cfs this morning. The Trinity River is at 9,180 cfs. The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing a drop to 30,900 cfs this morning. 

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Redding Record Searchlight:  Mike Connor:  Examine the costs of leaving Klamath's dams  Apr 28, 2012

Herald and News Letter:  Don’t need to be a scientist to know it’s bogus  Apr 29, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News:

OPB News:  Judge Redden On Saving Salmon: Tear Down Those Dams  Apr 27, 2012
San Francisco Chronicle:  Getting a jump on salmon season  Apr 27, 2012
San Francisco Chronicle:  Banner year for salmon? Go fish  Apr 27, 2012

 

Important Reading:

U.S. House Committee  on Agriculture Press Release:  House Bill Halts Administration's Power Grab & Expansion of Water Regulation  Apr 27, 2012

SustainableBusiness.com:  Environmental Restoration Creates Jobs: Dams Coming Down  Apr 30, 2012

 

April 27, 2012 - Setting a record for the second consecutive year, Klamath Basin farmers will pay about $4.4 million this year to lease 21,000 acres of federally owned farmland around the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake national wildlife refuges.  The lease bids, up from a record $3.9 million last year, can be a barometer for the Basin’s agriculture industry, said Mike Green, lease lands program manager with the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Basin area office. When commodity prices are strong and irrigation water is available, bids increase for the lease lands, he said.   Prices for the Basin’s staple commodities, such as beef, alfalfa, grain and potatoes, have been up, some at record levels. Water availability was in question for much of the winter, but wet weather in March and April resulted in above average snowpack and a full Upper Klamath Lake.   Read more from Thursday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Farmland lease bids hit new record - Lease prices for refuge plots are a barometer for coming farming season.

 

The Siskiyou County Farm Bureau’s lawsuit against the California Department of Fish and Game’s (CDFG) 1602 permitting process will go to trial next week in the Siskiyou County Superior Court.  At 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Superior Court Judge Karen Dixon will begin hearing pretrial motions. The full trial will begin on Tuesday at 9 a.m.  At issue is section 1602 of the California Fish and Game Code – Lake and Streambed Alteration Program – which CDFG says requires irrigators to obtain permits for their surface water diversions.  Read more from today's Yreka Siskiyou Daily News article Farm Bureau vs. Fish & Game: Court will decide whether CDFG can regulate stream diversions.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Siskiyou Daily News:  Montague water district pitches in for coho  Apr 26, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Guest Opinion:  Who killed the birds?  Apr 26, 2012

Business Week:  Senate panel approves 5-year food and farm plan  Apr 26, 2012

Oregon Natural Resources Report:  Senate panel passes 2012 Farm Bill  Apr 27, 2012

Southeast Farm Press:  2012 farm bill heads to full Senate  Apr 27, 2012 

 

PNW Salmon News:

Seattle Times:  Former salmon judge: Snake dams should come down  Apr 25, 2012
Idaho Statesman:  Retired federal Judge Redden: 'Take those dams down'  Apr 25, 2012
Seattle Times:  Oregon seeks to kill cormorants to protect endangered salmon  Apr 26, 2012
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings:  Statement on Judge Redden’s admitted bias to destroy Snake River Dams  Apr 26, 2012

 

Important Reading:

Huffington Post:  Wolves Return to California: The Journey Ahead  Apr 25, 2012

 

April 25, 2012 - Every two years the Clean Water Act requires the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to submit a list of impaired waters, also known as the 303(d) list to EPA. This list identifies water quality limited segments and associated pollutants which require the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The Oregon 2010 303(d) list includes changes from the previous list. The State is proposing to add waters to the impaired list, as well as to remove waters because they now meet water quality standards have a pollution control plan that will ensure waterbody recovery or because they were listed in error.  On March 15, 2012, EPA partially approved and partially disapproved Oregon’s 2010 303(d) list submittal. Specifically, EPA approved Oregon’s proposal to list 970 water quality limited segments. EPA disapproved Oregon’s failure to review all readily available data and information and not list 1004 water quality limited segments. EPA is proposing to add these 1004 water quality limited segments to the State’s 2010 303(d) list.   EPA is providing the public the opportunity to review its proposed decision to add these water quality limited segments to Oregon’s 2010 303(d) list. EPA will consider public comments in reaching its final decision on these water bodies and pollutants identified for addition to Oregon’s 2010 303(d) list.  In response to a request from the public the Comment period has extended to April 30.  Read more from the March 15th EPA Press Release Proposed Decision to Add Waters to Oregon's 2010 Impaired Waters List.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

North Coast Journal:  Cry, Godwitters  Apr 21, 2012

Senator Doug Whitsett:  Non-Point Source Water Regulations  Apr 23, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Letter:  No progress made here  Apr 24, 2012

High Country News:  Last in line  Apr 24, 2012

Pie N Politics:  Ron Glynn supports Saving Siskiyou Co  Apr 24, 2012

Herald and News Letter:  What’s the truth about the KBRA?  Apr 25, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News:

 

Important Reading:

Seattle Times: On the Elwha, a lunar landscape emerges  Apr 24, 2012 

 

April 23, 2012 - U.S. Rep. Greg Walden was in Klamath Falls Saturday for a town hall meeting at Oregon Institute of Technology where he informed those attending that he is working with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and others to hold Congressional hearings on the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement.  Read more from Sunday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Walden discusses agreement efforts.

