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Refuge behind about 40,000 acre
feet, waiting to hear on this year’s allocation
By SARA HOTTMAN
H&N Staff Reporter
March 10, 2011
In 2010, a fraction of available federal land was open for leasing.
The Bureau of Reclamation opened 55 lots for bid, compared to this year’s 82, and garnered $616,719 on winning bids, compared to this year’s $3.15 million, said Kevin Moore, spokesman for the Bureau’s Klamath Basin Area Office.
Leasing less land has little direct impact on refuges, said Marco Buske, integrated pest management specialist with the refuges, but is indicative of a larger loss.
“Really, the loss of farming means the loss of irrigation opportunities, which means the loss of water, and that’s what affects the refuges,” Buske said.
Refuges are last in line for water on the Klamath Reclamation Project, whose water is controlled by the Bureau.
Last year, following a dry
winter, endangered fish received their full allotment of water;
tribal trust obligations were fulfilled; farmers received about half
as much water as they normally do; and refuges didn’t receive any
allocation, which led to birds bypassing the refuges, and affecting
hunting, bird watching, and biological diversity.
This year, “It’s better, but still way behind,” said Dave Mauser, supervisory biologist for the Klamath Basin Refuges. Lower Klamath is short about 40,000 acre feet of water and 15,000 acres of wetlands still need to be flooded. The refuges have not heard from the Bureau how much water they’ll get this spring and summer. Agricultural lands help birds during the day, but waterfowl still need wetlands during non-feeding times, Mauser said. “We need both,” he said.
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