Klamath on project plan meetings june 24 25 2014

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Project irrigators seek input on water usage plan; Creators of the plan hope it will move irrigators away from inconsistent water deliveries

Herald and News by LACEY JARRELL 6/21/14

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the Klamath Water and Power Agency (KWAPA) are hosting two meetings next week seeking public input about the On-Project Plan.

According to Hollie Cannon, executive director of KWAPA, a group of 15 stakeholders developed the On-Project Plan (OPP) over the last three years. The purpose of the OPP is to plan how reduced water diversions will be used when the Klamath Basin Restoration Project (KBRA) is implemented, he said.

Creators of the plan hope it will move irrigators away from inconsistent water deliveries by reviewing water availability, conservation strategies and demand management to establish a minimum volume that will be available each year.

Cannon said the On-Project Plan cannot be implemented until Congress passes and funds the KBRA.

The two agencies are seeking input as part of their requirement to include community feedback in the development of a joint Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report for the proposed On-Project Plan. The EIS and EIR are required for federally funded projects that may create a significant impact on the environment.

According to Hollie Cannon, executive director of KWAPA, the public comment period provides stakeholders an opportunity to comment on all aspects of the OPP, from farm economics to endangered species.

“Our fear is that people will comment about the current drought. This has nothing to do with that,” Cannon said. “This meeting is for the public to comment on the proposed project plan.”

Oral and written comments will be accepted during the meeting.

The 2010 KBRA settlement and the related Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement seek to establish reliable water supplies and affordable power rates for irrigators, restore fish habitat, help the Klamath Tribes acquire the 92,000-acre Mazama Tree Farm and remove four dams on the Klamath River.

The first meeting is Tuesday, June 24, 10 to 11:30 a.m., at Klamath Community College, Building 6, Room H138.

The second meeting is Wednesday, June 25, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds, Home Economics Building West Wing.

Written comments must be received by 5 p.m. July 15. Comments can be sent to sha-kfo-oppcmts@usbr.gov or to Tara Jane Campbell Miranda, Bureau of Reclamation, Klamath Basin Area Office, 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR, 97603.

ljarrell@heraldandnews.com ; @LMJatHandN

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