Yet Another Complication in the Klamath

From Jeff Barnard of the AP: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed toxins from blue-green algae as another pollutant of the Klamath River behind the hydroelectric dams that Indian tribes, fishermen and conservation groups want removed to make way for salmon.

The algae toxins in the Iron Gate and Copco reservoirs now must be considered along with other pollutants by the California Water Board as it considers whether to grant the Clean Water Act certification needed by the Portland-based utility PacifiCorp to get a new operating license for four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath."

NPR Story on the Klamath Dams

NPR looks at the Klamath controversy and the possible removal of the four Klamath River dams.

Irrigators clash over proposed Klamath deal

Interesting article from the California Farm Bureau about divisions within the Klamath Basin agricultural community concerning the proposed settlement agreement. More evidence that finalizing the landmark agreement faces a steep path.

Hope in the Klamath Basin

Here's an opinion piece in the Oregonian by two longtime players in the struggle over Klamath water rights and the dams (Troy Fletcher is one of the main characters in the documentary). Interesting paragraph about PacifiCorp's role:

"... the proposed agreement included only commitments between the 26 parties not related to PacifiCorp and its facilities. A separate companion agreement with PacifiCorp is still in negotiation. There have been 16 separate meetings with the PacifiCorp's president or general counsel over the last two years centered solely on PacificCorp's Klamath River hydropower dams."

A hopeful note, because as I mentioned below, without PacifiCorp's participation in an agreement about the dams there's little hope for a lasting settlement, no matter what the other stakeholders agree on.

Deal on Dams on Klamath Advances

The New York Times reports on the landmark $1 billion agreement between the upstream and downstream interests in the Klamath Basin. It's potentially a milestone; just the fact that these groups with such conflicting interests were able to sit down and negotiate such a deal is remarkable.

When I was doing the reporting for the documentary, I heard that the opposing groups were meeting (in secret at that time) and trying to reach some common ground. I admit I thought the prospects were dim they'd get this far.

Yet the cold fact is that it is still basically up to PacifiCorp if the dams are to be removed and key parts of this agreement implemented. And I believe chances of that are slim. There are huge costs, monumental engineering challenges, and many intervening variables; including conflicting government jurisdictions and environmental concerns that still have not been resolved.

I hope I'm wrong. As I pointed out above, I never thought they'd get this far. But there still is a long way to go before we see those dams come down and the historic salmon runs reopened in one of the most beautiful regions of the west.

On the Klamath River, a salmon is worth $200

An article in the SF Chronicle on the economic impact of sport fishing in California. Total for the California economy spent by fishermen per year: $2 billion. The full report is on www.caltrout.org.

Fish benefit of a Klamath pact questioned

Interesting report in the Bee on the ongoing "stakeholder" talks in the Klamath Basin. If you're reading between the lines, it still seems like a long way to go for a possible solution to the problems facing the river.

$1 billion lawsuit claims Klamath dams produce hazardous waste

Here's the latest legal maneuver by Klamath Riverkeeper and the tribes in the Klamath Basin to put pressure on PacifiCorp to remove the dams on the river. The claim is that the series of dams along the river promote the growth of toxic algae. One billion dollars is quite a number.

Report backs more water for Klamath

The long awaited report from the National Research Council supports more water flowing down the river for salmon, and acknowledges that politics and not science have been one of the primary motivations behind recent flow policies. It also supports the Hardy flow study, suppressed for years by the government agency that commissioned it.

But will it make any difference? With decisions like the recent one made by the FERC (see below), the best hope for the river seems to be the stakeholder talks underway between the tribes, irrigators, fishermen and environmentalists.

You can download a PDF summary of the report on this page.

Feds recommend keeping Klamath dams

The ruling is the lone regulatory voice that completely ignores the plight of the salmon on the Klamath River and recommends not only keeping the dams, but trapping and hauling spawning fish around them, the worst of all possible solutions. Even PacifiCorp, the electric utility that owns the dams, has said it will spend $300 million to build fish ladders to help the salmon.

The FERC has made a number of questionable rulings under this Administration, going back to the Enron days. See this documentary that examines their role in the bad old days of blackouts in California.

Biologists for Agency Endorse Dams Plan

From the New York Times, an article about the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)biological opinion on the conflict between dams and salmon in the Pacific Northwest. Biological opinions from federal scientists about fisheries issues, and particularly salmon issues in the west, are at the heart of many water use conflicts, including the ongoing Klamath River conflict.

The biological opinion in the Klamath controversy is covered extensively in the documentary, and former NMFS scientist Mike Kelly explains his position on it and why the negotiations over it led him to become a federal whistleblower.

Levees breached to restore Klamath wetlands

Here's an article in the Oregonian about breaching levees to create more wetlands to help endangered sucker fish in the Klamath Basin - a rare example of levees or dams coming down for conservation reasons. Nice use of still photos and video within the story (including the explosives going off).

Central Valley salmon largely absent from fall run

I first heard about the small number of returning salmon to the Sacramento and other rivers in early September, yet there was still hope for increasing returns as we went deeper into fall. Now it seems, from this excellent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the dearth of salmon is throughout northern California's rivers and extends into Oregon.

Why? Insufficient krill, low water flows, juvenile salmon deaths in years past are all possibilities, and it seems many of the problems on the Klamath River are spreading to other river systems that formerly had strong runs of fall salmon.

Our next documentary is on the myriad problems with the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. For more info contact info(at)veriscope.com.