 

The abundance and diversity of waterfowl and other migratory birds make the Klamath Basin one of the nation's most significant wetland wildlife areas. The region's spectacular National Wildlife Refuges, including Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, support 80 percent of Pacific Flyway waterfowl but regularly suffer water shortages harmful to waterfowl populations, wildlife habitat, and water quality. This spring's devastating avian cholera outbreak in the Klamath -- sparked by a lack of water -- has highlighted the grave situation not only facing these refuges but also the Klamath's salmon, fishermen and farmers. Put simply, there has been too much of this region's scarce water promised to too many interests.   Read more from John DeVoe's, the executive director of WaterWatch of Oregon, OpEd In the Klamath Basin, too little water promised to too many interests in Sunday's Oregonian.

 

In February, state and federal fishery managers announced that the pre-season ocean abundance of Chinook salmon off the pacific coast looked to be one of the highest in many years. At that time, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) estimated that the pre-harvest, pre-mortality Klamath River population was around 1.65 million fish.  Read today's Banner year for anglers article from the Yreka Siskiyou Daily News for more information. 

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 1,650 cubic feet per second (cfs). Upper Klamath Lake elevation rose to 4,143.16', down from 4,143.07' last week.  Flows through Link River  dropped to 1,610 cfs on Friday but has risen to 2,350 cfs this morning.  Releases from the Keno Dam started the week at 2,620 cfs and dropped to almost 1,575 cfs Saturday and is at 2,110 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam started the week at 3,090 cfs and stayed around that flow until this morning when it increased to 3,300 cfs today. The Scott River has jumped to 3,080 cfs this morning. The Salmon River has risen to 8,690 cfs this morning. The Trinity River is at 14,000 cfs. The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing a rise to 48,900 cfs this morning. 

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

Klamath News & Commentary:  Sissy Farmers  Apr 18, 2012

Klamath News & Commentary:  The Flaw of the Tea Party  Apr 20, 2012

San Francisco Chronicle:  Migrating waterfowl die from lack of water  Apr 20, 2012

ODFW Press Release:  Ocean fishing seasons set  Apr 20, 2012

Klamath News & Commentary:  Hukill and Kellstrom Principles: Sillytalk  Apr 21, 2012

Herald and News:  Walden discusses agreement efforts  Apr 22, 2012

Medford Mail Tribune:  The Van Brimmers' cabin  Apr 22, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News:  Banner year for anglers  Apr 23, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Letter:  Thanks to Jim Cook  Apr 23, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Letter:  We choose Brandon Criss  Apr 23, 2012

Capital Press:  Counties set to redefine farmland  Apr 23, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News:

Seattle Times:  Spill causes die-off of salmon in Nooksack River  Apr 21, 2012
Medford Mail Tribune:  Ocean chinook season looks to be a boon for anglers  Apr 22, 2012
Seattle Times:  Improved Ore. stock means more salmon near Wash  Apr 22, 2012

 

Important Reading:

Late Erica Carle:  Who is in Charge of the "New World Order?"  Apr 21, 2012

Daily News Journal:  Property rights in dispute  Apr 21, 2012
Stephen L. Wilmeth:  Government Tyranny  Apr 21, 2012 

Jim Beers:  Four Things I Learned in Montana  Apr 23, 2012  

 

April 21, 2012 - An Oregon administrative law judge affirmed two more Klamath Tribes water claims this week, this time on Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River. But Klamath Tribes representatives say the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement still is the best way to deal with water issues in the Klamath Basin.  “The adjudication process is moving forward but what the KBRA provides is an opportunity for settlement amongst disputing parties over water,” Klamath Tribes vice-chairman Don Gentry said Wednesday afternoon. “It gives the ability for folks to enter into some of the components to address water concerns. We support the K BR A because it’s a comprehensive solution for fisheries and water resources for everyone throughout the Klamath Basin.”  Read more from Thursday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Tribes’ water claims upheld - Final ruling on water adjudication due by next year.

