Endangered Species Act unfairly takes water away 

Letter to the Editor

May 25, 2010

   Well, people, we’re up the creek again without a paddle. Our irrigation water was flushed down river last winter and we have to rely on government handouts to survive.

    We have a $300 million farm economy here in the Basin; the feds are throwing about $10 million into the pot for land idling and well water pumping and think that will solve the problem. Big deal. Every farmer in the Project has a contract to receive water, based on one congressional act or another — Reclamation Act, Warren Act, Homestead Act, etc. and along comes the Endangered Species Act and relegates us all to a lesser priority.

    To put this into perspective, picture people setting on the curb munching on sucker fish sandwiches when they can go downtown and get a Whopper Jr. for $1.     It just doesn’t equate.

    The key to a sufficient water supply is a full lake on April 1. That has not happened for the past two years.

    All of us know how much water went downriver between October and April.

     The Bureau of Reclamation folks could have tweaked their measurements just enough to fill the lake during those six months and no one would have been the wiser. We don’t need highly paid federal employees to open the flood gates and let all of the water go. Chimpanzees can do that.

     While BOR’s decision to deny water to Warren Act (B users) was probably motivated by the threat of lawsuits by “A” users on both sides of Stateline Road, that is not the main issue. Unless and until the Endangered Species Act is amended, there will never be enough water to go around.

Warren Haught

Klamath Falls