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Bureau starts flow of water solutions
published July 25, 2003
By DYLAN DARLING
For years, the different sides of the Klamath water crisis have said that a solution will come from all groups working together.
But that's easier said than done when there are lawsuits, philosophical differences and money widening the gaps between them.
In an effort to bridge these gaps, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has started the ball rolling on its "Conservation Implementation Program," with which it hopes to find a way to recover coho salmon in the Klamath River and suckers in Upper Klamath Lake while preserving the Klamath Reclamation Project.
Christine Karas, deputy manager of the project, said the project will be more than planning.
"We can't spend five years planning and then start doing things - the fish need help now," she said.
Some people might say that the program will just lead to more bureaucratic paperwork to throw on the fire, but Karas says it is something that can really work - if the sides take it seriously.
First, she wants to hear what people have to say about an 16-page document that gives an early idea of what the structure of the plan might look like.
The more responses the Bureau gets, the better and faster the program will be.
"We are really seeking input so we can put something together that can work," she said.
The different parties in the water issue - from tribes to fishermen to water users - often talk about having all the sides at the table. This could be their chance, Karas said.
And it will truly need to be all the sides for the program to work, said Glen Spain, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.
"It can't just be about one species - it has to be about the comprehensive Basin," he said.
And, to get to recovery, some concessions will have to be made, he said.
"It's not enough to get the people at the table," he said. "They have been at the table. They have to come to the table with some real solutions."
Dave Solem, manager of the Klamath Irrigation District, said he thinks the program has potential, but will see what it leads to once the groups start working through it.
The water users want to work toward recovery.
"The concept of recovery is something that would get us out of this monthly crisis type of thing," he said.
He said there is too much litigation involving the water and not enough talking.
The program could take some of the courtroom drama out of the recovery of fish, he said.
"It would save a lot of people a lot of time and a lot of money," he said.
In the program, peer review and scientific evaluation will be important, Karas said.
Also, groups will get some type of credit when they are doing things to help the cause.
"When you do something good, you should get some regulatory relief," she said.
The ideas in the draft document for pinning that bull are by no means set in stone. Rather, they are a starting point from which the plan can develop.
Karas said the final document should be done in a year to 18 months.
Conservation Implementation Program
Conservation Implementation Program
To get a copy of the initial public draft contact Christine Karas by e-mail at ckaras@mp.usbr.gov, by mail at 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR 97603, or by phone at 883-6935.
Comments are due Aug. 15.
By DYLAN DARLING
For years, the different sides of the Klamath water crisis have said that a solution will come from all groups working together.
But that's easier said than done when there are lawsuits, philosophical differences and money widening the gaps between them.
In an effort to bridge these gaps, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has started the ball rolling on its "Conservation Implementation Program," with which it hopes to find a way to recover coho salmon in the Klamath River and suckers in Upper Klamath Lake while preserving the Klamath Reclamation Project.
Christine Karas, deputy manager of the project, said the project will be more than planning.
"We can't spend five years planning and then start doing things - the fish need help now," she said.
Some people might say that the program will just lead to more bureaucratic paperwork to throw on the fire, but Karas says it is something that can really work - if the sides take it seriously.
First, she wants to hear what people have to say about an 16-page document that gives an early idea of what the structure of the plan might look like.
The more responses the Bureau gets, the better and faster the program will be.
"We are really seeking input so we can put something together that can work," she said.
The different parties in the water issue - from tribes to fishermen to water users - often talk about having all the sides at the table. This could be their chance, Karas said.
And it will truly need to be all the sides for the program to work, said Glen Spain, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.
"It can't just be about one species - it has to be about the comprehensive Basin," he said.
And, to get to recovery, some concessions will have to be made, he said.
"It's not enough to get the people at the table," he said. "They have been at the table. They have to come to the table with some real solutions."
Dave Solem, manager of the Klamath Irrigation District, said he thinks the program has potential, but will see what it leads to once the groups start working through it.
The water users want to work toward recovery.
"The concept of recovery is something that would get us out of this monthly crisis type of thing," he said.
He said there is too much litigation involving the water and not enough talking.
The program could take some of the courtroom drama out of the recovery of fish, he said.
"It would save a lot of people a lot of time and a lot of money," he said.
In the program, peer review and scientific evaluation will be important, Karas said.
Also, groups will get some type of credit when they are doing things to help the cause.
"When you do something good, you should get some regulatory relief," she said.
The ideas in the draft document for pinning that bull are by no means set in stone. Rather, they are a starting point from which the plan can develop.
Karas said the final document should be done in a year to 18 months.
Conservation Implementation Program
Conservation Implementation Program
To get a copy of the initial public draft contact Christine Karas by e-mail at ckaras@mp.usbr.gov, by mail at 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR 97603, or by phone at 883-6935.
Comments are due Aug. 15.
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