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 This Website is Dedicated to

 Alvin Alexander Cheyne

January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005

 

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The Klamath Bucket Brigade is adamantly opposed to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement as they are currently constituted. The agreements represent a minority of special interest groups and spreads the cost to every U.S. taxpayer. The Klamath Bucket Brigade Board of Trustees will support an agreement backed by a majority of the residents of the entire Klamath River Basin and that assures all property and water rights are protected.

 

Read our Position Paper on the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement

            

Our Mission Statement:   Promote individual and property rights that are vital to the safety, social and economic well-being of the United States.  

 

What's In The News:

 

February 6, 2013 -  A federal report says removing four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California and restoring ecosystems will produce a big increase in salmon harvests and boost farm revenues.  The 400-page report was produced by federal scientists to help the secretary of Interior evaluate whether it is in the public interest to go ahead with the $1 billion project, which is considered the biggest dam removal in U.S. history if it goes through as planned in 2020.  "In the long run, all the anadramous fish (salmon, steelhead, and lamprey) benefit from dam removal, according to our analysis," Dennis Lynch, program manager for the U.S. Geological Survey, who oversaw the report, said Monday.  Read more from Monday's Associated Press article Report says dam removal good for Klamath salmon.

 

It didn't take long for wolves to come up in the Oregon Legislature.  On the first full day of legislative activity, Feb. 4, Rep. Bob Jenson, R-Pendleton, alerted House members that a gray wolf had killed a pregnant cow in Wallowa County the week before.  Jenson prefaced his remonstrance, a political procedure that allows lawmakers to express opinions on the floor of the House and Senate, by saying that House members may have heard of the attack from reports in newspapers.  Read more from yesterday's Capital Press article Wolf attack gains attention in Legislature. 

 

And read about Oregon Senate Bill 197 in Bill would allow ranchers to kill wolves attacking livestock.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Siskiyou Daily News:  Bonham meets with locals  Feb 5, 2013

San Francisco Chronicle Editorial:  Congress must vote to save the Klamath  Feb 5, 2013

Capital Press:  Wolf attack gains attention in Legislature  Feb 5, 2013 

Capital Press:  Ag activities dot Capitol calendar  Feb 5, 2013  

Two Rivers Tribune:  VOICES-Opinion of Felice Pace of Klamath, Calif.  Feb 5, 203

USA Today:  Sally Jewell is environmentalist, business exec  Feb 6, 2013  

 

Important Reading:

Democrats Against U.N. Agend 21:  Mainstream Press Lies About UN Agenda 21 - Why?  Jan 31, 2013

Kentucky State Trooper, Andrew Wallace, ret.:  Majority of Federal Government is Bogus, Not Constitutional  Feb 6, 2013

Capital Press:  Growers face 10 percent H-2A wage hike  Feb 6, 2013

 

February 4, 2013 - Oregon State University's statewide public services may have to eliminate 30 faculty positions under Gov. John Kitzhaber's proposed 2013-15 budget, according to College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Dan Arp.  Arp, who is director of the college's Agricultural Experiment Station, said loss of the positions will mean fewer grant dollars for the college and less research for Oregon farmers.  "Any time we take a decrease in our budget, we have fewer people able to write grant proposals, and that ultimately is going to have an impact on the number of dollars we can bring in," Arp said. "And with fewer dollars available, we'll have less capacity with which to address the concerns of Oregon farmers."  College of Agricultural scientists last year brought in $51 million in federal grants and contracts, Arp said.  Read more from today's Capital Press article OSU statewides budget flat.

