Sunday, July 29, 2018

Liz Writes Life 7-24-18


July 24, 2018

Liz Writes Life

Water flows!

For once a non-decision was a good decision. On July 20, 2018, Judge William H. Orrick, did not make a decision regarding the Klamath Tribe’s lawsuit against the Klamath Bureau of Reclamation. Because no decision was made, legally-stored irrigation water is still flowing to more than 1,200 Klamath Project farmers. Jacqui Krizo, who grows organic horseradish in Tulelake, confirmed in an email to me that water is flowing. She is thankful!

Brandon Criss, Siskiyou Co. Supervisor for Dist. 1, attended the hearing in the U.S. District Court of California down in San Francisco. Much of the Tulelake area in the Klamath Bureau of Reclamation Project is in his district. Brandon told me there is even more good news. First the judge said he believes the lawsuit is in the wrong court. Because the Klamath Tribe demands more water must be stored in Oregon’s Upper Klamath Lake for ESA-listed sucker fish, the lawsuit should have been filed in the state of Oregon not California.

But, even better is the opinion the judge gave regarding the science and oral arguments for storing an additional foot of water on the lake -- than the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Biological Opinion states the suckers need. Apparently, the Tribe has to prove a very high standard, before an injunction could stop irrigation water to the Klamath Project farmers. Judge Orrick said the scientific argument does not reach that standard.

Brandon said that Modoc Co. Supervisor, Geri Byrne, attended the hearing along with several dozen very concerned Klamath Project farmers. The prospect of loss of water for irrigation in the 220,000 acres of the U.S. established Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Project (specifically to grow food for the nation) has been a problem for over 20 years. The 2001 irrigation water shut-off by the Biological Opinion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for ESA-listed sucker fish was devastating and destroyed businesses throughout the Klamath basin communities.

Last week, I discussed the Amicus Curiae “Friend of the Court” brief that counties of Siskiyou, Modoc and Klamath filed along with the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma. It did prove to be helpful with additional scientific facts; and Brandon said several farmers specifically thanked our county for its support.

Klamath dams

The Siskiyou Co. Supervisors held a special meeting to update the public on their work to save the Klamath dams slated for destruction by the non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corp in 2021. The meeting was held at the Montague Community Hall on a very hot July 17th evening with about 70 attending. Board Chairman, Ray Haupt, introduced three individuals that work for SWCA Environmental Consultants as scientists and experts in administrative technical procedures. SWCA’s mission is to partner with clients (Siskiyou Co.) to achieve sound science on projects that affect the environment. They are a nation-wide company with expertise in California Environmental Quality Act and Environmental Impact Reports; including the correct surrender process by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

One of the consultants is recently retired from working for PacifiCorp. To our good, he worked on the Condit dam that was destroyed several years ago in Washington. He has personal knowledge and stats regarding the problems that dam removal created including home owners’ wells going dry. He is not afraid to use that info and science to aid Siskiyou Co. in working to save the four Klamath River hydro-electric dams.

Much discussion from the public pointed out the need to retain the reservoirs, which were used earlier this month on the Klamathon Fire for fire suppression and public safety. There is no way KRRC can realistically replace the availability of  water in the reservoirs.

Ruffey Rancheria

Last Friday night, I was watching the KTVL Channel 10 News and was shocked by one news article. It referred to the Ruffey Rancheria near Etna, which our Dist. 1 CA. Congressman Doug LaMalfa has introduced as a bill, in the House, to restore the designation of the 1961 wrongfully-terminated Ruffey Rancheria.  

What caught my attention was a Karuk Tribal representative, who was interviewed, making completely false statements. The most blatant was that there is no known occupation of anyone living on the Ruffey Rancheria. What? My family knew the Ruffeys. We have several fun stories about Pete Ruffey, who my mom referred to as “gentlemanly.” And that was in the days when there was not a good attitude towards Native Americans.

I called the news station and spoke with a woman who answered. I told her that my family knew several Ruffeys. I know where they lived and it was less than a mile from my childhood home. Pete Ruffey was born in the 1890s and he had several sisters and brothers.
My grandfather, George Dillman, served as Etna Town Marshal from 1943 to 1959. Part of his job was to check the Etna water system. Every day he drove his pickup (it was also his official marshal vehicle) up several miles above Etna on Sawyers Bar Road to check the intake-line for the Etna water supply from Etna Creek. It is the city’s legal water right. Quite often, Pete Ruffey would be hiking to or from Etna and Grandpa would give him a ride.

I have always known about the Ruffeys. Etna and the entire Scott Valley area was heavily populated with documented Shasta Indian villages. It is also known that Konomihu Shasta Indian Queen Brazille was born at the Shasta Indian village, where the Ruffey Rancheria was later established. Queen Brazille was born in the early 1800s.

Garden  

Never have I had this happen to a zucchini plant. It was attacked by aphids. When I realized just how thick the black bugs were on the underside of the giant leaves, I quickly made an organic solution of 2 tsp dish soap, a small dollop of vinegar and filled a more-than-quart-size spray bottle full of warm water. I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. Then, I sprayed the neighboring zucchini plant leaves that were just getting the aphids and also cucumber leaves on the other side. The next day, the originally-infected zucchini plant looked worse. I didn’t want it to continue infecting the neighboring plants, so I took the grubbing hoe and quickly dug it up and took it out to the dry weed pile.

These plants have been producing somewhat slowly, but I have picked 10 or more zucchinis. I will make another batch of the organic mixture and do more spraying on the other zucchini plant and cuc leaves. Hopefully, they will survive. Yes, there are ants in the garden and they like to harvest aphids. I usually lose a cabbage or broccoli plant to the aphids, but have never had them cover a zucchini plant.

Canceled

Tonight’s Yreka Tea Party Patriots’ meeting is canceled and the Scott Valley Protect Our Water meeting for Thursday night is also canceled. Stay home and try to be cool!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Call her at 530-467-3515. Check out her blog at: LizWritesLife.blogspot.com
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