Conservation groups to file lawsuit over Klamath River water flow

Conservation groups to file lawsuit over Klamath River water flow By The Associated Press April 4, 2013 GRANTS PASS — Two conservation groups warned federal agencies Thursday they plan to sue to get more water devoted to protected salmon in the Klamath River. Oregon Wild and WaterWatch of Oregon filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue. They object to …

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Klamath Advocates Condemn Destruction of the “Everglades of the West”

Klamath Advocates Condemn Bureau of Reclamation’s Willful Destruction of the “Everglades of the West” Conservationists Call on Gov. Kate Brown, Senators Wyden and Merkley to Stop Likely Catastrophic Waterfowl Die-Off, Hold Bureau Accountable for Longstanding Waste and Abuse Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, (503) 283-6342 March …

Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2017 CONTACTS Glen Spain | Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations | 541.521.8655 | fish1ifr@aol.com Jim McCarthy |WaterWatch of Oregon | 541.708.0731 | jim@waterwatch.org Stephanie Tsosie | Earthjustice | 505.270.5098 | stsosie@earthjustice.org Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments Read the Decision Here Washington, D.C. – Judge Marian Blank Horn of the U.S. Court …

Judge Orders More Water Releases From Klamath River Dams

Judge Orders More Water Releases From Klamath River Dams by Cassandra Profita OPB/EarthFix February 8, 2017 In a ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge William Orrick ordered more water releases from dams on the Klamath River to flush out parasites causing deadly disease outbreaks in salmon. In recent drought years, scientists have found extremely high rates of a disease caused by …

Conservation Groups Sue To Get More Water To Klamath Wildlife Refuges

Conservation Groups Sue To Get More Water To Klamath Wildlife Refuges by Jes Burns OPB/EarthFix January 18, 2017 Three Oregon conservation groups say a new plan to manage National Wildlife Refuges in the Klamath Basin doesn’t do enough to protect habitat. The groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Medford to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife …

Klamath Irrigators Should Not Have Gotten $32M From Federal Agency: Report

Klamath Irrigators Should Not Have Gotten $32M From Federal Agency: Report by Jes Burns OPB/EarthFix October 13, 2016 A new audit finds that Klamath irrigators should not have received millions of dollars in taxpayer money. The money was used to pay farmers not to use scarce water supplies from streams and rivers in the Klamath Basin straddling Oregon and California. …

Senators put pork before Klamath Basin water

Senators put pork before Klamath Basin water By Jim McCarthy For The Register-Guard February 27, 2016 Parched Lower Klamath NWR, Sept. 20, 2013 Most Oregonians expect our elected leaders to support more ­water conservation efforts in the drought-prone Klamath River Basin. They don’t ­expect them to prop up excessive water use at the expense of taxpayers, wildlife, salmon and coastal …

On the Klamath, a surprising win for river advocates

On the Klamath, a surprising win for river advocates Dam removals on the Oregon-California border move forward without water deals for irrigators By Paige Blankenbuehler High Country News Feb. 5, 2016 Klamath Basin tribes and allies from the commercial fishing and conservation community stage a rally at the 2006 meeting of the International Hydropower Industry. Patrick McCully, Flickr User Earlier …

WaterWatch of Oregon Applauds Advance of Klamath Dam Removal

For Immediate Release February 2, 2016 Contact: Jim McCarthy 541-708-0731 John DeVoe, 503-295-4039 x1 WaterWatch of Oregon Applauds Advance of Klamath Dam Removal Long-Delayed Restoration Effort No Longer Held Hostage to Failed Water Agreement Today, WaterWatch applauded Oregon and California’s elected leaders and the Obama Administration for prioritizing the agreement to remove the four lower Klamath River dams, and urged …

A realistic path forward for the Klamath Basin

A realistic path forward for the Klamath Basin By Jim McCarthy Bend Bulletin December 27, 2015 Parched Lower Klamath NWR, Sept. 20, 2013 A recent editorial unfortunately repeated the claim that Congressional implementation of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) will largely resolve the Klamath’s longstanding water disputes. In reality, this controversial deal would only exacerbate conflicts in the region …

Feds release extra water to save Klamath salmon from disease

Feds release extra water to save Klamath salmon from disease By JEFF BARNARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS August 21, 2015 This Oct. 1, 2002 file photo shows dead salmon along the Klamath River near Klamath, Calif., after a disease outbreak that killed an estimated 60,000 salmon. With water scarce in Northern California’s Klamath Basin, a federal agency is again releasing cool, …

Tribes call on bureau to release fish-kill prevention flows this week

Tribes call on bureau to release fish-kill prevention flows this week By Will Houston Eureka Times-Standard August 17, 2015 2002 Klamath River fish kill. With ceremonial dam release flows expected to reach the Trinity River waters near Hoopa this evening, federal and tribal officials are still working out the details and timeline on another set of dam releases proposed to …