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 730 cubic feet per second (cfs), down from 848 cfs last week.  Upper Klamath Lake elevation is up to 4,140.56', from 4,140.33' last Monday.  Flows through Link River ended the week up a bit at 487 cfs.  Releases from the Keno Dam gauge is showing 468 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam was raised from 1,130 cfs to 1,300 cfs on February 1st.  The Scott River is down from 582 cfs to 418 cfs this morning.  The Salmon River is now at 1,860 cfs.  Releases from the Lewiston Dam is steady at around 292 cfs to today. The Trinity River is down quite a bit at 4,960 cfs this morning.  The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing 15,300 cfs this morning after being at 24,800 cfs last week.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Paul Harvey:  So God Made a Farmer  2007

Capital Press:  OSU statewides budget flat  Feb 4, 2013  

 

PNW Salmon News:

 

Important Reading:

Wall Street Journal:  Drought Drives Down Cattle Count  Feb 1, 2013
Sacramento Bee:  Groups trying to protect wolf oppose coyote hunt  Feb 1, 2013 

JB Williams:  The Proper Definition of Conservative  Feb 2, 2013

JB Williams:  Is the FED Really the Supreme Authority?  Feb 4, 2013

 

February 1, 2013 - Bills to label food containing genetically modified ingredients and restrict their production have put Oregon's farm lobby on the defensive as the 2013 Legislature gets underway.  But opportunities also are present.  Buoyed by Gov. John Kitzhaber's proposal to sink $22 million into water development, the Oregon Farm Bureau views the session as an opportunity for irrigated agriculture, said Katie Fast, the organization's director of government affairs.  "I think this is a year of opportunity for water development in Oregon," Fast said.  "For the first time in a long time we're seeing a request for funds for a water-supply development program," said Brenda Bateman, spokesperson for the Oregon Water Resources Department. "That includes above- and below-ground storage, interstate partnerships to gain access to stored water, and other strategies. And we just haven't had those kinds of strategic conversations in a very long time."  Read more from today's Capital Press article Oregon farm lobby watch water, labeling, land-use bills.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Capital Press:  Idaho study finds widespread irrigation water waste  Feb 1, 2013  

 

PNW Salmon News:

 

Important Reading:

National Geographic:  How Drought on Mississippi River Impacts You  Jan 31, 2013

 

January 31, 2013 - All justifications for Klamath Dam removal sit on shaky scientific ground but one of the most egregious is the false claim that Coho salmon were native to the Klamath Basin. Those agencies responsible for listing this species as endangered in the basin are, in fact, in clear violation of the Endangered Species Act itself.  The Karuk and Shasta Tribes have both confirmed that this species was never present in the upper Klamath River or its tributaries until they were planted in 1895, and later after the Klamath Dams were constructed. What’s more, genetic analysis of the current population of Coho in the Klamath proves conclusively their origin is from the Cascade Hatchery that empties into the Willamette River in Northern Oregon.  The listing of this non-indigenous species by NOAA, NMFS and the CA DFW is one of the flimsiest in a house of cards propping up the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) and the accompanying hydropower agreement. For example, the so-called Coho Recovery Plan calls for control of water flows that have been shown to be insignificant to the life cycle of Coho. The same Coho Recovery Plan predicts increased future runs even though BOR studies clearly indicate dam removal could decimate future runs.  Read more of Dr. Richard Gierak's article KBRA/KHSA based on lies and contradictions.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Dr. Richard Gierak:  KBRA/KHSA based on lies and contradictions  Jan 23, 2013

 

PNW Salmon News:

Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife Press Release:  ODFW will haze California sea lions at Willamette Falls  Jan 29, 2013

Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife Press Release:  States set spring chinook, sturgeon seasons for Columbia and Willamette rivers  Jan 30, 2013

San Jose Mercury News:  Endangered coho salmon released into San Vicente Creek  Jan 30, 2013

 

Important Reading:

Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife:  Oregon Wolf Update  Jan 29, 2013

Red Bluff Daily News:  Plans in works for grey wolves in California  Jan 30, 2013

Family Farm Alliance:  January 2013 "Monthly Briefing"  Jan 31, 2013 

 

January 28, 2013 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking comments on an energy company's conservation plan for two endangered sucker fish species in the Klamath Basin.  As part of its habitat conservation plan, PacifiCorp would discontinue routine operations at two hydroelectric facilities at its Link River Dam and fund restoration projects and other activities to benefit the imperiled Lost River and shortnose suckers.   The Fish and Wildlife Service announced Jan. 25 it had unveiled a draft environmental assessment of PacifiCorp's plan, triggering a 60-day public comment period that is set to close March 28. In addition, the agency will hold a public meeting at 5 p.m. Feb. 20 at its office at 1936 California Ave., Klamath Falls, Ore., to give an overview of the plan and answer questions.  Read more from today's Capital Press article Agency seeks comments on plan for Klamath suckers and the Federal Register notice Draft Environmental Assessment and Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for the Interim Operations of PacifiCorp's Klamath Hydroelectric Project on the Klamath River, Klamath County, OR, and Siskiyou County, CA.

