December 20, 2001
WE NEED YOUR HELP! That was the overall plea of about 20 scientists and professors from OSU and UC Davis and Berkeley Wednesday, regarding a scientific study of the Klamath Basin water crisis impact and causes. These committed professionals met at the University of Oregon extension office in Klamath Falls, inviting our community to help assess the science, the damage, and find a plan from which we can all benefit.
According to Tom Gallager, OSU coordinator and facilitator of yesterday’s meeting, “the report is not trying to duplicate the NAS study, but it is broader-not just science.” They admit that their authors have many differences of opinion for many reasons: “These include the lack of previous research and data about many important issues, the unsettled state of science, and differences of opinion among those doing peer reviews."
The chapters of each author of this 300-page document are reviewed, not only by other professors in their study, but also cross-reviewed by professors of other sciences. In the presentations of several authors yesterday and in their written reports, many significant disagreements and discrepancies in science, studies, and BO’s abound. Many of their research results differed from those of the 2001 USFWS Biological Opinion.
There was considerable public input by several of the approximately 100 people attending the meeting. A solution was expressed by a member of the audience to decreasing ammonia in the lake: Since waterfowl have the highest ammonia levels from their manure going into the lake (not farms or cows), the farmers will buy and filter the manure for their crops. They do not need millions of dollars to research this or 20 years; it could begin immediately. A solution for filtering out silt from the lake was also recommended to create more water storage.
It was brought to our attention that there are many factors affecting coho salmon, such as over fishing, mining, logging, predators, etc, which have not been extensively researched. Klamath Basin has been exclusively targeted on their possible affect on the coho through river flows.
Sucker studies are lacking too, as they do not know how many there were, are, or the projected goal of how many they want. Factors like the 100,000 pounds of mullet harvested in 1966 could have some effect on the current numbers, and any documented information on suckers we may have is welcomed.
Denise Lach, co-director for center for water and environmental sustainability, described consequences for the community. They interviewed nearly 70 people. She admitted that she had no information on some aspects of our community, like the impacts to the WWI and II veteran homesteaders, who are the entire base of the California land parcels. She would like to receive any input on any community impacts. She described many avenues the basin has devised to create their own support mechanisms, and complimented the klamathbasincrisis.org website for its remarkable service.
Professor Jeff Romm, UC Berkeley, said that the Klamath water crisis is an unprecedented water issue in human consequences. There is institutional fragmentation, no cooperation, compensation, or cohesiveness between federal and state agencies, and tribes. There is no rational serving everyone’s interest ”Property rights are weakening with specialized public rights strengthening. He compared farm uncertainty with the uncertainty of the science.
Bill Jaeger proposed alternative approaches to water management in the Klamath Basin. His appraisal of $28-35 million agricultural losses was greatly challenged in a group after the meeting. He advocated water rights transfers and land retirement to protect species, while water resources and fish studies showed that retiring agricultural land historically has not improved water or fish conditions, or created certainty for the agricultural community.
It was stressed that the draft was an unfinished document, but unfortunately other media has been reporting this data as proven fact, devaluing the social and economical characteristics of the local community.
The overall plea of the OSU-UC group was to get input from us, the local community. They have in their report that 32 wells had failed by late July since the BOR failed to allow water in the ditches and canals-they need an updated report on how many HUNDREDS of wells have gone dry. They need updates on our economic impact, the community impact, the reality. They even handed out cards that we can write on. Unlike the BiOp by the USFWS, we are being included in the process or getting an accurate assessment of our basin. It is unfortunate that only two weeks remain to submit your opinions and information.
Before you comment, it is important to read the OSU/UC document or parts you are interested in, which you can purchase at local print shops or your extension office, or read it on the internet at http://eesc.orst.edu/klamath.
Send comments to: OSU Extension Service, Klamath County Office, Vandenberg Rd, Klamath Falls, OR 97603-3796 (attn Klamath Assessment), or email: Klamath Assessment@orst.edu by January 3, 2002.