Task force can help clear up uncertainty over local dikes

November 14, 2006

Klamath Falls Herald and News Editorial

If the first meeting of a task force on local dikes and levees ends Wednesday with a clearer understanding of who's responsible for what, it'll be a step forward.

After a major break on the Geary Dike in June near Highway 140 closed the highway, flooded 2,000 acres of farm land and part of the golf course at the Running Y Ranch Resort, people began wondering who was supposed to be checking the dikes' condition. There didn't seem to be clear answers. There hadn't been many major breaks over the years. That probably kept the subject below the radar for most people, even those who depend on the dikes to protect their land.

The Geary break was major. It cost millions of dollars.

Upper Klamath Lake is the primary reservoir for the Klamath Reclamation Project and has about 45 miles of dikes. There are also numerous dikes elsewhere in the local area.

Because of the need to hold back water in the lake at times for fish and irrigation, the water level can push up high on the levees. So who's supposed to be checking them to make sure they're safe? It might take a court to answer that question for the Geary Dike, since those damages have already taken place. But there are other dikes to consider and certainly lessons from the Geary break to be learned.

The first lesson is the need to nail down who should be checking the dikes to make sure they're safe, and the second is to make sure that those inspections are done on a regular basis.

Corps offers inspections

Wednesday's meeting will include representatives from the Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Klamath County officials.

Dike owners and those charged with maintaining them should also make the effort to be there. There are about 40 dike owners on Upper Klamath Lake. As the Geary break showed, damages can spread far beyond the dikes' owners.

The Corps will inspect dikes for free for special taxing districts or associations established to maintain dikes. Obviously, that's a great deal for those who qualify. The Corps program isn't new, but nobody in the Basin has ever asked for the inspections.

County officials are responsible for emergency preparedness before a break, and dealing with emergencies after one, but the county isn't in charge of the dikes themselves. Wednesday's meeting and future ones should help everyone involved understand just what their responsibilities are.

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If you want to attend...

Wednesday's meeting will be at noon at the Running Y Ranch Resort conference center. Anyone interested in attending should contact Bill Thompson, Klamath County emergency services manager, at 883-5130, ext. 215.

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

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