 

County Counsel Tom Guarino provided the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors with an update on current issues surrounding the proposal to remove four dams on the Klamath River at the board’s regular meeting on Tuesday.   Guarino said his office is still in the process of challenging PacifiCorp’s move to increase the rate of its Klamath Dams surcharge collection.  PacifiCorp began applying the first surcharge to customer bills on Jan. 10. The surcharge is two percent of the customer’s monthly bill and equals about $1.61 per customer on average, according to PacifiCorp. The surcharge is intended to fund PacifiCorp’s share of the cost of dam removal.  Read more from Friday's Yreka Siskiyou Daily News article County fights PacifiCorp Klamath dams surcharge collection.

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Mount Shasta Herald:  District 1 incumbent Jim Cook looks to serve third term  Apr 18, 2012

Herald and News Letter:   Gail Whitsett is right for the job  Apr 19, 2012

North Coast Journal Letter:  Biologists Blunder?  Apr 19, 2012

Capital Press:  ODA holding water-quality seminars  Apr 19, 2012

Capital Press:  Snell takes over water association  Apr 19, 2012

Capital Press:   Arp named new OSU ag dean  Apr 19, 2012

OPB News:  NW climate threats  Apr 19, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News: 

 

Important Reading:

 

April 18, 2012 - Jim Cook, Siskiyou County Supervisor stated in a letter to the Editor of the Siskiyou Daily News that "We attended 14 meetings in D.C. concerning dam removal and in only one meeting did anyone ask what it would take to make Siskiyou County “satisfied.” The answer I gave at that time and I have always stated was “put in fish passage and license the dams.”  Of course, that was not the answer they were seeking, so they posed the question as, “What would it take to have Siskiyou County join in dam removal?”  I found that question insulting and, frankly, creepy, as if we would name a number and be bought off.  Read more from County won't be bought. 

 

In summer 2011 the Hoopa Tribal EPA completed the third year of the Lower Trinity Source Water Assessment Project (SWAP). Funded by the U.S. EPA, the Tribal EPA (TEPA) has been conducting assessments of the Trinity River from the South fork on down to the tribe’s drinking water intake in Hoopa since 2007. Over the last four years TEPA has documented multiple sources of possible contaminants highlighting the most prevalent ones such as forest roads, landslides, septic tanks, pesticides, highway run-off, illegal open dumps and marijuana growing.  As all of us are well aware, large scale marijuana growing by drug cartels and others has caused multiple problems throughout the Trinity watershed. The most obvious and impactful to the River has been the massive blooms of green algae resulting from hundreds of pounds of chemical fertilizers used in pot gardens containing thousands of plants. In 2009, the algae was so bad that it covered the entire bottom of the River from the South fork all the way through the Hoopa Valley. Fortunately, due to the sophisticated filtering system of the tribe’s drinking water plant, algae was mostly a nuisance causing fouling of certain instruments that had to be flushed occasionally.  Read more from yesterday's Two Rivers Tribune article What’s Up the Trinity?  Water Quality on the River.  

 

Articles Posted Today:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

Pie N Politics:  Mark Johnson calls the “clans” together  Apr 16, 2012

Siskiyou Daily News Letter:  County won't be bought  Apr 17, 2012

Herald and News Letter:  KBRA provides real protection for irrigators  Apr 17, 2012

Herald and News Letter:  Mallams understands threat of the KBRA  Apr 17, 2012

Bob King:  The truth about the KBRA  Apr 17, 2012

Pie N Politics:  Snow depth in Western Siskiyou is over 100 percent of average  Apr 17, 2012

Pie N Politics:  Scott Valley POW meeting April 26  Apr 17, 2012

Two Rivers Tribune:  What’s Up the Trinity?  Water Quality on the River  Apr 17, 2012

Two Rivers Tribune:  Karuk Tribe Gets Federal Approval for Yreka Casino  Apr 17, 2012 

Two Rivers Tribune:  Why the Weird Weather?  Apr 17, 2012

Capital Press:  Snell to head Oregon Water Resources Congress  Apr 18, 2012    

 

PNW Salmon News:

Spokesman Review:  Idaho salmon season opening; chinook fashionably late  Apr 17, 2012 

 

Important Reading:

Capital Press:  Ag media groups launch national farm equipment site  Apr 16, 2012
Capital Press:  EPA addresses farm fuel storage regs  Apr 17, 2012
Eugene Register Guard:  OR set to legalize gray water  Apr 17, 2012

San Jose Mercury News:  Wolves Return to California: the Journey Ahead  Apr 17, 2012
Co.Exist:  Putting A Value On Endangered Species To Save Them  Apr 17, 2012
Center for Biological Diversity Press Release:  Obama Administration Again Proposes Polar Bear Extinction Plan  Apr 17, 2012
Vancouver Sun:  Let's put the hysteria over polar bears on ice  Apr 18, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

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