 

Snow in the Klamath Basin has brought optimism for the water year that runs Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, though the snowpack is still a bit thin and current lake levels remain low.   The current snowpack sits at 84 percent of normal for this time of year, said Julie Koeberle, Oregon Snow Survey hydrologist for the National Resources Conservation Service.  Read more from Saturday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Klamath Basin’s water year gets optimistic start. 

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 848 cubic feet per second (cfs), up from 603 cfs last week.  Upper Klamath Lake elevation is up to 4,140.33', from 4,140.13' last Monday.  Flows through Link River ended the week down at 377 cfs.  Releases from the Keno Dam gauge is showing 582 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam is at 1,130 cfs again today.  The Scott River is up from 246 cfs to 582 cfs this morning.  The Salmon River is now at 2,730 cfs.  Releases from the Lewiston Dam is steady at around 292 cfs to today. The Trinity River is up quite a bit at 8,710 cfs this morning.  The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing 24,800 cfs this morning after being at 11,700 cfs last week and was up over 30,000 cfs late Saturday night.  

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Herald and News:  Klamath Basin’s water year gets optimistic start  Jan 26, 2013 

Capital Press:  Agency seeks comments on plan for Klamath suckers  Jan 28, 2013 

Two Rivers Tribune:  Yurok Tribal Members Push for Full Payout of Settlement Funds  Jan 28, 2013   

 

Important Reading:

Pahrump Valley Times:   Hage case’s impact on minor roads raises red flags  Jan 25, 2013

San Francisco Chronicle:  Ore. miner loses case over claim on salmon stream  Jan 25, 2013

Napa Valley Register Letter:  Global day of action against genetically engineered salmon  Jan 26, 2013
Capital Press:  Farm bill progress keys on dairy policy, Schrader says  Jan 28, 2013

Spokesman Review:  Bills would rein in wolves  Jan 27, 2013

 

January 25, 2013 -  Near-record numbers of chinook salmon returned successfully to the Shasta River last fall despite daunting, drought-related environmental conditions and a large number of migrating fish that increased the threat of disease.  The California Department of Fish and Wildlife counted more than 29,000 adult chinook salmon at video camera monitoring sites and fish weirs, making the return the largest on the Shasta River since 1962.  “Irrigation districts and individual landowners stepped up and contributed water to reduce disease risks to returning salmon,” said Neil Manji, CDFW regional manager. “The increased flow helped cool the river water and avert disease and a potential salmon kill.”  Read more from today's Columbia Basin Bulletin article Voluntary Actions To Increase Flows Help Shasta River See Largest Fall Chinook Return Since 1962.

 

The Oregon State Board of Agriculture has identified access to irrigation water as Oregon agriculture's number one priority over the next two years in its biennial report to the governor and state Legislature.   Other priorities in the report's top-ten list include increasing agricultural sales and providing relief from the high costs of taxes, energy and labor.  "This report should help the reader understand where Oregon is competitive and where it is not; what things are going well and where challenges exist; and what the Legislature, governor, congressional representatives and Oregon citizens can do to help," the board stated in a prepared comment.  The 55-page report is now published and available online by going to the department's website: www.oregon.gov/ODA.  Read more from Wednesday's Capital Press article Board of ag releases biennial report.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor:  CA DFG/ CA Fish and Wildlife  Jan 8, 2013

Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor:  County Power Federal ESA  Jan 15, 2013

Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor:  North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWM)  Jan 22, 2013 

