(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Interior Cuts Klamath River Flows Despite Winter Storms: Tribes, Fishermen Prepare Litigation [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags']

Date: 2023-02-14  

Press Release from the Yurok and Karuk Tribes

ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK FOR KLAMATH SALMON

Klamath Basin, CA – Late last year, the final regulatory approvals to remove four large dams on the Klamath River became the good news environmental story of the year. The fact that Tribes from remote communities along the California-Oregon border started a successful movement to remove four large dams suggests that America can indeed restore rivers, ensure wild salmon runs for future generations, and honor traditional cultures.

Unfortunately, officials from the Bureau of Reclamation and the Fish and Wildlife Service are turning this epic into a tragedy. Today, Department of Interior officials told tribes that flows to the river from the Klamath Irrigation Project would be reduced below the minimums described by the Biological Opinion that is supposed to govern Klamath Irrigation Project operations. These flow decreases will dewater salmon eggs putting ESA listed coho salmon at further risk.

It should be noted that dam removal of the four dams will not impact the volume of water moving down the Klamath River; the operation of the Bureau’s 225,000 acre irrigation project further upstream dictates flow in the river along with accretions from Klamath River tributaries.

The Bureau claims that we are experiencing ‘extraordinary’ drought which gives them authority to cut the flows. This is despite above average snowpack and the fact it's currently snowing in the upper Basin. BOR claims that the water savings will be used to fill Upper Klamath Lake to benefit other endangered fish, the lost river, and short-nosed suckers.

While the suckers are indeed at risk of extinction, there is no indication that the volume of Upper Klamath Lake factor into their demise. These long-lived fish have not reproduced successfully in 30 years, a period where lake levels have varied greatly.

“What the Bureau is not saying is that the water savings will make it more likely that irrigation deliveries will be available to water users,” according to Karuk Council Member Troy Hockaday. “This has more to do with potatoes than it does fish.”

“By presenting Klamath Basin tribes a false dilemma whereby they must choose between salmon in the river and suckers in the lake, Interior is continuing a long colonial tradition of cultivating division among tribal people while their natural resources are plundered to support an ecologically unsustainable industry. We should instead be focused on meaningful restoration of the wetlands that accommodated the needs of sucker and salmon for millennia that were sacrificed on the altar of manifest destiny,” said Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/14/2153021/-Interior-Cuts-Klamath-River-Flows-Despite-Winter-Storms-Tribes-Fishermen-Prepare-Litigation

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/