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 …

The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value

For Immediate Release July 6, 2017 The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value New study shows Columbia River Basin’s natural capital worth $198 billion annually Contact: D.R. Michel, Upper Columbia United Tribes, 509.209.2412, dr@ucut-nsn.org Sara Thompson, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, 503. 238.3567, thos@critfc.org Greg Haller, Pacific Rivers, 503.228.3555 ext. 205, greg@pacificrivers.org Joseph Bogaard, Save Our Wild Salmon …

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 …

Klamath dam removals heavily supported by community

Klamath dam removals heavily supported by community by Natalya Estrada The Eureka Times-Standard January 12, 2017 Close to 100 people showed up to speak for the removal of the four dams on the Klamath River at a public meeting put on by the California State Water Resource Control Board in Arcata on Thursday evening. The board set out to gather …

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 …

Gov. Kate Brown asks for new approach to Nestle water deal

Gov. Kate Brown asks for new approach to Nestle water deal By Kelly House The Oregonian/OregonLive November 6, 2015 The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife owns the right to water from Oxbow Springs, which it uses to run a salmon hatchery. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will scrap its latest strategy to free up water for a …

Yurok Tribe pulls out of Klamath River agreement

Yurok Tribe pulls out of Klamath River agreement By Adam Spencer The Triplicate September 17, 2015 The Williamson River, tributary to Upper Klamath Lake, running through the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The historic agreement designed to end long-standing water wars between fish advocates and farmers throughout the 16,000-square-mile Klamath River Basin appears to be facing collapse. On Tuesday, the Yurok Tribe …

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 …

Conservationists, Fishing Interests Respond to U.S. Treaty Recommendation for Columbia River

Center for Environmental Law & Policy * WaterWatch of Oregon * Pacific Rivers Council   Save Our Wild Salmon * Sierra Club * Columbia Institute for Water Policy For Immediate Release Conservationists, Fishing Interests Respond to U.S. Treaty Recommendation for Columbia River December 13, 2013 Contacts: Pat Ford (SOS) 208.345-9067 pford@wildidaho.org (Boise) Rachael Paschal Osborn (Columbia Institute for Water Policy) 509.939-1290 …

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 …

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 …

Aquifer recharge bill advances to Ways and Means Committee

Aquifer recharge bill advances to Ways and Means Committee By Mitch Lies Capital Press June 23, 2009 SALEM – A legislative committee on Monday, June 22, moved a multi-part bill that could improve groundwater supplies in the Umatilla Basin and help the state develop a statewide water management plan. “This is a piece of work I think will have a …

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 …

Metolius resort may face water snag

Metolius resort may face water snag By Nick Budnick Bend Bulletin February 14, 2009 Talks are under way on Ponderosa’s well plan, but it may go to a judge SALEM — The Ponderosa Land and Cattle Co. wants to drill as many as 10 wells 1,000 feet into the earth to draw water for the company’s proposed 2,500-unit destination resort …

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 …

Water shortage back before lawmakers

Water shortage back before lawmakers Article on the proposed Umatilla basin aquifer storage plan. By Dean Brickey and Mitch Lies East Oregonian January 30, 2008   SALEM – Oregon lawmakers in special session beginning Monday will consider budgeting $750,000 for a feasibility study to determine if groundwater recharge can work in the Umatilla Basin. The aquifer recovery plan calls for …

Dam removal key to Klamath pact success

Dam removal key to Klamath pact success Article on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. By Mateusz Perkowski Capital Press January 16, 2008   A long-awaited agreement among farmers, fishermen, Indian tribes, conservationists and the federal government to manage water in the Klamath Basin and remove four hydroelectric dams received mixed reviews from the people it would affect. The plan, announced …

Deal afoot to alter Klamath for users

Deal afoot to alter Klamath for users Article in the Oregonian on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. By Peter Sleeth Oregonian January 16, 2008   A unique gathering of government agencies, Native Americans, farmers and fishermen Tuesday proposed removing four dams on the Klamath River, with a cornucopia of benefits running to river users ranging from $80 million to tribes …

Deal Would Remove Klamath River Dams

Deal Would Remove Klamath River Dams Associated Press article on the draft Klamath settlement proposal. By Jeff Barnard Associated Press January 16, 2008   GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) – More than 300 miles of struggling salmon runs would be restored along the Klamath River as part of a landmark $1 billion proposal that represents the largest dam removal project in …

Let science guide dam removal, professors say

Let science guide dam removal, professors say Article on professors Jeffrey Mount and Peter Moyle’s letter to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service about Klamath dams. By Peter Sleeth Oregonian December 09, 2007   Two leading scientists from the University of California are urging more studies of dam removal on the Klamath River before taking out any dams. In a …

Governor Stresses need to store more water

Governor Stresses need to store more water Article on Gov. Kulongoski exploring water storage options in the Umatilla Basin. By Harry Esteve Oregonian November 09, 2007   WARM SPRINGS — At a meeting with Oregon tribal leaders Thursday, Gov. Ted Kulongoski said he wants to look at building massive water storage areas in eastern Oregon to help farmers, protect fish …

Troubled Waters, Part III: The settlement talks — path to a solution or political fix?

Troubled Waters, Part III: The settlement talks — path to a solution or political fix? By H. Bruce Miller Source Weekly October 11, 2007   Drive around the back roads near Klamath Falls and you’ll still come across a few hand-lettered signs left over from the spring of 2002, when federal officials shut off irrigation water to help threatened salmon …

Judge gives Klamath fish ladders a boost

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 areas between the dams, and …

Tribes Call for Removal of Dams That Block Journey of Salmon

Tribes Call for Removal of Dams That Block Journey of Salmon By William Yardley New York Times August 02, 2006 SEATTLE, Aug. 2 — Indian tribes along the Klamath River rallied in Portland on Wednesday for the removal of four hydroelectric dams that block salmon from spawning in their historic habitat upriver, and they said they intended to pressure the …

Court Says River Plan Cheats Salmon

Court Says River Plan Cheats Salmon By Dean E. Murphy New York Times November 19, 2005   In a setback for the Bush administration, a federal appeals court in San Francisco rejected a federal plan to distribute water to farmers from the troubled Klamath River region in Oregon and California, ruling that more water must remain in the river for …

Court tosses Bush plan for Klamath water

Court tosses Bush plan for Klamath water By Michael Milstein Oregonian October 19, 2005   A federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out the Bush administration plan to deliver irrigation water to Klamath Basin farmers, saying it does not do enough for threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River. The ruling probably will mean more water must be shifted from …

Water Plan for Klamath Is Rejected

Water Plan for Klamath Is Rejected By Eric Bailey Los Angeles Times October 19, 2005   SACRAMENTO — In a rebuke to the Bush administration on a key environmental battleground, a U.S. appellate court threw out the last vestiges of a federal plan for the Klamath River out of fears it diverted so much water to farms that endangered coho …