Capital Press:   Board of ag releases biennial report  Jan 23, 2013

Herald and News Editorial:  Best guard against surprise cost of area dikes: knowledge  Jan 24, 2013

Pie N Politics:  Siskiyou Under Siege 1-22-13  Jan 24, 2013

Two Rivers Tribune:  VOICES: Opinion by Dean Brockbank, PacifiCorp  Jan 24, 2013

Capital Press:   Farm lobby sees 2013 Legislature as mixed bag   Jan 25, 2013 

 

PNW Salmon News:

 

Important Reading:

Capital Press:  Spokane seminar centers on wolves, grazing  Jan 24, 2013

Capital Press Editorial:  Washington learns to manage wolves  Jan 24, 2013

KPLU, Seattle:  Bill to move wolves west no joke for conservationists  Jan 24, 2013 

OPB News:  Oregon Wolf Fatally Shot In Idaho  Jan 25, 2013
Redding Record-Searchlight Letter:  Peter Hufford: Wolves no longer belong in lower 48  Jan 25, 2013

 

January 23, 2013 -   NOAA, NMFS and California Fish & Wildlife have all illegally listed Coho Salmon in the Southern Oregon ESU and the Northern California ESU as this species is a non-indigenous species and is a violation of the Endangered Species Act. The Karuk and Shasta Tribes have both confirmed that this species was never present until they were planted in 1895. Genetic analysis in the Klamath River indicate their origin is from the Willamette River in Northern Oregon. Genetic analysis in the Rogue River indicate their origin is from the Columbia River in Northern Oregon.  Read more from yesterday's Siskiyou Waters Users responds to odd statements from DFG post on Pie N Politics.

 

Cattlemen's and public-lands advocates are supporting a bill in Congress that seeks to add transparency in federal judgments paid out to plaintiffs in environmental and other lawsuits.  The National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Public Lands Council are backing the Judgment Fund Transparency Act, which would require the U.S. Treasury Department to report to Congress on payments from its Judgment Fund.  Established in 1956, the fund is used to pay court judgments and settlements in cases brought against the federal government, if those costs are not otherwise covered by agencies' budgets.  Farm advocates have long complained that environmental and other groups use money won in judgments to fund further lawsuits to curtail agricultural practices.  Read more from Monday's Capital Press article Bill would require disclosure of judgments, settlements. 

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Pie N Politics:  POW meets 1-31-13  Jan 22, 2013

 

PNW Salmon News:

Futurity: Research News:  Salmon boom and bust in extra-long cycles  Jan 22, 2013

 

Important Reading:

Discovery News:  Why Wolves Are Forever Wild and Dogs Can Be Tamed  Jan 22, 2013

Washington Post:   Tom Udall’s name added to the mix for Interior post  Jan 22, 2013 

 

January 21, 2013 - The Klamath Falls Herald and News ran a series of articles Sunday about the levees surrounding Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath Project.

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 603 cubic feet per second (cfs).  Upper Klamath Lake elevation is up to 4,140.13', from 4,140.08' last Monday.  Flows through Link River ended the week down at 1,020 cfs.  Releases from the Keno Dam gauge is showing 803 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam is at 1,130 cfs again today.  The Scott River is down from 249 cfs to 246 cfs this morning.  The Salmon River is now at 1,400 cfs.  Releases from the Lewiston Dam is steady at around 292 cfs to today. The Trinity River is up a bit at 4,090 cfs this morning.  The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing 11,700 cfs this morning.  

