River summit hopeful sign for Klamath

Herald and News Editorial

October 17, 2006

The devil's always in the details, and just what the Klamath River water summit takes up when the Oregon and California governors meet later this year remains to be seen. But it's certainly a hopeful sign that Oregon's Gov. Ted Kulongoski and California's Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are planning to meet on the issue. Others who have something at stake in the matter will also be included.

Anything major in the way of agreements in such situations is often ironed out ahead of time. Governors normally aren't going to hold such an event unless they know they'll have something to announce at the end of it.

The summit was announced last week, but the time and date haven't been set yet. Kulongoski wants it in Klamath Falls, possibly in December, and Klamath Falls would be a logical place. It's been the focal point for much of the fighting over Klamath River water for many years, including the 2001 cutoff of water to most of the irrigators on the Klamath Reclamation Project.

Also involved are the rights of Indian tribes at both ends of the river, and fish species protected by the Endangered Species Act, also at both ends of the river.

It's a complex situation that turns on promises made by the federal government that it couldn't keep. There simply isn't enough water many years.

Klamath River salmon runs have a profound impact far beyond the river itself. Because of small salmon runs on the Klamath River, the federal government shut down fishing this year over most of the Oregon and California Pacific Ocean coastal areas. Overall, there was enough salmon to support more fishing, but there was no other way to keep Klamath River salmon from being caught.

Compromise is a key

As for how to work toward agreement, we'd second Dan Keppen's remarks from Saturday's Herald and News. Keppen is executive director of the Family Farm Alliance and former executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association. He urged the various agencies to turn toward a 2004 agreement among federal agencies, including the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Commerce and the Environmental Protection Administration, and the states of Oregon and California that called for a cooperative effort aimed at helping endangered and threatened fish species to recover.

If there's a big club hanging over the effort it's this: Anything that can be done to keep the issue out of the courts is likely to produce a better end for all concerned. Klamath River issues have been much litigated in the recent decades and not always to the best effect. Lawsuits are also expensive and unlikely to produce the kind of long-range solutions needed.

A cooperate effort that recognizes the need to compromise is the key, and that's what we should want out of the the Oregon-California summit.

Pat Bushey wrote today's editorial, which represents the view of the Herald and News editorial board.