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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2002

A federal biologist filed for whistleblower protection on Monday, citing political pressure in a decision to restore water to non-Indian farmers in the Klamath River Basin.

Michael Kelly of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) said his agency's scientific recommendations were rejected twice. Once by the Department of Justice and another by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), which reports to the Department of Interior.

Kelly alleges the BOR suppressed an NMFS report in order to restore water to non-Indian farmers. Copies of the altered documents and his description of what occurred are linked below.

Get the Story:
Federal Biologist Invokes Whistleblower Act (The Los Angeles Times 10/29)
Username: indianz, Password: indianzcom
Finger-pointing follows Klamath fish die-off (The Chico Enterprise-Record 10/29)
Feds shun special Klamath hearing (The Eureka Times-Standard 10/29)

Relevant Documents:
Kelly Narrative | Original Report | Altered Report

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Yurok Tribe files Klamath lawsuit (10/23)
Norton blamed for Klamath fishkill (10/16)
Tribe protest Klamath water cut-off (10/14)
Yurok Tribe declares fish emergency (10/11)
'Not enough water to go around' (10/7)
DOI takes no blame for Klamath fish kill (10/3)
Time to count dead fish at Klamath (10/1)
Norton reverses decision on Klamath water (9/30)
Tribes estimate 30,000 dead salmon (9/27)
Salmon dying in Klamath River (9/25)
Water woes affect Calif. tribes (8/26)
Calif. tribes still waiting for water (8/22)
Interior sued over river plan (1/10)
Plan would help restore salmon to river (12/20)