URL: https://www.indianz.com/News/archives/002139.asp

Thursday, October 23, 2003

Klamath Tribes chairman Allen Foreman on Wednesday said he was encouraged after an initial review of a new report on the water-fish war in the Klamath Basin.

Foreman said the National Research Council report "clearly acknowledges the need for large-scale ecosystem and fish habitat restoration in the Klamath Basin, and that is promising. It also emphasizes that additional withdrawals of water from Upper Klamath Lake cannot be reconciled with the needs of fisheries."

Foreman said the tribes, based in Oregon, are still reviewing the lengthy document, released on Tuesday. "Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River Basin: Causes of Decline and Strategies for Recovery" calls for long-term restoration efforts to protect endangered and threatened fish in the basin. It blames low runs not on non-Indian farmers who draw water from the basin but on the ecosystem.

The report also lets the Department of Interior off the hook for a massive fishkill that occurred las summer in the lower half of the basin. The Yurok Tribe blames the Bush administration's water policies on the deaths of more than 33,000 salmon.

According to The Eureka Times-Standard, the conclusion contradicts a draft report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. The paper said the draft blames low water flows for the fishkill.

Get the Story:
Study recommends massive effort to restore Klamath (The Eureka Times-Standard 10/22)
Scientists offer Klamath remedies (The Oregonian 10/22)

Get the Report:
Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River Basin: Causes of Decline and Strategies for Recovery (October 21, 2003)

Relevant Links:
Resource Allocation in the Klamath Basin: An Assessment of Natural Resource, Economic, Social, and Institutional Issues - http://eesc.orst.edu/klamath
Klamath Tribes - http://www.klamathtribes.org
Klamath Basin in Crisis - http://www.klamathbasincrisis.org

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Environmentalists at odds with Klamath Tribes (10/20)
Klamath Tribes reject proposal to restore land base (10/15)
Klamath Tribes hopeful for water and land agreement (10/06)
DOI to probe White House interference on Klamath (09/08)
Editorial: Tribes sacrificed for political gain (08/06)
McCaleb: White House had 'chilling effect' on BIA (07/30)
Klamath celebration criticized (5/20)
Report cites danger to Klamath fish (5/17)
Salmon sacrificed in Klamath battle (5/3)
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Lawsuit filed on Klamath water (4/25)
Klamath land transfer raises fears (4/22)
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Klamath Tribes criticize farm aid (3/19)
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Klamath panel criticized for report (3/8)
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Racism and the Klamath basin war (1/16)
Eagles returning to Klamath refuge (1/15)
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Bush pledges help for Klamath farmers (1/7)
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Klamath farmers file new lawsuit (10/12)
Meeting held over Klamath water (9/27)
Denying farmers water was right, says tribe (9/5)
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Norton asks for review of Klamath decision (8/2)
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Norton releases water for angry farmers (7/25)
Ore. farmers seek water diversion (7/20)
Court upholds sacred site protection (9/12)
Norton won't convene 'God squad' (7/16)
Ore. town helps feisty farmers (7/12)
Authorities let farmers break law (7/9)
Farmers break into Ore. canal (7/6)
Farmers protest water for tribes, fish (5/8)
Water use upheld for tribes, salmon (5/1)
Tribes, groups discuss water project (4/24)
Klamath steelhead proposed as threatened (2/21)

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