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Siskiyou Daily News:  Cooperative efforts pay off  Jan 18, 2013 

Herald and News:  Levees used for farming, wetlands and refuges  Jan 20, 2013 

 

PNW Salmon News:

Seaside Signal:  Hatching Salmon for Science  Jan 18, 2013

Napa Valley Register Letter:  Outdated salmon research leads to confusion  Jam 19, 2013 

Capital Press:  Irrigators protected in new steelhead designation  Jan 21, 2013 

 

Important Reading: 

Statesman Journal:  Number of wolves in state nearly doubled in 2012  Jan 19, 2013

The Wildlife News:  Oregon wolf population grows to 53 at end of 2012  Jan 19, 2013

 

January 18, 2013 - By tracking biological and climatic variables in the Pacific, scientists from NOAA Fisheries and Oregon State University say they have been able to accurately predict spring Chinook returns to the Columbia River for the past couple of years.  A new paper, published in the peer-reviewed PLOS ONE [Public Library of Science], called Multivariate Models of Adult Pacific Salmon Returns, analyzes results from tracking 31 different variables over an 11-year period to come up with a prediction for 2012 upriver spring Chinook returns. The NOAA researchers estimate was 179,000 fish, close to the observed return at Bonneville of 186,000 fish plus an estimated lower river harvest of 16,000 fish, which added up to 202,000 fish--a prediction that was off by only 12 percent. When fewer variables were included in the model, estimates of the 2012 return jumped to a range between 300,000 and 600,000.  Read more from yesterday's Northwest Fishletter article NOAA Builds Its Own Crystal Ball For Fish Predictions. 

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Two Rivers Tribune:  More Whistles Sound on Klamath River Science  Jan 17, 2013 

 

PNW Salmon News:

Napa Valley Register:  Reader weighs in on wild vs. farmed salmon debate  Jan 16, 2013

Northwest Fishletter:  Gillnetters Appeal Oregon Harvest Changes  Jan 17, 2013

Northwest Fishletter:  NOAA Builds Its Own Crystal Ball For Fish Predictions  Jan 17, 2013

Northwest Fishletter:  Experts Say Cutting Chinook Harvest Won't Help Killer Whales  Jan 17, 2013  

Important Reading:

ODF&W:  Wolf Program Updates  Jan 16, 2013 

Oregonian:  Oregon wolves multiply to more than 50  Jan 16, 2013

The Spokesman Review:  Landers: Tough decisions loom for wolves  Jan 16, 2013

 

January 16, 2012 - Siskiyou County Water Users Assoc. issued a Press Release yesterday stating " Scientists have accused the Department of the Interior of Klamath related scientific misconduct in yet another recent incident claiming the ignoring of credible science from its own Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Klamath Basin Area Office (KBAO). 7 KBAO biological scientists attest they are being reassigned or terminated, and the field fisheries research office shut down, in response to field office studies contradicting assertions made by several other founding Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) Agencies advocating dams removals plus Klamath Basin wide ‘Agreement’ regulatory expansion and mandate.  Read more from Department of the Interior Charged with Scientific Misconduct.

 

Salmon runs are notoriously variable: strong one year, and weak the next. New research shows that the same may be true from one century to the next.  Scientists in the past 20 years have recognized that salmon stocks vary not only year to year, but also on decades-long time cycles. One example is the 30-year to 80-year booms and busts in salmon runs in Alaska and on the West Coast driven by the climate pattern known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.  "We've been able to reconstruct what salmon runs looked like before the start of commercial fishing. But rather than finding a flat baseline – some sort of long-term average run size – we've found that salmon runs fluctuated hugely, even before commercial fishing started. That these strong or weak periods could persist for sometimes hundreds of years means we need to reconsider what we think of as 'normal' for salmon stocks," said Lauren Rogers, who did this work while earning her doctorate in aquatic and fishery sciences at the UW and is now a post-doctoral researcher with the University of Oslo, Norway.  Rogers is the lead author of a paper on the findings in the Jan. 14 online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences   Learn more by reading the University of Washington's Press Release Salmon runs boom, go bust over centuries on the research.

