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Irrigators and BOR share historic birthday
by
Pat Ratliff, Klamath Courier staff writer
October 5, 2005
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KLAMATH FALLS - A crowd of over 230
people celebrated the centennial birthday of both the Klamath Project and
the Bureau of Reclamation Tuesday, at the Klamath Water Users Association
annual meeting at Reames Country Club.
Demonstrating the significance of the event, Bureau of Reclamation
Commissioner John Keys attended the ceremony, along with Klamath Falls
Mayor Todd Kellstrom, District Attorney Ed Caleb, Sheriff Tim Evinger, and
Klamath County Commissioners Al Swietzer, John Elliott and Bill Brown.
"We are not only celebrating a valuable public and private partnership, but
we also celebrate this project." Greg Addington told the crowd, "The
Klamath Project is the most efficient and beneficial in the world. Water
used to come to this basin to die via evaporation, now, because of this
project and affordable power, that water is recirculated up to seven times
and ultimately finds its way to the Klamath River, where the water provides
fuel for power generation and increased flows for fish. In addition, this
project provides some of the best wildlife and waterfowl habitat in the
country."
Addington's words were not lost on most in the crowd, with increased fish
counts on most rivers while commercial fishermen are forced to curtail
fishing by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Two days later, California was in the middle of its first power emergency of
the season, not being able to generate enough power to cope with only 90+
degree highs.
"Today, we work on issues like TMDL's, flow
studies, recovery planning, biological opinions, power rates and reclamation
contracts. We do public relations and education using science and facts to
support our positions." Addington continued, "We work with a myriad of
federal, state and local agencies whose names and programs are branded in
our minds by the acronyms that define them. We learn the processes, the
laws and the regulations. We go to Salem, Sacramento and Washington D.C. to
lobby elected officials. We defend our beliefs and values in the courts,
where we assert what we know to be our rights."
Steve Kandra, President of the KWUA Board of Directors, also spoke of the
work being done by the group."In partnership with Reclamation, the Water
Users are promoting work done by the National Academy of Science to see that
endangered species recovery is properly dealt with on a watershed wide
basis, instead of the unjust and impractical focus on the Klamath Irrigation
Project operations." Kanda said, "Soon, an 'Undepleted Flow Study' will
have cleared peer review and will be available to correct flawed historical
water flow perceptions and demands contained in current Biological
Opinions. There is now political inertia to update the Endangered Species
Act to provide better science and technical review, along with
protecting the property rights of others."
Scott Seus, Chairman of the KWUA Power Committee, told of the five attorneys
working for the group, and explained each of the venues they work in.
"Sound expensive? Make no mistake about it, it is." Seus told the group,
"Much of the KWUA budget and time is being spent on the power issue. I
assure you, it is a worthy cause.
Consider this, were we to go to tariff rates that PacifiCorp proposes
tomorrow, your power rates may go up as much as 2500% what you currently
pay. Not only would this affect your bottom line, but also the integrity of
an ecosystem that relies on irrigated agriculture to support the 470 species
that call the Klamath Basin home.
Through EQIP, we the Klamath Basin farmers and the Federal government will
have invested 75 million dollars in irrigation efficiency by the end of 2007
in an effort to do our part to make the best use of the water that we use
irrigate these lands. That efficiency is tied to a meter base at the end of
a pump switch. Best use will be overcome by economics, and economics say
flood irrigation will be more cost effective. Drainage pumps would become
too cost prohibitive to operate, and thus the Refuge Complex will go dry.
Water quality both here in the Basin and downriver will decline. Temperature
of water will soar in stagnate pools of water that abound due to a lack of
drainage pumping. Incidentally, the ratepayers throughout the PacifiCorp
territory will ultimately suffer as well. Efficient use of water here in the
Klamath Basin and drainage pumping out of the project results in more water
in the Klamath River to be run through the generators that provide clean,
renewable, low cost power to the rest of the PacifiCorp ratepayers. To
replace that power with natural gas fired generation at today's prices.
Let's just say there is no carpooling in fossil fuel fired generation."
Dave Solem, Manager of the Klamath Irrigation District was the Associations
Leadership Award winner, while Lynn Long won the "Community Service Award.”
Klamath Water Users Association
2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3
Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603
Phone (541) 883-6100
FAX (541) 883-8893
kwua@cvcwireless.net |