Tribe files dam lawsuit amicus

Tribe files dam lawsuit amicus Yuroks join Hoopa Valley effort against Klamath dams By Adam Spencer The Triplicate October 8, 2015 The Yurok tribe filed a friend of the court brief Friday in support of the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s lawsuit that asks the U.S. Court of Appeals to force a federal agency to end eight years of relicensing delays for …

Opinion: It’s Time to Acknowledge KBRA Isn’t a Solution

Opinion: It’s Time to Acknowledge KBRA Isn’t a Solution By Jim McCarthy Two Rivers Tribune July 28, 2015 Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River The Klamath Basin is again suffering another punishing drought year. Locals and coastal fishing communities are again hoping that Klamath salmon won’t suffer more harm from a reckless federal water management plan that has repeatedly …

Judge Affirms Ruling Favoring Wildlife on Klamath Refuges

For Immediate Release April 16, 2015 Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, 503-380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 Chris Winter, Crag Law Center, 503-701-6002 A copy of the ruling can be found here. Judge Affirms Ruling Favoring Wildlife on Klamath Refuges U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service given August 2016 deadline to complete plan to …

WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding the 2015 Klamath Project Operations Plan

For Immediate Release April 8, 2015 WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding the 2015 Klamath Project Operations Plan Yesterday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released the 2015 Klamath Project Operations Plan, setting irrigation season water delivery amounts for agribusiness operations and national wildlife refuges within the massive federal Klamath Project along the Oregon-California line. Yet again, the Bureau’s plan provides no …

Judge’s Ruling Favors Wildlife on Klamath Refuges

For Immediate Release March 5, 2015 Contacts: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, 503-380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 Chris Winter, Crag Law Center, 503-701-6002 Copy of ruling available here Judge’s Ruling Favors Wildlife on Klamath Refuges U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required to complete plan to ensure commercial agribusiness doesn’t harm wildlife; given August …

Report Charts Path to More Secure Water Supply for Klamath Refuges

For Immediate Release May 5, 2014 Report Charts Path to More Secure Water Supply for Klamath Refuges New Options Could Prevent Future Bird Die-Offs, Restore Essential Wildlife Habitat in Chronically Water-Starved Wetlands Online Version of Report Available Here High Resolution Version Available Here Letter to Interior Secretary Jewell and USFWS Director Ashe The Klamath leaselands divert senior refuge water rights, …

WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Signing of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement

For Immediate Release April 18, 2014 WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Signing of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement Although any amount of permanent water demand reduction is a welcome step in the right direction for the Klamath Basin, the claims that the agreement signed today will alone resolve the region’s water wars are simply false. Moreover, joining this water pact …

35 Conservation Organizations Sound Alarm on Klamath Water

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 24, 2012 Contact: Steve Pedery Oregon Wild 503-283-6343 ext. 212 Bob Sallinger Audubon Society of Portland 503-380-9728 Jim McCarthy WaterWatch of Oregon 541-708-0731 Noah Greenwald Center for Biological Diversity 503-484-7495 35 Conservation Organizations Sound Alarm on Klamath Water Wildlife advocates urge Obama administration not to allow National Wildlife Refuges to go dry during critical fall migration …

26 Organizations Sound Alarm on Klamath Water

For Immediate Release March 27, 2012 Contact: Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 ext212 Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, 503-380-9728 Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, 503-484-7495 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-941-9450 26 Organizations Sound Alarm on Klamath Water Wildlife advocates urge Obama administration not to allow National Wildlife Refuges to go dry, halt removal of endangered fish Portland, …

Merkley Legislation on Klamath Falls Short

For Immediate Release Oregon Wild * WaterWatch of Oregon November 10, 2011 CONTACT: Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild – 503.283.6343 ext. 212 Lisa Brown, WaterWatch of Oregon – 503.295.4039 ext. 4 Merkley Legislation on Klamath Falls Short Oregon conservationists frustrated by anti-wildlife provisions, lack of water for salmon Portland — Oregon conservation groups today expressed disappointment with legislation introduced by Senator …

Latest Klamath Dam Removal Proposal Delays Decision to Remove Dams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Latest Klamath Dam Removal Proposal Delays Decision to Remove Dams Joined Agreements Protect Dam Owner and Agribusiness, Leave Fish and Wildlife at Risk PORTLAND, OR Sep 30, 2009 Portland, OR –WaterWatch of Oregon, an ardent advocate for the removal of four salmon-killing dams on the Klamath River, joined other conservationists in criticizing a final draft dam removal plan …

Dissecting the Klamath

Dissecting the Klamath By Steve Pedery Fly Fisherman Magazine July 01, 2009 Dissecting-the-Klamath-Fly-Fisherman-Mag-July-09