 

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has announced that he will step down in March.  Salazar, a former Colorado senator, has run the Interior Department throughout President Barack Obama's first term and pushed renewable power such as solar and wind and the settlement of a longstanding dispute with American Indians.  In a statement, Obama said Salazar had helped "usher in a new era of conservation for our nation's land, water and wildlife" and had played a major role in efforts to "expand responsible development of our nation's domestic energy resources."   Read more from the Associated Press article Interior Secretary Ken Salazar leaving Cabinet.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Statesman Journal:  Thursday, Klamath Basin preservation covered  Jan 11, 2013

Redding Record-Searchlight:  Editorial: Science remains the underdog in political battles  Jan 14, 2013

Leonard Masten, Hoopa Valley Tribe:  In the Klamath Politics Defeat Science and Common Sense  Jan 14, 2013

Capital Press:  ODA taking specialty crop grant applications  Jan 15, 2013

 

PNW Salmon News:

Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Press Release:  ODFW Salmon and Trout Advisory Committee to meet in Salem on Jan. 25  Jan 14, 2013

University of Washington:  Salmon runs boom, go bust over centuries  Jan 14, 2013

 

Important Reading:

San Francisco Chronicle:  Move to extend wolf protections in state  Jan 13, 2013

Western Farm Press:  Endangered Species Act hits 40th birthday  Jan 15, 2013

 

January 14, 2012 - Last week the Klamath River ran 12.5-feet high in Orleans and the Trinity ran at 15-feet in Hoopa. By comparison, the heights 48 years earlier were 55 feet and 57 feet, respectively. The ’64 flood, labeled as either a 100-year event or a 1,000-year event, left an indelible mark on the landscape and on the memories of the people who witnessed it.  Read more from the two Two Rivers Tribune articles from last Friday.

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 560 cubic feet per second (cfs).  Upper Klamath Lake elevation is up to 4,140.08', from 4,139.96' last Monday.  Flows through Link River ended the week up at 1,380 cfs.  Releases from the Keno Dam gauge is showing 1,260 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam is at 1,130 cfs again today.  The Scott River is down from 263 cfs to 249 cfs this morning.  The Salmon River  is now at 1,310 cfs.  Releases from the Lewiston Dam is steady at around 292 cfs to today. The Trinity River is up a bit at 4,010 cfs this morning.  The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing 12,300 cfs this morning.  

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Two Rivers Tribune:  Klamath Dam and Water Deals Delayed Further  Jan 11, 2013

Two Rivers Tribune:  VOICES: Opinion by Felice Pace, Klamath  Jan 11, 2013

Redding Record-Searchlight Letter:  Curtis Knight: Klamath deal costly; alternatives   Jan 13, 2013 

 

PNW Salmon News:

 

January 11, 2013 - For the second time in a year, scientists working on Klamath River issues are complaining government officials are breaching ethics laws by trying to influence their work.  In a complaint filed this week, a group of federal scientists working on Klamath River issues is claiming U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials are threatening to eliminate their jobs because the agency was unhappy with their scientific conclusions.  A group that filed a complaint on the employees’ behalf said the seven biologists are being reassigned, and the Klamath Basin Area Office will no longer do studies on endangered species.  Read more from Wednesday's Redding Record Searchlight article Klamath scientists accuse government of ethics violations. 

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:  

Redding Record Searchlight:  Klamath scientists accuse government of ethics violations  Jan 9, 2013

AgAlert:  Siskiyou court ruling bolsters water rights  Jan 9, 2013   

Capital Press:  Merkley: Oregon farmers short-changed  Jan 10, 2013

Capital Press Editorial:  Farm bill fiasco proves incompetence  Jan 10, 2013

 

PNW Salmon News:

Watershed Sentinel:  State of Pacific salmon  Jan 2013

 

Important Reading:

Daily Astorian:   Biologists confirm Japanese species on dock debris  Jan 7, 2013

 

January 8, 2013 - Fisheries biologists working in one of the most contentious areas of the country were told to pack their bags but were not told the reason why, according to a complaint filed on their behalf today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) charging political coercion and censorship of science. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced plans to outsource all its fisheries science for the Klamath Basin in northern California and southern Oregon, where struggles over water supplies have roiled for decades.  In an unusual memo dated November 8, 2012, Jason Phillips, Reclamation’s Klamath Basin Area Manager, outlined his intention to reassign the seven Reclamation fisheries scientists in the Fisheries Resources Branch, stating that:

 

“Many perceive Reclamation’s efforts as inherently biased…There’s a concern that…in some cases we are simply carrying out studies to contradict the science of other agencies.” 

