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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2002

An interim report by the National Academy of Sciences has found that federal wildlife officials based their decision to shut off water to non-Indian farmers in the Klamath Basin on faulty science.

According to news organizations which obtained a copy of the report, the academy says biological opinions on endangered and threatened species of fish were flawed. The opinions were used as justification to deny water to farmers on the Oregon-California border.

Another reason for the shut-off was upholding trust responsibilities to the Klamath Tribes of Oregon and the Yurok Tribe of California, The tribes consider the fish sacred and use them for subsistence purposes.

The report was commissioned by Secretary of Interior Gale Norton in response to the complaints of non-Indian farmers. It is due to be released officially on Wednesday.

Get the Story:
New Report Roils Western Water War (The Washington Post 2/4)
Experts Say Farms, Not Fish, Should Get Disputed Water (The Los Angeles Times 2/4)
Review finds flaws in federal biological opinions that allowed Klamath water cutoff (AP 2/3)

Relevant Links:
Resource Alloocation 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

Related Stories:
Norton wants water for non-Indians (1/29)
Racism and the Klamath basin war (1/16)
Eagles returning to Klamath refuge (1/15)
Who is Gale Norton? (1/14)
Bush pledges help for Klamath farmers (1/7)
Tribes 'terrorized' by white men (12/20)
Klamath water dispute subject of review (11/6)
Klamath farmers file new lawsuit (10/12)
Meeting held over Klamath water (9/27)
Denying farmers water was right, says tribe (9/5)
Klamath protesters stage barbecue (8/30)
Calm as water shut off in Oregon (8/24)
Klamath farmers prepare for water shut-off (8/23)
Protest held over Klamath water (8/22)
Klamath water war continues (8/14)
Norton asks for review of Klamath decision (8/2)
Violence feared among Klamath farmers (7/27)
Norton releases water for angry farmers (7/25)
Ore. farmers seek water diversion (7/20)
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)