John Prosser: Uncertainty since 2001

By LEE JUILLERAT
H&N Regional Editor

February 29, 2008

   “I remember the shock when they said they were going to turn off the water. I didn’t believe they would ever do that.” 

   When federal officials announced in 2001 that Klamath Project irrigators would not receive any water, the John Prosser family was stunned. 

   Prosser and brother Frank grow potatoes, wheat, barley, peppermint and alfalfa on land near Tulelake. The Prosser property includes the homestead his late father, Jess, received as a 1947 homesteader for his World War II military service. “He helped us get through 2001,” John Prosser says of his father. 

   Along with the shock, Prosser remembers the community coming together. “I thought it was phenomenal.” 

   Not everyone survived. Some neighbors, including brothers who farmed together like John and Frank, are gone. One is a security guard in Reno , the other drives a truck out of the Rogue Valley . 

   Times have been hard since 2001. “We got by. We lost a lot of money. Things are starting to get back to normal, but we always have that edginess of wondering if the water is going to last all summer.” 

   The family still has papers promising their father and other homesteaders water for crops.
   “It turned out that piece of paper wasn’t worth much.” 

   A lot has changed since 2001, Prosser says. “The uncertainty of the water, it hangs over your head. It’s pretty ominous when you’ve got thousands — hundreds of thousands — of dollars at stake.” 

   Although he originally opposed the proposed water settlement, he changed his mind after attending hearings and “felt a real commitment.” 

   This water settlement gives us hope,” Prosser says, noting he disagrees with the idea of removing the four Klamath River dams. “I’ll sign on if it gives us some stability. It’s the first time I’ve seen all the stakeholders on the same page. It’s too darn difficult to continue the way we are now — we need some certainty. I think there’s a little optimism.”

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