“This is a win-lose agreement. And we’re the losers!” said Armstrong, who was one of the speakers expressing strong feelings about the dangers of removing four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River.
Others, although in the
minority at the workshop held at Dorris City
Hall, spoke in favor of the proposed dam
removals.
The event was held with a goal of discussing
“mutual areas of concern” about the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission’s consideration of
relicensing Pacific Power’s Klamath River
hydroelectric dams.
Siskiyou County board chair Bill Overman said
that to his knowledge a joint meeting of this
nature was not only historic but, perhaps,
unprecedented. No decisions were made at the
informational workshop, although complete
minutes were ta ken to be used in an advisory
capacity, according to the agenda.
The meeting consisted of audience members making
three-minute statements and some of the
supervisors and commissioners presenting their
viewpoints.
The controversial dam removal possibility is
part of the Proposed Klamath Basin Restoration
Agreement that was released in January by the
Klamath Settlement Group, a coalition of 26
diverse entities with interests in Klamath Basin
fisheries, agriculture, tribal culture,
conservation and watershed issues.
Anthony Intiso, a candidate for the Siskiyou
County District 4 supervisor position in the
upcoming November general election, pointed out
that the Klamath River Basin Compact, passed
into law in 1957, has served the area well and
he saw no reason to replace that document with
the new proposed agreement.
Klamath Basin farmer Bob Keene said that
removing the dams “will take us back 75 years.”
Referring to low water levels in Copco Lake, he
said, “They’re lying and doing everything they
can to put us out of business.”
Dani Watson, who works for a self-described
“diversified group” from the Upper Basin, said,
“There are lots of issues in the agreement.
Think of it as a map, maybe there needs to be
modifications. It’s a poker game right now.” She
went on to say that she doesn’t want to see “ag
go out of business” but that the tribes and
water users need to work together. “Right now,
we're hammering it out,” she concluded.
Becky Hyde, the wife of an off-project rancher
from Sprague River Valley, said her husband’s
family has been on the land for 100 years. She
voiced concern for the homeowners around Copco
Lake. “There’s many issues that come together,”
she said, “we need to stress patience. Maybe we
should decide to put Prozac in the Upper Klamath
Basin.”
Klamath Tribal Council member Jeff Mitchell
spoke in favor of the Proposed Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement. “This agreement creates a
road map for the next 50 to 100 years,” he said.
“We think the KBRA will help us deal with the
issues, environmental and others and will help
provide some common ground. It’s time to move
forward.”
Tom Malin has been an off-project irrigator for
20 years. “The decision should be made by the
taxpayers,” he said. He mentioned a meeting of
about 100 people he recent attended and said,
“almost all were against it (the proposed
agreement).” As for working together to further
develop the agreement, he said, “The tribes and
the project irrigators just will not negotiate.”
“I personally support the agreement,” said
Horsley Farms owner and president of the Klamath
Water Users Association, Luther Horsley.
Supervisors Michael Kobseff and Jim Cook, along
with Klamath County Commissioner Bill Brown,
reported on their recent trip to Washington,
D.C.
"We found that we were offering new information
that had not been heard before,” said Kobseff,
“We put on the table a new premise: We can have
water, fish, power – all of it. Power is more
critical than ever before.”