Just wondering what's happening with the farmer's in Klamath. Haven't heard anything for a long time. Guess that's not surprising though.

There is an article at rangemagazine.com entitled Water in the West. This lengthy pdf file devotes a sizable amount of column space to Klamath and includes some info I had never seen before. The article elaberates, in writing, on Babbit's statement: If we can control the water, we can control the West.

Most Recent Klamath News Thread

SLOW PROGRESS-FEDS LEAVE HEADGATES WEDNESDAY-Replaced by private guards.Senator Smith made a bunch of proposals to Interior Sec. Norton Wed.One is to have winter water stored in every place possible to have the amount to take care of Farmers, Refuges, River, & Fish.He wants BOR to put as much in to the delivery system(canals, water table,refuges, etc.)as possible in the winter.I have been promoting this idea with my rep also.Norton also announced an October water delivery to the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake Refuges of 5200 acre feet.Hopefully this will help the birds as it is a small amount.This was announced on Wed.The people at BOR tell me that they are trying to work with the National Marine Fisheries recommendations and are waitng on the new ones for next year so they will know what to do.Hopefully Norton will expedite and get things moving. Sen Smiths idea is to have Norton and Adminisration get the recommendations he made going as fast as possible. The irrigation system and refuges need to have as much as possible put in in the winter; rather than passing surplus winter water down the river, because the lake is full.All of the surplus is not needed in the river in the winter.The environmental people have the court supporting the idea that a big slug of water has to go down river from April 15 to about end of June.Thats what they did this summer, and the lake was almost full when they started. This requirment of big flows at that time of year is wrong for the river and fish. And the court upheld junk science, forced the BOR to put water down river at the time the farmers start their irrigation season; so farmers had no water.It went down the river at a time it wasn't needed.There is 2 feet of water in the lake that could have went to farmers; but the court again using junk scince set the minimum lake level 2 ft higher than what is needed for suckers.If the lake could have the dikes raised about 3 feet then all of the winter runoff above a steady minimum flow for the river, could be held.This I understand would cost 100 million dollars.I hope the farmers can stay with it and that Interior gets this fixed fast.They are getting a small amount of rain now and Bor should be putting a small amount in now along with what is being sent to the refuges to build up the system for next spring.Pray for our Country and our Farmers-Ed hubel