Appoint task force on local water issue

February 17, 2008

Klamath Falls Herald and News Letter  

Last night, I attended and spoke briefly at the Klamath County commissioners’ hearing on the Klamath River Restoration Agreement. The hearing exposed how divided the community is over the document.

It doesn’t have to be this way if our county leadership had stepped up and represented all of the water users in the county.

Commissioner John Elliott represented the county at the hearing and chose to align himself with the Klamath Basin Water Users Association and totally ignore the needs of the irrigators outside the association’s realm.

The areas in northern Klamath County and the eastern part of the county were used as collateral to secure a very shaky agreement for the Basin Water Users. 

If our commissioner had stepped up and said that he represented all the water users in Klamath County and that they would all have to be given the same considerations as the Klamath Basin Water Users before the county could endorse this agreement, it would be a very different environment in the county now.

It is unfortunate that the poor leadership of one individual has divided families, friends and business associates. This was all evident in last night’s hearing.

There is some hope. If the remaining two county commissioners would vote not to accept this agreement, that would be a start.

I also would like to see the county commissioners create a task force of individuals representing all the water users in Klamath County to try to mitigate some of the issues dividing water users.

The task force should not only be for problem-solving, but should be a unified voice from all the water users and Klamath County when confronted with the challenges facing the water users in Klamath County today.

    Carole Canevari

    Dairy 

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Source:  http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2008/02/17/viewpoints/

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