Farmers get water
By JUSTIN POST, Staff Writer
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. -- Marni Morrow says she barely managed to survive last year after the federal government cut off irrigation water to her family's Klamath Basin potato farm.
A year without water, court fights with the government and environmentalists, and the fear of losing their livelihood caused stress that claimed the lives of several close friends, she says.
Morrow was unable to hold back tears this morning as two Cabinet secretaries opened the main water diversion canal in the Klamath Basin in a show of Bush administration support for farmers who lost crops during last year's drought.
"This lake is the heart of this community and when they closed this headgate down they cut off the flow to this community's main artery," an overjoyed Morrow said, clutching her young daughter.
Water began to gush through the headgates and toward farmers' fields today for the first time since last summer, when federal biologists said continued water draw-down in a time of drought would harm endangered sucker fish in Upper Klamath Lake and threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River. Environmentalists cheered last year's decision, while many farms along the Oregon-California border were pushed to the brink of bankruptcy. Today's beginning of a new irrigation season brought new hope to the struggling farmers.
Standing beside environmentalists who held a sign reading "Potatoes aren't everything," Morrow questioned how the green activists would feed themselves without the nation's family farms.
"We farmers aren't millionaires but we are feeding this country," Morrow said. "Do they really think there is another nation that is going to feed us? They better take a look at the Twin Towers if they think there is. What they did here last year, closing these gates, was an act of terrorism."
She calls the opening of the headgates the beginning of victory for farmers and others who question the Endangered Species Act and its impact on people in the West.
"We've come to understand and know the needs of agriculture in this valley," said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. "We have to find ways to balance the needs of the ecosystem and of people."
As farmers cheered "let the water flow, let the water flow," Norton and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman cranked open the irrigation headgates.
During an earlier meeting with 32 farmers, ranchers and politicians from Klamath Falls, as well as Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, and Elko attorney Grant Gerber, Veneman ensured sound science would be used before more species are given protection through the Endangered Species Act. The Bush administration also pledged support for a bill introduced by Western lawmakers that would amend the species act.
"I think it's great," Carpenter said, standing beside the irrigation canal. "That's just what we want. For top politicians to support the amendment that makes the Endangered Species Act more people friendly."
Gerber offered similar thoughts.
"It's an absolute victory," Gerber said. "The water is flowing. There is 8 to 10 feet of water in the A Canal flowing to the farmers. Last year at this time the farmers had no water."
Farmers and their supporters also prepared to make sure the water keeps flowing.
"We understand the radical environmentalist bureaucrats will try to stop it, but Bush is in support of the farmers," Gerber said.
Supporters of the Klamath farmers were critical of Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.
"The farmers would have had water last year if the Senate Democrats wouldn't have voted against them," Gerber said. "Harry Reid dried up the farmers in the Klamath Basin. He was Senate majority whip and he held all of the Democratic senators in line and voted against the farmers."
Gerber and Carpenter said today's water release was also important for people in northeastern Nevada.
"Whenever people in rural areas of the nation win a fight, it's helping the people of Elko County because the people in Elko County are in these battles," Gerber said. "We've lost thousands of cattle to environmental regulations.
"This is a victory here in Klamath. Bush is recognizing these are the people who voted for him."
Environmentalists and Indian tribes cautioned that giving farmers as much water as they need might mean that there won't be enough for fish or wildlife.
"We don't begrudge the farmers water. We just wish there was more effort made by the federal government to strike a balance," said Steve Pedery, of the Portland-based conservation group WaterWatch.
Pedery said opening the headgates now without a thorough study of the environmental effects a "rush to judgment."
President Bush has formed a federal task force to come up with short- and long-term solutions. Work is also under way to develop a 10-year management plan for the basin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.