By Alanna Mayham | Sept. 11, 2023 | Courthouse News Service Monday’s order upholds the notion that irrigators’ rights come after the Bureau of Reclamation’s obligations to protected fish species and tribal rights in the Klamath Basin. A magistrate judge in Oregon sided with the Klamath Tribes on Monday in finding that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation violated the Endangered …
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 …
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 …
Impact of Management Practices on the Klamath Wildlife Refuge
“Birds Take Backseat to Fish, Farms in the Klamath Basin,” July 24, 2017
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 Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement
For Immediate Release January 18, 2017 Contacts: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, (503) 283-6342 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Klamath Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement Conservation Groups Challenge Improper Management Plan for “Everglades of the West” Click here to view the court filing. Workers in protection suits spraying pesticides …
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 …
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 …
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, …
Klamath Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement
For Immediate Release: April 24, 2014 Contacts: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Quinn Read, Oregon Wild, (503) 283-6342 (x226) Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Klamath Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement Conservation Groups Ask Federal Court to Require U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Obey the Law, Complete Long-Overdue Comprehensive Conservation Plan Parched Lower …
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 …
WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Announcement of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement
For Immediate Release March 5, 2014 WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Announcement of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement While reducing upper basin irrigation water demand by 30,000 acre-feet is a welcome step in the right direction, it is nowhere near enough to solve the profound water imbalance impacting the entire Klamath Basin. Joining this positive new agreement with the controversial …
Conservation Groups File 60-Day Notice of ESA Challenge on Klamath Salmon
For Immediate Release WaterWatch of Oregon * Oregon Wild * Hoopa Valley Tribe Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch, 541-941-9450 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 x212 Regina Chichizola, Hoopa Valley Tribe, 541-951-0126 Conservation Groups File 60-Day Notice of ESA Challenge on Klamath Salmon Coalition says Bureau of Reclamation continues to endanger Klamath River fish, wildlife by implementing water management plans ahead of …
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
Riffles: Saving the Klamath Basin Ecosystem
Riffles: Saving the Klamath Basin Ecosystem By John Randolph Fly Fisherman Magazine July 01, 2009 Riffles-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 …
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 …
Salmon runs on Rogue expected to revive once dams come down
Salmon runs on Rogue expected to revive once dams come down By Matthew Preusch Oregonian June 09, 2008 One of Oregon’s storied rivers is on the cusp of a major makeover. What’s happening on the Rogue River isn’t so much transformation as reversion. Dams built during the previous century will come down. Reservoirs will return to running water. And …
Rogue River dams to come down
Rogue River dams to come down By Matthew Preusch Oregonian June 08, 2008 Salmon runs are expected to grow in iconic Oregon river GRANTS PASS — One of Oregon’s iconic rivers is on the cusp of a major makeover. What’s happening on the Rogue River isn’t so much transformation as reversion. Dams built during the previous century will come down. …
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 …