Judge orders changes in Klamath Basin plan

FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2003

A federal judge in Canada ordered the federal government to make changes to the Klamath Basin water management plan.

U.S. District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong said the plan was based on a biological opinion that violates the Endangered Species Act. Her ruling doesn't appear to affect current operations in the basin, however, which tribes, environmentalists and fishermen say fails to protect salmon.

The Yurok Tribe and the Hoopa Valley Tribe asked the court to find the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the Department of Interior, in breach of trust. Brown denied their respective summary judgment motions, saying there was a genuine dispute over the extent of the government's fiduciary responsibilities.

The Yurok Tribe is holding a protest Saturday against Klamath water management. The tribe blames Interior for the deaths of 33,000 fish last fall.

Get the Story:
Ruling rejects Klamath water plan (The Oregonian 7/18)
Klamath River 10-year plan breaks the law, judge rules (The Eureka Times-Standard 7/18)
Klamath ruling pleases salmon's allies (The San Francisco Chronicle 7/18)
Judge rejects Klamath Basin plan (AP 7/18)
Judge Orders Change in Plan to Distribute Klamath River Water (The New York Times 7/18)
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Get the Decision:
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations v. Bureau of Reclamation (July 15, 2003)

Relevant Links:
Klamath Basin Coalition - http://www.klamathbasin.info

Related Stories:
Yurok Tribe protesting Klamath Basin management (7/17)
Yurok Tribe protests DOI's water conference (7/11)
Tribes and fishermen fight for Klamath water (06/03)
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Klamath River makes group's most endangered list (4/10)
Klamath Basin named endangered place in Calif. (03/05)
Fishkill blamed on Norton water policy (01/07)
Klamath report contradicts economic impact (12/19)
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Tribe protest Klamath water cut-off (10/14)
Yurok Tribe declares fish emergency (10/11)
'Not enough water to go around' (10/7)
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