Troubled Waters, Part II: Klamath farmers see themselves in the crosshairs By H. Bruce Miller Source Weekly October 03, 2007 KLAMATH FALLS – A strange-looking monument stands in front of City Hall on the main street of this Southern Oregon farming center. It’s a giant silver-painted bucket, standing at least 10 feet high. The […]
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Stuck in denial as the river runs dry By Steve Duin Oregonian October 25, 2007 Ten years ago, Ron Neilson, a U.S. Forest Service bioclimatologist, gave a short talk on climate change to his daughter’s class at Corvallis High School. “When I was done,” Neilson said, “I looked out across this sea of high
Local fish interests go to D.C. to ask for a waiver By Keith Chu Bend Bulletin September 19, 2007 WASHINGTON — A group of Central Oregon irrigators, government officials and dam owners asked federal officials Tuesday for time to gauge the impacts of reintroducing endangered fish, in meetings in Washington, D.C. They made their
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Triple threat to ag: Development, restoration, climate issues mount Capital Press article discussing a recent Family Farm Alliance report titled “Water Supply in a Changing Climate.” By Mateusz Perkowski Capital Press September 14, 2007 According to a recent report by the Family Farm Alliance, more storage facilities and canals like this one are needed
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Water Crisis Squeezes California’s Economy By Daniel B. Wood Christian Science Monitor September 12, 2007 California farmers, who produce half the nation’s fruits and vegetables, say they will idle fields and cut back on planting lettuce, cotton, rice, and more. Silicon Valley computer-chip makers and other industrial/commercial users say they will rethink manufacturing processes
Bidding Set to Close for 82 Acres Near Sandy By Brad Schmidt Oregonian August 22, 2007 Bidding will close today on the sale of 82 acres of forestland along U.S. 26 in Brightwood, a transaction that could lead to the construction of 260 houses — the largest new single-family residential development near Mount Hood
Water Wars Street Roots article about Klamath Basin water issues. By Matthew Deschaine Street Roots, Street News Servic August 20, 2007 WaterWatch’s John DeVoe works to keep the public interest in conserving Oregon’s public water (Photograph by Street Roots) For more than a decade, the Klamath River Basin has been the central front in
Drifting on the Klamath Eugene Register-Guard editorial responding to Senator Gordon Smith’s opinion of the state of Klamath Basin. Eugene Register-Guard August 14, 2007 The problem with Sen. Gordon Smith’s defense of the Bush administration’s 2002 decision to divert Klamath Lake water for irrigation isn’t that the Oregon Republican is wobbly on the facts.
Discord threatens Klamath River water talks Article in the Sacramento Bee on Klamath River water talks. By David Whitney Sacramento Bee August 12, 2007 WASHINGTON — When the House Natural Resources Committee met in July to discuss whether Vice President Dick Cheney had improperly interfered in the battle over Klamath River water, Republicans complained
Senator’s comments on salmon criticized Article in the Eugene Register-Guard on Senator Gordon Smith’s comments on the Klamath River salmon kill in 2002. By David Steves Eugene Register-Guard August 11, 2007 SALEM – Sen. Gordon Smith’s explanation this week of how the 2002 diversion of Klamath Lake water for irrigation related to a massive
Piping project could help fish return to Middle Deschutes By Kate Ramsayer Bend Bulletin August 06, 2007 Two decades ago, Tumalo Creek ran dry downstream of Shevlin Park in the summer, as the Tumalo Irrigation District diverted water to supply farmers. Things have improved a bit for the lower section of the creek since
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Water war pits urban vs. rural By John Burt Capital Press August 03, 2007 Water. It always has come down to water for agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have the scars from the wars that have raged over who has it, who wants it and who needs it. When it comes to water I’ve seen
