Felice Pace talks about Klamath water management and salmon diseases on the Jefferson Exchange

On May 8th, KlamBlog editor and chief writer Felice Pace was interviewed on Jefferson Public Radio's Jefferson Exchange. The discussion included the US Bureau of Reclamation's decision to use taxpayer funds to pay for private irrigators to pump 45,000 acre feet of groundwater for irrigation this growing season. Felice questioned whether taxpayers should be footing the bill so that irrigators within the sprawling Klamath Irrigation Project can mine groundwater in order to fully irrigate during a drought. You can listen to the interview and leave a comment at this link.

Ever since Reclamation was forced to release water to the Klamath River to prevent "jeopardy" to ESA-listed Coho Salmon, the Klamath River Basin's Irrigation Elite  has been able to continue fully irrigating even in drought years by mining the Upper Basin's deep aquifer, extracting groundwater in an unsustainable manner.

Groundwater mining occurs when the amount of groundwater extracted over time exceeds the amount of groundwater recharge. As shown in the graph below, the deep water table in the Tulelake Area (the lower Lost River Basin) has dropped significantly since 1992 when Reclamation was forced to allow more water to flow down the Klamath River. The groundwater aquifer has failed to recover even during years of above average precipitation and snow pack.

 Groundwater elevation in the Tule lake area over time (source: USGS)

The irresponsible lowering of the groundwater table in order to fully irrigate during drought years has caused nearby towns (Tulelake in California, Merrill and Malin in Oregon) to drill deeper for drinking water. Even so, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) testing indicates that drinking water wells in the Oregon portion of the Lower Lost River Basin are polluted with nitrates, pesticides and other toxic agricultural residues.

Oregon DEQ has been reported as calculating that 15,000 acre feet of water could be safely extracted from groundwater in the Tule Lake Area (lower Lost River Basin) this year. Reclamation is using taxpayer funds to facilitate the removal of 3 times that amount!

Another silent Klamath Salmon disaster

Meanwhile fish disease levels in the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam continue to rise. During what should be the height of salmon out migration, few juvenile salmon are showing up in mid-Klamath River monitoring traps operated by the Karuk Tribe.

Members of the Klamath Tribes question their leaders' deal making

From KlamBlog's editor: Below you will find a recent Press Release from the group Honor the Treaty of 1864, comprised of members of the Klamath Tribes. You can contact the group via e-mail to Kayla Godowa-Tufti: godowatufti27@gmail.com. Here's how the group describes itself:           "Honor The Treaty of 1864 is a group of like minded individuals who want to honor our ancestors and our 7th generation by protecting our resources and our rights. While these ideas are not new and many people before us stood for the same things we do, our group was officially formed in 2014. We welcome all people who support our cause."  And here's a quote from the Press Release:           "The KBRA does nothing to heal historical and spiritual damages for Klamath, Modoc, Yahooskin people. By securing water primarily for agricultural purposes, the KBRA and associated documents perpetuate these damages and continue to inflict pain, trauma and division amongst our people." Kientpoos Prayer Pole at Captain Jack's Stronghold  The Modoc are now one of three tribal peoples comprising the federal Klamath Tribes  The Press Release follows upon a new proposal to transfer a portion of the Winema National Forest to the Klamath Tribes in exchange for their agreement to the KBRA and the more recent Upper Basin Agreement. Among other concessions, the Klamath Tribes would relinquish their claim to flows in the Klamath River below Klamath Falls.  The Klamath Tribes' claim to Klamath River flows to support tribal trust species is the last best hope for Klamath Salmon. The current minimal flows, which are very close to Klamath flows negotiated in the KBRA, would be locked in if Senator Wyden's Klamath legislation becomes law. While the Endangered Species Act can prevent "jeopardy" to listed salmon, the Act can not provide the water needed to restore salmon to abundance. Tribal in-stream flows for salmon, where they exist, can provide restoration flows. Wishing to keep western water with current, mostly-white irrigation interests, the federal government is working hard to convince tribes  throughout the West that funding for restoration is a substitute for the water fish need. The new group of Klamath dissidents is not buying it.   With the current minimal Klamath River flows up to 100% of the young salmon migrating down the Klamath River become infected with at least one and often two fish diseases. Only 8% of radio tagged juveniles survive to reach the ocean. As a result, most of the adult salmon returning to the Klamath River Basin in some years are Trinity River fish and many of them originate in the Trinity River Fish Hatchery. Salmon populations dominated by hatchery fish have much lower genetic diversity as compared to runs where wild salmon predominate.  The US Bureau of Reclamation refuses to provide the flushing spring flows which scientists tell us are needed to reduce the Klamath River juvenile fish disease epidemic. Keeping spring inflows in Upper Klamath Lake allows Reclamation to maximize irrigation water deliveries.  Yurok and Karuk tribal government leaders thought they had negotiated for higher spring flows in the KBRA; they have discovered, however, that Reclamation will not provide them. This bad situation would be locked in if the Wyden legislation becomes law.  Gill rot is one of several fish diseases epidemic in the Klamath River. Low levels of disease  are normal in Pacific Salmon Rivers but Klamath disease levels are unprecedented. The three tribes which signed the Klamath Water Deals now sit on a "Flow Account Scheduling Technical Advisory Team" or "FASTA". KBRA tribes have gained access to the back rooms where decisions are made; but Reclamation continues to decide who does and does not get water; when the US Bureau of Reclamation is in charge irrigation is always t he top priority; fish and wildlife get mostly lip service. Tribal member who are part of Honor the Treaty of 1864 question whether trading away the in-stream flows fish need in order to get into the timber business is truly in the interest of the Klamath, Modoc and Yahoskin Peoples. Here is their press release: