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Use Lost River
published April 24, 2003
Does all of the water used to irrigate come out of the Klamath River drainage basin? This is what the sue-mentalists would have you believe. In fact, that is what the Bureau of Reclamation implies.
The map of the "Klamath" Project suggests that perhaps a name change is in order. Lost River is like the elephant in the living room that no one wants to acknowledge.
When the project was started, no electricity or pumps were available, so Lost River was considered useless. This attitude seems to prevail 100 years later. Historically, the two basins commingled only during flood periods that created a shallow swamp (the Everglades).
To control the water, the Lost River diversion canal was built. Lost River was dammed and the canal which supposedly "runs both ways" carries water into Lake Ewauna. Actually, it remains at the level or elevation of Lake Ewauna. There is no dam at the confluence of the canal and lake.
During the water cutoff, the Bureau ordered more than 30,000 cubic feet per second dumped out of Gerber Reservoir, (or was it Clear Lake Reservoir?) to be sent to the ocean.
There are no records of flows from Lost River into Lake Ewauna. The sucker fish known to populate Clear Lake Reservoir and Tule Lake have never been counted in Lost River.
The C canal, which is the main carrier of A canal water to a great percentage of the greater Klamath Basin, actually crosses the Lost River Diversion canal.
Are these facts, problems, or part of several possible solutions to making the Klamath Project more efficient? After all, Lost River isn't "wild and scenic." It doesn't (naturally) flow into the Klamath River, so it's "salmon safe." Its banks are predominately privately owned. The sue-mentalists have already sued the poor little town of Merrill. The Oregon Natural Resources Council thinks Lost River is a man-made ditch.
Maybe it's time to unloose Lost River.
Linda Micka
Box 125
Merrill
Does all of the water used to irrigate come out of the Klamath River drainage basin? This is what the sue-mentalists would have you believe. In fact, that is what the Bureau of Reclamation implies.
The map of the "Klamath" Project suggests that perhaps a name change is in order. Lost River is like the elephant in the living room that no one wants to acknowledge.
When the project was started, no electricity or pumps were available, so Lost River was considered useless. This attitude seems to prevail 100 years later. Historically, the two basins commingled only during flood periods that created a shallow swamp (the Everglades).
To control the water, the Lost River diversion canal was built. Lost River was dammed and the canal which supposedly "runs both ways" carries water into Lake Ewauna. Actually, it remains at the level or elevation of Lake Ewauna. There is no dam at the confluence of the canal and lake.
During the water cutoff, the Bureau ordered more than 30,000 cubic feet per second dumped out of Gerber Reservoir, (or was it Clear Lake Reservoir?) to be sent to the ocean.
There are no records of flows from Lost River into Lake Ewauna. The sucker fish known to populate Clear Lake Reservoir and Tule Lake have never been counted in Lost River.
The C canal, which is the main carrier of A canal water to a great percentage of the greater Klamath Basin, actually crosses the Lost River Diversion canal.
Are these facts, problems, or part of several possible solutions to making the Klamath Project more efficient? After all, Lost River isn't "wild and scenic." It doesn't (naturally) flow into the Klamath River, so it's "salmon safe." Its banks are predominately privately owned. The sue-mentalists have already sued the poor little town of Merrill. The Oregon Natural Resources Council thinks Lost River is a man-made ditch.
Maybe it's time to unloose Lost River.
Linda Micka
Box 125
Merrill
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