Upper Klamath water rights issue settled

Upper Klamath water rights issue settled By John Driscoll The Times-Standard May 22, 2009 One of the most contested issues between irrigators and American Indian tribes in the Upper Klamath Basin has effectively been resolved, potentially simplifying talks on a much larger dam removal and restoration deal. On Thursday, Klamath water users and the Klamath Tribes announced a settlement of …

Senate OKs surcharge for Klamath dam removal

Senate OKs surcharge for Klamath dam removal By Matt Preusch and Ted Sickinger Oregonian February 17, 2009   The Oregon Senate passed a bill Tuesday to pay for removing four Klamath River dams with a 2 percent surcharge on the Oregon ratepayers of Pacific Power. Senate Bill 76 was approved 18-12 on largely partisan lines with Sen. Jason Atkinson of …

Bill would pass cost of Klamath Dam removal to ratepayers

Bill would pass cost of Klamath Dam removal to ratepayers By Matthew Preusch Oregonian February 03, 2009   A plan to pass much of the tab for removing Klamath River dams to Oregon power users gets its first hearing in Salem today. The bill is considered a critical step in a larger agreement amongst farmers, fishers, tribes and others to …

Feds tell irrigators Klamath salmon need more water

Feds tell irrigators Klamath salmon need more water Ag Weekly (AP) June 23, 2008   GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Federal fisheries biologists want more water in the Klamath River to keep coho salmon from heading closer to extinction. After evaluating the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s latest plans for splitting water between irrigators and fish, the NOAA Fisheries Service said …

NEC weighs stance on Klamath agreement

NEC weighs stance on Klamath agreement By John Driscoll Times-Standard May 14, 2008   Scientific and legal reviews commissioned by the Northcoast Environmental Center may have the environmental group reconsidering its position not to support the Klamath River settlement agreement hatched earlier this year. Utah State University Klamath researcher Thomas Hardy wrote to the NEC in an April review that …

Don’t rush toward flawed Klamath deal

Don’t rush toward flawed Klamath deal By Steve Pedery and Bob Hunter Times-Standard May 02, 2008   Recent Times-Standard My Word columns (Greg King, March 20; Felice Pace, March 26; Walter Duffy, April 7) make clear that the long history of water battles in the west is far from resolved. Some raise concerns over river flows and fish, while others …

Sorting through our salmon mystery

Sorting through our salmon mystery By Tim Harmon Oregonian May 02, 2008   As the owner of one of the oldest charter companies on the West Coast, I’ve been asked many times lately about where all the salmon have gone this year. Good question. My charter service has the most experienced captains on the coast, with collectively more than 180 …

Coastal voices: As it stands, river pact won’t protect fish

Coastal voices: As it stands, river pact won’t protect fish Opinion article on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. By Steve Pedery and Bob Hunter Daily Triplicate April 03, 2008 Triplicate reporter Michelle Ma’s recent series on the Klamath Basin (“The Future of the Klamath”) makes clear that the long history of water battles in the West is far from resolved. …

Another View: Fish are key to deal on Klamath

Another View: Fish are key to deal on Klamath Opinion column by Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Chairman Lyle Marshall regarding the draft Klamath settlement proposal. Sacramento Bee February 10, 2008   As chairman of the Hoopa Valley Reservation, which has the Klamath and Trinity rivers running through it, I want to clarify my tribe’s position regarding the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. …

Walden cuts pressure for fast action on water pact

Walden cuts pressure for fast action on water pact Herald and News editorial on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. By Pat Bushey Herald and News January 30, 2008   The proposed settlement of Klamath River water issues deserves better than a quick decision. It’s too big, too complex and too expensive for that treatment. People need time to absorb it. …

Maybe we can turn the clock back

Maybe we can turn the clock back Daily Astorian editorial regarding the draft Klamath settlement proposal. Daily Astorian January 22, 2008 Negotiations in the Klamath Basin could lead to PacifiCorp dam removal It’s a rare thing when we have the chance to turn the clock’s hands back and undo a big environmental mistake. That’s what may happen a few years …

Klamath Basin settlement is far from a done deal

Klamath Basin settlement is far from a done deal An editorial in the Redding Record Searchlight on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. Redding Record Searchlight January 22, 2008   The various feuding parties in the Klamath Basin have put a lot of hope into secret talks aimed at resolving the battles over water supply and salmon runs, but last week’s …

A deal on Klamath’s dams

A deal on Klamath’s dams Article in the San Francisco Chronicle on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. San Francisco Chronicle January 21, 2008   For complexity, the years-long water war along the Klamath River rivals the Middle East. A list of contending parties, long-held grievances and state borders have strained hopes of settlement. Until now. Some two dozen interest groups …

A Klamath settlement that isn’t

A Klamath settlement that isn’t Op-ed from the Oregonian on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. Oregonian January 17, 2008   Don’t break out the champagne just yet to celebrate the sweeping settlement announced Tuesday for restoring Klamath River salmon runs. It’s not really a settlement. It’s more like a real estate agent declaring he’s got a great deal on a …