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:  

Bruce Ross' blog:  Policing the party line  Jan 7, 2013

 

January 7, 2013 -    Doug LaMalfa, a fourth generation rice farmer in a northern California town so small it’s not included on many road atlases, didn’t expect to find himself a member of Congress.   “It’s been such a whirlwind,” he said Friday during a telephone interview. “It’s certainly been a great run, a fascinating one and, hopefully, productive in the eyes of our constituents.”   LaMalfa, 52, a Republican from Richvale — a small rice-growing community of about 250 people east of Oroville, Calif. — took the oath of office in the U.S. House of Representatives and joined the 113th Congress Thursday. He is among 84 first-term House members.   Read more from Sunday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article California rice farmer sworn in as U.S. Congressman - Doug LaMalfa discusses his nexpected journey to House.

 

The past week's Klamath River Basin USGS Flow Graphs are posted.  The Williamson River flow this morning is at 681 cubic feet per second (cfs) up from 548 cfs.  Upper Klamath Lake elevation is up to 4,139.96', from 4,139.84' last Monday.  Flows through Link River ended the week at 825 cfs.  Releases from the Keno Dam gauge is showing 841 cfs this morning. The Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam is at 1,130 cfs today.  The Scott River is down from 302 cfs to 263 cfs this morning.  The Salmon River  is now at 1,240 cfs.  Releases from the Lewiston Dam is steady at around 297 cfs to today. The Trinity River is down at 3,690 cfs this morning.  The Klamath River at the mouth gauge is showing 12,100 cfs this morning.  

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues: 

PNW Salmon News:

Sonoma News Editorial:  Feds fail to meet salmon goal  Jan 3, 2013

 

Important Reading:

Seattle Post-Intelligencer:  Gregoire emerges as top contender to boss EPA  Jan 4, 20123

 

 

January 4, 2012 - Drip irrigation, a method with the potential to reduce water use and save money, will be tested for a second season by Baley Trotman Farms, a major Klamath Basin potato producer.  “It’s part of the solution to being as conservative and efficient with the water as we can be,” said Mathew Trotman, farm manager for Baley Trotman Farms and an independent potato grower. “Our customers like to see we’re moving forward in new ways — green ways — of working with our crops.”  Read more from Thursday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article Potato growers experiment with drip irrigation - Goal is to be conservative, efficient with water.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Siskiyou Daily News:  Parties vote to extend KBRA  Jan 2, 2013

Two Rivers Tribune:   Tribal Researchers Help Write Book on Fishers  Jan 3, 2012

 

PNW Salmon News:

 

Important Reading:

Los Angeles Times:   Study says water runoff in the West will fall by 10%  Dec 26, 2012

Chico Enterprise Record:  Changes in farming changing the way water is used  Jan 3, 2013

Capital Press Editorial:  Ag gets ready for immigration reform  Jan 3, 2013

California Report:  Southern California Seeks New Water Sources  Jan 4, 2013

 

January 2, 2013 - Just in time for the Dec. 31 deadline, the 42 parties that originally signed the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement have approved extending it to 2014.  As originally drafted, the KBRA would have terminated on Dec. 31 unless Congress passed legislation, according to a press release issued by the Klamath Water Users Association.  Greg Addington, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, said holiday scheduling, along with debates within individual parties, led to the deadline-approaching decision.  “At the end of the day it was not that difficult of a decision,” Addington said. “The people whose jobs it is to make sure there is water in the ditches see this as a no-brainer.”  Read more from yesterday's Klamath Falls Herald and News article All sign on to KBRA extension - Water, dam agreement deadline extended to 2014.

 

Today's Posts:

 

Klamath River Basin Issues:

Pie N Politics:  SCWUA responds to KBRA extension  Jan 1, 2013

 

Important Reading:

Redding Record-Searchlight:  Central Valley's wild salmon -- gone by 2100?  Dec 31, 2012

Tom DeWeese:  Why the Founding Fathers Matter  Jan 2, 2013 

 

 

 

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