KBC archive 29 2004

Klamath Water Users Weekly Update for October 29, 2004
* 2004 Presidential Election Has Major Implications for the Klamath Basin
- President Bush Tackles Klamath
- Klamath Whistleblower Incident
- Something Fishy About Karl Rove....NOT
* National Journal Speculates on Bush, Kerry Cabinet Members
* Oregonian Interviews Bush and Kerry on the Environment - Klamath Discussed
* Reclamation Releases RFP for FY 2005 Water 2025 Challenge Grant Program
* Increasing Stakeholder Involvement in Watershed Restoration
* You May be Eligible for Benefits Under the 2001-02 Crop Disaster Program
* Hearing to Consider Motion to Dismiss Fish Die-Off Trial Delayed

KILL THE LAND ......audio......listen, and listen, and listen, lest we forget. Thank you again Brian Burns, 2001.

From the archives, transcribed forest tour by the Klamath Tribes: This tour was conducted October 17, 2003 for the purpose of showing local farmers, ranchers, businessmen, and the Klamath County Commissioners, the Tribal biology and the proposed forest land acquisition.

Watershed issues workshop offered, H&N 10/28/04 "Oregon State University's Klamath County Extension office is offering a free satellite video conference about watersheds on Nov. 16."

Experts embark on salmon project, Outdoor Statesman Journal 10/27/04, "Many of the people who are participating in our project are interested precisely because they have spent their careers working on salmon-recovery projects that ultimately did not succeed," said Lach. "We've spent billions of dollars, caused a lot of social disruption, but to what purpose?"

2 H&N articles on the Klamath Conservation Implementation Plan, 10/25/04, 'Focus sought for water program', and 'Bureau takes new program for test drive.'

Feds propose re-listing coho, Pioneer Press 10/20/04.Coho salmon comments for federal ESA re-listing are due Nov. 12. "A federal appeals court found that not all of the coho salmon were counted the first time."

A year ago this week Congressman Walden spoke to locals in Merrill regarding Iraq, potential Klamath Tribal forest acquisition, Chiloquin Dam, water storage, our forests, and an energy bill. HERE for story.

Klamath Water Users Association weekly update October 14, 2004. Go to Klamath Water Users Association update 101404for update:
* Klamath Water Users Applaud Signing of Landmark Watershed Agreement
* Interior Secretary Announces Klamath Watershed Coordination Agreement
* Complete Text of the Klamath River Watershed Coordination Agreement
* Klamath County Commissioner Clarifies the Record for ONRC

Storage according to Waterwatch/Hatfield Committee/American Land Conservancy's Rich McIntyre
Klamath farmers stand in the way of progress, according to Waterwatch/Hatfield Committee/American Land Conservancy's Rich McIntyre, High Country News posted to KBC 10/13/04 "Failure of leadership, not a lack of water, dooms the Klamath "
For more info on Barnes, Long Lake and McIntyre, go to our STORAGE page.
* WaterWatch past vice-president Rich McIntyre is also American Land Conservancy (ALC) counselor, advocating instead for government purchase of Barnes property, the cost being $9.1 million, commission going to ALC.
* 94,549acres of ag land has been converted to wetlands in the guise of 'saving water' and 'storage', and how much water it has depleted.
* "Wearing many hats seems quite the norm anymore," as submitted on our Discussion Forum by Buster Keester, regarding Rich McIntyre, 9/22/03. This was sent regarding McIntyre's threat to sue KBC, also included in that link.
* Rich McIntyre and the Barnes Ranch proposal September 18, 2003, by KBC including Audio
* Barnes Ranch won't work for water storage, by Barnes' neighbor Paul Little, 11/13/03. KBC transcript from video
* Letters to Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, signed by Klamath County Commissioners John Elliott and Al Switzer, posted to KBC 3/25/04. Our commissioners support the study of Long Lake water storage, for a potential of 300,000AF cold water not requiring a dam. WaterWatch does not support the study. "WaterWatch continues to advocate for purchase of farmland as a means of addressing the Klamath water crisis...A shift from farmland to wetlands will increase average water use per acre by more than 1 acre-foot." "...(this) would leave less water in the system for downstream uses"