Feds find Klamath irrigation still hard on fish

The opening paragraph from this AP report says it all:

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said Tuesday that operating the federal irrigation project in the upper Klamath Basin is likely to continue causing problems for fish protected by the Endangered Species Act.

Northcoast Journal story on sustainability in the Upper Klamath Basin

A lot of the stories in this blog focus on the problems and possible solutions in the Lower Klamath basin. This is a good article about farmers in the Upper Basin and their efforts to sustain their land for the long term. The water starts there. If a solution for the troubles of the Klamath Basin is ever to be found, the farmers of the Upper Basin will need to play an integral role.

Two of the farmers profiled in this article, Steve Kandra and Jeanne Anderson, are also characters in Battle for the Klamath.

Battle for the Klamath airs on PBS station KRCB

on September 4th at 9:00pm. Check the listings here.

Senator Gordon Smith and the Klamath

The blog Loaded Orygun, which describes itself "as a left-leaning journal of Oregon's politics and culture" has been all over Senator Gordon Smith's statements about the Klamath River water shutoff and fish kill, both covered extensively in the documentary.

Every time Smith opens his mouth about his role (and Cheney and Rove's role) in the Klamath controversy, he seems to dig himself a deeper hole. Many thought Smith's biggest problem in his 2008 reelection bid would be his support for the Iraq war. Now it appears that issues surrounding the Bush Administration's role in water releases on the Klamath River may be the greatest impediment to another six years in the Senate for Smith.

By the way, one of the issues is Smith's role in lobbying for more water for the farmers with the White House in 2001. In Battle for the Klamath, Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) tells me on camera how he and Smith personally lobbied President Bush on Air Force One, with Rove sitting next to him explaining to the President how the Endangered Species Act actually works.

House committee wades into Klamath water dispute

Coverage of the Congressional hearing yesterday. The major news was that when the Department of the Interior Inspector General investigated political manipulation in the Klamath Basin by Karl Rove and others, they never asked about Vice President Cheney.

As I say in the documentary, I asked the Inspector General's office whether they ever actually talked to Rove as part of the investigation. The answer was no.

Congress to hold hearing on Cheney's involvement with the Klamath fish kill

From the AP:

Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee said Tuesday they will hold a July 31 hearing to look into the role Vice President Dick Cheney may have played in the 2002 die-off of about 70,000 salmon near the California-Oregon border.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., the panel's chairman, said he has invited Cheney to appear at the hearing, but a spokeswoman for the vice president said he was not likely to attend.

Klamath-Cheney tale is all fiction

Here's an opinion piece by the mayor of Klamath Falls and Dan Keppen, who is one of the main characters in Battle for the Klamath, arguing that the Washington Post series (below) and other allegations about the Bush Administration's role in the Klamath controversy are false and "anti-farmer".

In the documentary, I made an effort to talk with people on both sides of the issue, and I found few people who were anti-farmer, or anti-Indian tribe, but many people who wanted too much of a resource that was not, and is not, readily available in the Klamath Basin: water.

Battle for the Klamath on FSTV on August 7th

The documentary airs throughout the day on Dish Network Channel 9415 and cable stations in 34 states. Broadcast times (EST): 2am, 5am, 9am, 4pm, and 9pm.

Washington Post series describes Cheney's impact on the Klamath controversy

This story is part of the Washington Post's terrific series on Vice President Cheney and his role in the Bush Administration. This is great reporting on the Klamath situation; Cheney's role and the quotes from Interior Department officials are stunning and show just how important this regional battle over water and fish was in the beginning of the Bush presidency.

In an ironic twist, Dylan Glenn, who was the main character in a documentary we made (Dylan's Run) before the one on the Klamath, is listed in the series as one of the "cast of characters" and is quoted in the article about the Klamath.

Rove Aide Details Klamath Actions

On May 10th, Susan Ralston, an aide to Karl Rove, gave a deposition (Here it is. Page 52) to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that included questions about Rove's involvement in diverting Klamath River water to Oregon farmers in 2002.

Tom Hamburger, then of the Wall Street Journal, first broke this story and I covered it extensively in the documentary, getting confirmation both on and off camera of Rove giving a PowerPoint presentation to a sizable group of Interior Department managers at a retreat, using the Klamath situation as an example of how policy impacts politics. I also have documents that I obtained through FOIA about the subsequent Interior Department Inspector General's investigation. I may post some at a later date.

Why did Karl Rove and his aides care about water flow levels on an obscure western river in 2002? Because they wanted to reelect Republican Gordon Smith to the Senate by appealing to agricultural interests in Oregon. Plus, as a bonus, it might give them a shot at Oregon's electoral votes in the 2004 general election. Smith was reelected, but they lost Oregon to Kerry.

Many observers thought talk of Rove's involvement in the Klamath water battle was far-fetched at the time, but Ralston's testimony, if anything, shows that Rove and his political team were far more involved than anyone suspected. If they were using government resources (including setting up a commission on the Klamath crisis) to impact a political race, it's a violation of the Hatch Act, which is a law that Congress, at least in the days when I was in Washington, takes very seriously.

A small incident? Maybe. But like the story of the fight over water and salmon in the Klamath River Basin, it may have larger implications than what it first seems.

Jason Leopold of Truthout has more.

Battle for the Klamath airs on FSTV on June 30th

The documentary airs nationally throughout the day on Dish Network Channel 9415 and cable stations in 34 states. Broadcast times (EST): 12am, 5am, 8am, 1p, 4pm and 9pm.

PBS Station KIXE to air Battle for the Klamath

The documentary airs on the Northern California PBS station on Saturday, May 26th at 9pm.