Cheney Role in Water Policy Explored The Interior Department’s inspector general found no political interference by Vice President Cheney leading up to the Klamath fish-kill in part because investigators were not looking for it, an Interior official told lawmakers yesterday. By AP washingtonpost.com August 01, 2007 The Interior Department‘s inspector general found no political interference
The Fight for Water Oregon Business Magazine looks at current water issues and water politics in the Oregon Legislature By Robin Doussard Oregon Business Magazine August 01, 2007 AUGUST 2007: COVER STORY Can Oregon meet the demands of its farms, fish and people? The battle lines over a controversial effort during this year’s Legislature to
Investigators not told about Cheney contact, official says By Mathew Daly, AP Examiner July 31, 2007 WASHINGTON -The Interior Department’s inspector general did not find political interference by Vice President Dick Cheney on a key environmental policy in part because investigators were not looking for it, an Interior official said Tuesday.A 2004 report by
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Marmot Dam explodes into souvenir bits By Catherine Trevison Oregonian July 25, 2007 It was one small step in the removal of a dam, but to environmentalists, it was monumental. The top of Marmot Dam exploded Tuesday morning in a cloud of white dust and yellow gas as a crowd of river and fish
Did Cheney interfere with Endangered Species Act? By Brad Knickerbocker Christian Science Monitor July 25, 2007 From the day it became law 34 years ago, the federal Endangered Species Act has been politically hot – a flash point of contention between defenders of nature and advocates of economic progress. Now, the ESA is embroiled
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House approves Oregon water, conservation projects Associated Press July 23, 2007 WASHINGTON – The House unanimously approved a bill Monday boosting four Oregon water conservation and dam safety projects. The Oregon Water Resources Management Act, sponsored by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., addresses projects in southern, eastern and central Oregon. The measure was approved by
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Irrigation Empire: Water could someday be treated like a commodity By David Hendee Omaha World-Herald July 22, 2007 Access to water is shrinking across Nebraska. As accessibility tightens, the growing value of the state’s greatest natural resource will trigger economic changes that stretch from Alliance to Omaha. Farmers pump more underground water for crops
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Tear it out?: Study will determine the future of Gold Ray Dam, which officials say is no longer practical By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune July 14, 2007 The 35-foot-tall concrete wall that spans the Rogue River makes Gold Ray Dam a large form with very little function. The turbines that first sent electricity to
Savage Rapids Dam could be removed a year early AP article on the construction of a pumping station allowing for Savage Rapids Dam to be removed early. Associated Press July 09, 2007 ROGUE RIVER — If construction on a new pumping station goes smoothly this summer, the 86-year-old Savage Rapids Dam could be removed
Drain the Klamath of its ugly politics Oregonian article by Steve Pedery, Conservation Director of Oregon Wild, on the politics behind the Klamath Basin. By Steve Pedery Oregonian July 06, 2007 Americans expect our government to make decisions about the survival of fish and wildlife based on science. But in the drought-plagued Klamath Basin,
Dems: Investigate Cheney for role in salmon die-off By Mathew Daly, AP Seattle Times June 28, 2007 WASHINGTON — West Coast Democrats called for a hearing Wednesday into the role Vice President Dick Cheney may have played in the 2002 die-off of about 70,000 salmon near the California-Oregon border. An article in The Washington
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Clock ticks for Savage Rapids Dam By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune July 03, 2007 ROGUE RIVER — Construction crews have entered a key summer window of work that largely will determine whether Savage Rapids Dam gets removed from the Rogue River, and out of the way of migrating salmon, as early as next year.
