H&N's: Update on - Long Lake reservoir

The issue - Federal officials are looking into whether the Long Lake valley, northwest of Klamath Falls, could be turned into a reservoir holding 350,000 to 500,000 acre-feet of water to be used to boost flows in the Klamath River for protected coho salmon.

Where things stand now - U.S. Bureau of Reclamation scientists bored holes into the valley floor last summer to determine whether it was solid enough to hold water, said Gary Baker, special projects officer for the Bureau. Their report is expected in April.

What happens next - More drilling is planned this summer and scientists should then be able to say whether the valley can hold water. If the answer is yes, further feasibility and environmental studies will follow. Baker said it would be 2007 or 2008 until a decision whether to create a reservoir or not is made.