Posted on Aug 21, 2022
Feds cut water off to Klamath farmers for remainder of season
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Federal officials announced on Thursday that water will be cut off to farmers in the Klamath Basin for the rest of the irrigation season.
The announcement from the federal Bureau of Reclamation was addressed to three irrigation districts in the farming communities along the Oregon-California border. It marks the end of available water that can be diverted from Upper Klamath Lake, the large body of water that feeds farms and several National Wildlife Refuges along the state line.
According to Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, residents are frustrated because of mixed messages about how much water they would get this year.
“There’s been just quite a lot of changing of information and expectations created and changed that have made this extremely troubling and not well received,” Simmons said.
The announcement from the federal Bureau of Reclamation was addressed to three irrigation districts in the farming communities along the Oregon-California border. It marks the end of available water that can be diverted from Upper Klamath Lake, the large body of water that feeds farms and several National Wildlife Refuges along the state line.
According to Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, residents are frustrated because of mixed messages about how much water they would get this year.
“There’s been just quite a lot of changing of information and expectations created and changed that have made this extremely troubling and not well received,” Simmons said.
Feds cut water off to Klamath farmers for remainder of season
Posted from opb.org
Farming
Agriculture
Water
State of California
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good morning Brother William, solid read and share, keep them coming.
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Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth
MSG Stan Hutchison - This isn't all about users wanting all they can get...this is also about farmers being able to produce and make it thorugh to do it again next year. Typical of the way our nation is going.
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MSG Stan Hutchison
Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth - I am very familiar with that. We have a very limited supply of water and it must be controlled. Everyone wants, everyone needs, so there has to be a means to ration.
And it is going to get worse.
And it is going to get worse.
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Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth
MSG Stan Hutchison - Got it. But farmers need...watering your yard and washing your car is a want. I don't know the answer bu I can say if the farmers lose thier crops, that could be disastrous in many ways.
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Israel has found a way to irrigate in an austere environment -- seems the US could do the same with the Pacific -- but the solution is rationing?
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MSG Stan Hutchison
You might want to check the difference in the size of those two countries.
However, I agree we should do more toward desalination of ocean waters. But that is a "too-green" idea for some.
However, I agree we should do more toward desalination of ocean waters. But that is a "too-green" idea for some.
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CSM Chuck Stafford
Not sure how green the process is, but it is relatively inexpensive at 2 (almost 3) desalinization plants per $1B invested. Our western coast would be easily in the top 10 in GDP and most likely closer to top 5 if it were a separate country, so size is moot. Solving issues is a better COA in the long run than bandaids over problems...
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