Merkley, Wyden ask feds for rapid, coordinated effort in drought-stricken Klamath
By Charles Pope, The Oregonian
March 9, 2010
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| Drought is sucking the life out of the Klamath Basin, which has a history of such problems. The current crisis surpasses the severe drought of 2001 seen here |
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WASHINGTON -- Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden begged the federal government Tuesday for ``immediate and coordinated'' assistance to help Klamath Basin farmers and the environment cope with a drought of ``historic magnitude.''
The plea came in a joint letter to three
cabinet secretaries whose agencies have direct involvement
in the devastated region - Gary Locke at the Commerce
Department, Tom Vilsack at the Agriculture Department and
the Interior Department's Ken Salazar.
``Put simply, the Klamath Lake that supplies
water to the farmers and the river is at its lowest level
since measurements began in the 1970s,'' the letter said. ``
Its current level is significantly below where it was in
1992 – the worst drought year ever in the Klamath Basin.
``The drought currently facing the Klamath
Basin would deal a devastating blow to farmers, Klamath
Basin Tribes, and fishermen, as well as to the salmon and
other species in the Klamath River. Nothing short of an
unprecedented, integrated and expansive set of responses is
required.''
The letter notes that the current water level
in Klamath Lake is one foot below the lowest recording of
the drought in 1992 which was the worst in recorded history.
While the effort will help wildlife and
salmon, the letter from Merkley and Wyden is primarily aimed
at getting help for farmers as planting season approaches.
``We believe that no single action will
adequately address the projected water shortfall caused by
this year’s drought. For example, it is our understanding
that drought wells cover no more than 20 percent of the
irrigated farm land in the Basin. Swift, decisive and
coordinated action is needed to provide an integrated set of
solutions before the planting season begins in the next
several weeks. We certainly do not want to put farmers in a
situation where they need to plant their crops and then
subsequently let them fail in order for the farmers to be
eligible for drought assistance,'' they said in the letter.
Specifically, they said federal officials should ``at a minimum'' adopt policies:
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Providing funds to purchase upstream water rights voluntarily offered;
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Adjusting surface water management within parameters of the law and sound science;
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Releasing emergency funds for land idling through water banks or other programs;
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Activating emergency drought wells or other means of accessing groundwater; and
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Establishing drought assistance for all farmers regardless of crop type.
The letter came on the same day
that Gov. Ted Kulongoski went to Klamath Falls
to hear about the prospects for drought and how
severe irrigation cutbacks could be after the
needs of federally protected fish are met.
He was scheduled to meet Tuesday with farmers, Indian tribes, business people and representatives of state and federal agencies in preparation for requesting a federal drought declaration.
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| California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and others signed a historic agreement that could bring down dams and provide water for fish and for farmers in the Klamath Basin. |
A 2001 drought forced authorities to shut off of
water to most of the 1,300 farms on a
200,000-acre federal irrigation project
straddling the Oregon-California border to leave
water for fish.
Merkley and Wyden's request also
followed by less than a month the historic
agreement between Oregon, California, tribes and
other stakeholders designed to address disputes
over water that have raged for a century.
The centerpiece of the agreement are plans to remove four hydroelectric dams in the basin.