April 21, 2021
Liz Writes Life
Frustrations are mounting in our neighboring Klamath Basin regarding the huge reduction of irrigation water that the government decreed 1,200 farms will receive in the Klamath Project. Last week, the federal Bureau of Reclamation announced that the Klamath Project will receive about six percent of its needed irrigation water for more than 220,000 acres in the Project. Nope, not enough!
That hurts a lot of farmers and also means six wildlife
refuges will lose water that gives life to 433 species, including ESA-listed
bald eagles. Also, the Klamath Bureau of Reclamation announced it would not
allow any irrigation until after May 15, 2021.
But, perennial plants and the soil need irrigation now. Crops
raised in the Klamath Project provide a multi-million-dollar economy and
include sugar beets, potatoes, onions, garlic, horseradish, wheat, barley,
mint, pasture and hay.
Because of a dry winter and spring, farmers are up against
the wall. After much discussion, the Klamath Drainage District decided to rely
on a permit, acquired from the Oregon Water Resources Dept. in 1977, and opened
the headgates of the North Canal and the Ady Canal -- last Friday.
Please note: For decades, this supplemental water right that
is obtained from the Klamath River has been treated as independent from
“Project” water. And, recently, the OWRD determined that water is available at
KDD’s headgates.
Scott White, general manager of KDD, said that drastically needed
precipitation has not arrived and the dust is unbearable. Winds are devastatingly
eroding the soil.
Within hours of opening the headgates, the federal Klamath
Reclamation acting area manager, Jared Bottcher, sent a letter to KDD demanding
an immediate cease to the water diversions. The statement said that if KDD does
not stop irrigation, the federal employees will access Reclamation-owned
property to close the gates; and that water users within the KDD boundary may
no longer be eligible for Drought Relief Act funds. Also, the United States may
take other legal action against KDD and its members.
So, the carrot has been dangled and the stick has been shook.
But are there enough federal assistance funds to financially save the hundreds
of farmers, who would much rather work for their income? Not likely.
The USDA recently announced the availability of up to $10
million in assistance from its Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program to help
agricultural producers impacted by drought conditions in the Klamath Basin.
California Dist. 1 Congressman, Doug LaMalfa, said the
additional funds comes at a critical time and is appreciated. But, once again,
reiterated that the Bureau of Reclamation is not delivering legally-owned water
to the farmers.
LaMalfa added: “Much
more remains to be done for our Klamath Basin farmers, ranchers, and wildlife
refuges, and helping them continues to be one of my top priorities in
Congress.”
Klamath Project farmers own their property and through their
deeds own the rights to water that has been stored in Upper Klamath Lake and
other areas with the purpose of seasonal irrigation. It is the Bureau of
Reclamation that manages the infrastructure and releases the water. In the past
25 years, Tribes have demanded more of the farmers’ water for sucker fish
listed to the Endangered Species Act. But, as LaMalfa referenced, recent court
decisions state the farmers do have the right to water from these man-made or
man-enhanced storage areas.
There is a myth that I wish to dispel. You see, there is
plenty of water in the Upper Klamath Lake. A recent photo, sent to me by a
friend, shows it is to the brim. The lower-elevation-part of the water is
designated for the suckers, but a legal portion is decreed to the farmers.
So, why isn’t the federal government following the court
order and releasing the farmers’ water? Upper Klamath Lake is huge at about 25
miles long and eight miles wide.
Another myth proven wrong, time and again by Ph. D
scientists, is that ironically more water does not increase the population of
sucker fish. The truth is that the suckers actually do better in less water and
like to live at the muddy bottom of lakes and reservoirs. Believe it or not,
the suckers and the farmers can and should be able to share the water.
Unfortunately, this drought is exaggerated by what looks like anti-farmer bias
of the Bureau of Reclamation.
Garden
The soil is so dry at my place that I am irrigating the few garden
plants every two to three days. The 25 garlic are 10-inches high, some
volunteer lettuces are up to five-inches, newly transplanted chives look OK and
the comfrey is bushing out and a foot tall. The rhubarb didn’t start growing
until I began irrigating consistently a month ago. It looks great at three-feet
tall, so I should be able to start harvesting in a week or two. Rhubarb needs
lots of water!
I see some asparagus are finally poking-up several inches. I
only have five plants. I found the
chocolate mint is spreading well after I pulled out weeds that were covering it.
Last year, I harvested the chocolate mint for the first time and I love it as a
tea. It is much stronger than the wild mint I have been using for years. The
chocolate is more in the aroma than in the actual taste.
The perennials like columbine, tansy, Oriental poppies, iris,
hollyhocks, red bee balm, day lilies and Shasta daisies seem to always be
thirsty and where I have irrigated, several gladiolus are spiking up. Can’t
believe the weather stations are claiming the temps will be so warm that it
shouldn’t freeze at night this week. No wonder things are dry.
Parting thought: Peace may be hard to find, but we must seek
for it -- especially for our hearts and minds. Smile – just cuz it will make
you feel better!
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in
newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near
Callahan. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com.
Call her at 530-467-3515.
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