Since You Asked: The well ain’t dry, but source is all wet Mail Tribune May 11, 2007 I just recently heard a snippet on the news regarding a bill which Oregon is trying to sneak through. Oregon legislators are saying the state is out of money and have come up with the idea to place
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Fields of conflict in the Klamath Activists say farmers are poised to solidify their presence in the basin’s federal wildlife refuges. By Eric Bailey Los Angeles Times May 07, 2007 TULE LAKE, CALIF. — Under the rolling cloud-scape of the Klamath Basin, a curious rite of spring is underway. Migratory birds are flocking to
Dropping rural Oregon groundwater levels causing concerns Bend Bulletin (AP) March 14, 2007 SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A homebuilder in rural Oregon can still sink a well and usually pump up to 15,000 gallons of water a day. But well levels are dropping, and in Salem the situation is getting another look as agriculture, fishery
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A showdown looms on the Clackamas River over drinking water By Lee van der Voo Lake Oswego Review March 07, 2007 Limited river water may pit fish against utilities A state law prompting higher water levels in the Clackamas River may one day force water users to trade their green lawns for the survival of
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How much water flows? Who knows? By Karen McCowan Eugene Register-Guard March 01, 2007 The state is being urged to get a handle on how much of the precious natural resource is being used Who’s using how much of Oregon’s most essential natural resource? Nobody really knows. Of the thousands of individuals and groups
Budget boosts Savage Rapids work By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune February 07, 2007 President Bush’s proposed $2.9 trillion budget for next year includes $15 million toward completing a pumping plant that will lead to the removal of Savage Rapids Dam from the Rogue River by 2010. The money is proposed as part of the federal
Bill would give away more Columbia River water By Janie Har Oregonian February 05, 2007 Senators introduced a bill on Monday that would allow the private sector to take 500,000 acre-feet of Columbia River water each year for irrigation and other purposes. Supporters say they need Senate Bill 483 — also called the Oregon Oasis
Bipartisan Support for Renewing Irrigation Act By Terry Gildea Oregon Public Broadcasting November 11, 2006 Northwest farmers and conservationists are asking Congress to reauthorize a program that irrigates crops while protecting fish. Oregon Senators Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Gordon Smith are leading a bipartisan effort to pass a bill that sustains the program
States join forces for Klamath solutions Eureka Reporter October 14, 2006 California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced Thursday that they are directing their respective state agencies to organize a Klamath River Summit to be held before the year ends. The summit is aimed to resolve a multitude of complex issues
CAMPAIGN 2006: Proposition 84: Bond would preserve, restore state’s waterways By Greg Lucas San Francisco Chronicle October 10, 2006 (10-10) 04:00 PDT Sacramento — Proposition 84 would split $5.4 billion in bond money between a laundry list of water-related projects and spending on natural resources preservation and restoration, including $400 million for state parks. Among the
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Wineries go dry, but not how you think By Stiv J. Wilson, LocalNewsDaily.com Portland Tribune October 07, 2006 For thousands of years, vintners have sought out the perfect region, the perfect soil and the perfect climate for growing grapes. Quantity rarely trumped quality, and a given vintage’s worth and character was directly related to
The beginning of the end By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune October 07, 2006 The days are numbered for Savage Rapids Dam: the structure will likely be a footnote by Dec. 19, 2009 Construction crews are scheduled next week to begin the precursor work that eventually will lead to Savage Rapids Dam’s removal from the Rogue
A river runs through them By Winston Ross Eugene Register-Guard October 02, 2006 Everyone agrees: Fix the Klamath; no one agrees on how to do it The story of the Klamath River takes place in two very different settings. One is at the base of Sheepy Ridge in the Oregon-California border town of Tule Lake,
Judge gives Klamath fish ladders a boost By John Driscoll Times-Standard September 29, 2006 A federal judge has laid the framework for federal agencies to demand that Klamath River dam owner PacifiCorp install fish ladders through its hydroelectric project. U.S. Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge Parlen McKenna decided Wednesday that salmon could spawn in
Dam ruling supports fish on Klamath By Matt Weiser Sacramento Bee September 29, 2006 A federal judge ruled Wednesday there is ample evidence that salmon will benefit from improved access to the Klamath River, a decision that some believe may ultimately lead to removal of dams on the river. The ruling came in an administrative
Studies: Dam Removal From River Doable By Jeff Barnard Associated Press September 28, 2006 GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Removing four hydroelectric dams from the Klamath River to help struggling salmon runs there would not be as expensive as feared, studies for a state agency show. Indian tribes, salmon fishermen and conservation groups have been
