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Legislation introduced for Basin water crisis
published April 10, 2003
Legislation designed to "resolve the water crisis in the Klamath Basin" was introduced today in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa Valley, Calif., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., introduced the Klamath River Basin Res-toration and Emergency Assistance Act, which would provide $200 million to landowners and tribes throughout the Klamath Basin who participate in water conservation projects.
The bill would merge upper and lower Klamath Basin working groups, provide $20 million in emergency financial assistance to communities affected by last September's salmon fish kill, and require the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to make quarterly reports to Congress on Klamath Basin conservation projects.
Similar legislation was introduced by Thompson late last year.
"The over-subscription of Klamath River water by 100,000 acre feet each year, in conjunction with a poor water management policy by the administration, has caused an environmental and economic catastrophe in the lower Klamath Basin," Thompson said.
"Previously, little at-tention has been paid to communities on the lower river," Thompson added. "Nobody wants to repeat the fish kill disaster, or revisit the impacts the drought had on the producers in the upper basin. We need to bring all parties together to eliminate the competing interests and find feasible solutions."
Legislation designed to "resolve the water crisis in the Klamath Basin" was introduced today in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa Valley, Calif., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., introduced the Klamath River Basin Res-toration and Emergency Assistance Act, which would provide $200 million to landowners and tribes throughout the Klamath Basin who participate in water conservation projects.
The bill would merge upper and lower Klamath Basin working groups, provide $20 million in emergency financial assistance to communities affected by last September's salmon fish kill, and require the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to make quarterly reports to Congress on Klamath Basin conservation projects.
Similar legislation was introduced by Thompson late last year.
"The over-subscription of Klamath River water by 100,000 acre feet each year, in conjunction with a poor water management policy by the administration, has caused an environmental and economic catastrophe in the lower Klamath Basin," Thompson said.
"Previously, little at-tention has been paid to communities on the lower river," Thompson added. "Nobody wants to repeat the fish kill disaster, or revisit the impacts the drought had on the producers in the upper basin. We need to bring all parties together to eliminate the competing interests and find feasible solutions."
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