Governor considers water shortage  

March 4, 2010

     As early as next week, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski could visit the Klamath Basin to address water shortages.

   The governor is dedicated to helping the region, said his natural resources policy adviser, Mike Carrier, especially after stakeholders came together, worked with state and federal officials, and spent years crafting the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement to prevent situations such as the 2001 water shutoff.

   “The very most important thing we should do is maintain those relationships,” Carrier said. “He realized it’s his turn now to return the favor.”

   Kulongoski met with several state agency heads in Salem Tuesday to discuss water supplies, and what could be done to help if there’s not enough to meet irrigation needs, and mandated flow levels for endangered fish.       

   Upper Klamath Lake, the primary water source for the Klamath Reclamation Project, is more than a foot below its average capacity for this point in the year, a result of increased f low requirements for endangered fish. Also, the region’s snowpack, a main source of water to the system, is about 69 percent of average according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

   Most government officials, including Sue Fry, manager of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s regional office, have said it would be impossible for enough precipitation to fall this season to make up the difference.  

   Carrier said the governor will meet with stakeholders and other officials when he visits. He’s also arranged for weekly briefings on the situation.

   Pleased with effort

   Those in the irrigation community on the Klamath Reclamation Project said they ’re pleased with the governor’s efforts to address the situation and chalked up the response partially to the recent signing of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.  

   “This is the exact type of (water) year that motivated us to do the KBRA,” said Greg Addington, executive director of Klamath Water Users Association.

   Carrier said the governor could issue an executive order for a drought declaration, which would open the region up to certain for ms of a id. State departments also could provide assistance, from groundwater pumping to helping those affected find other jobs.  

   Kulongoski also could be an advocate for aid from the federal government, and he also wants to push up development of a drought plan as called for in the restoration agreement.

   Frank Hammerich, manager of the Langell Valley Irrigation District, said he’s glad to see the governor getting involved, and that a drought declaration and other innovative   measures could help the region.

   “We’re glad they’re taking a proactive stance now, but we want to see a long-term solution,” he said.

   Addington said he’s been in communication with the governor’s office about the situation. A drought declaration would be helpful, but so would quicker implementation of the restoration agreement.

   Addington added the negotiations surrounding the agreement have spawned more communication between irrigators, tribes, fishermen and environmentalists, a paradigm that didn’t exist in 2001 and should be a major benefit.  

   Hammerich, though, said the document lends more risk to the situation, as irrigators will be upset if they aren’t given sufficient aid after signing the agreement. They’ll also be paying close attention to what does get water in the shortage, from irrigators to the wildlife refuges.