KWUA weekly update for October 8, 2004
*Defenders of Wildlife Lists Klamath Basin Refuges as "Endangered"
* Refuge Report the First in a Planned Series by Defenders of Wildlife
* Defenders' Klamath Refuge Assessment Laced with Inaccuracies
* KWUA Addresses Upper Lost River and Clear Lake Reservoir TMDL Assessment
* Local Filmmaker Develops Television Series to Celebrate Rural America

Grange Lawsuit Back on Track, October-November issue 2004, pdf file. "The Grange has accomplished what nobody else has been able to do, and that is to force a de-listing from the endangered species list."

Decision to pull protection for bull trout brings lawsuit threat, Seattlepi 10/7/04. "Environmental groups say they will sue the federal government over its decision yesterday to remove critical habitat designation for the threatened bull trout in 90 percent of the Columbia and Klamath river basins."
For a brief look at where the hard-working farmer's money is going to constantly defend his livelihood and his land from frivilous lawsuits, go HERE:..ESA litigation, lawsuits, and court decisions.

Note from Klamath Water Users Association regarding our refuges 10/7/04: "Earlier this year, the Oregon Natural Resources Council, WaterWatch of Oregon, and other long-time critics of family farms and ranches, released a report entitled “Refuges in Peril", which portrayed Klamath national wildlife refuges. While at the same time Klamath Project irrigators and federal agencies greeted the recent release of the 2004 Klamath Project operations plan with a sense of renewed optimism, these farming critics were already forecasting doom for the region’s national wildlife refuges."
     As usual, the doom and gloom prediction proved wrong. The Tule Lake and Lower Klamath national wildlife refuges are wetter than they have been for years, federal officials said this week.
     "Some people are telling me that this is as good as it looked five years ago," said Ron Cole, refuges manager. "It is certainly a change from when I got here a year ago."
   Irrigation season OK, forecasting hard, H&N 10/6/04.

Letter to KBC from man in Scotland regarding Scottish Power and tribes and demolishing our dams, followed by response from KBC. "So the business transaction was, as a partner, they would have use of more water than possible without the Klamath Project, and we would be entitled to reasonable power rates. That way electricity and agriculture could both be achieved, with great benefits to our economy and food/power availability. So we irrigators and consumers of power and food look at the power companies as partners, not destroyers." KBC 10/7/04.

PLF fights for water rights in the West, October 2004. "There are other, similar water rights cases coming up through the courts, too, including a billion dollar claim stemming from the water taken from Klamath Basin farmers by the federal government to support the habitat of two sucker fish in the Upper Klamath Lake and the southern Oregon-northern California population of coho salmon in the Klamath River."

USGS Real Time data at Sommes Bar, CA. for river flow is up and running again...go HERE. Thank you Barb Hall from Klamath Bucket Brigade, for your research and keeping us updated! Go HERE for more on weather, flows and maps.

Yurok Tribe Will Lead Meeting Today In Klamath, Eureka Reporter, posted to KBC 10/2/04. "The rally’s purpose is to “urge the public to call upon the BOR to protect the tribal trusts that call for adequate river flows to preserve and restore all natural fish species to all regions of the Klamath Basin.” {Again and again, the Klamath Project uses only 3.5% of the water at the mouth of the Klamath River. The flows are now 30% higher than they were before the Klamath Project was built to store 'irrigation' water. The National Academy of Science, the highest peer review in our country, said that there is no scientific basis for lake-level/river-flow management. But we get the same Indians and green media repeating the same myth until people actually believe it. Thus, Hardy flow false-science and 'tribal trust' water are depleting Klamath Basin aquifer 5 feet per year according to Oregon Water Resource Dept.--KBC}

Siskiyou sheriff pounds Mexican pot trade Pot raids worth up to $50,000,000, Pioneer Press posted to KBC 10/1/04. "Those in other areas should take a closer look at their Green groups and see what they are tied to. There is a lot of $$ in the illegal drug trade to add support to Green enviro groups -- and is another reason to get rural folks off the land and out of the forests."