Print Version
Email this story
Comment
Bettenberg back for water, land talks
published Nov. 18, 2003
By DYLAN DARLING
A Bush administration official overseeing negotiations on various land and water issues visited the Klamath Basin on Monday to meet with an informal group of interested parties.
Bill Bettenberg, director of the U.S. Interior Department's Office of Policy and Analysis, talked with about a dozen people at the Shilo Inn, including representatives of the Klamath Tribes and agricultural interests.
The group discussed a variety of water management scenarios using a computer model.
Dan Keppen, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, said the model shows how tweaking different elements throughout the Basin affects everything as a whole.
Keppen said the three factors with the biggest potential for changing how much water is available in the Basin are increased storage, water right transfers, and decreased outflows from Iron Gate Dam.
In the short term, the group is focusing on conservation and restoration efforts to decrease demand for water.
Jim Root, board member of the Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust and one of the group's designated spokesmen, said the group is working to get recommendations of how to level the water balance in the Basin together.
"These are citizens trying to get something down here on the ground," he said.
He said government officials such as Bettenberg are there to share information with the group that it couldn't come up with on its own.
The group is set to met again on Dec. 1. After that meeting, Root said the group should have some recommendations to share with the public. He said the group feels like it can find recommendations.
"There is also an air of optimism - what appeared to be a confounded problem has potentially a lot of solutions attached to it," he said.
Among those at Monday's meeting were Root; Keppen; Klamath Tribes Chairman Allen Foreman, former Tribes Chairman Jeff Mitchell; Upper Basin water users Chuck Bacchi, Jim Popson, Becky Hyde and Bob Sanders; Klamath Reclamation Project Manager Dave Sabo; Water for Life President Doug Whitsett; Klamath Water Users Association president Dave Solem; Tulelake farmers John Crawford and Gary Wright; Rangeland Trust scientist Chrysten Lambert and Rangeland Trust board member Kurt Thomas.
By DYLAN DARLING
A Bush administration official overseeing negotiations on various land and water issues visited the Klamath Basin on Monday to meet with an informal group of interested parties.
Bill Bettenberg, director of the U.S. Interior Department's Office of Policy and Analysis, talked with about a dozen people at the Shilo Inn, including representatives of the Klamath Tribes and agricultural interests.
The group discussed a variety of water management scenarios using a computer model.
Dan Keppen, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, said the model shows how tweaking different elements throughout the Basin affects everything as a whole.
Keppen said the three factors with the biggest potential for changing how much water is available in the Basin are increased storage, water right transfers, and decreased outflows from Iron Gate Dam.
In the short term, the group is focusing on conservation and restoration efforts to decrease demand for water.
Jim Root, board member of the Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust and one of the group's designated spokesmen, said the group is working to get recommendations of how to level the water balance in the Basin together.
"These are citizens trying to get something down here on the ground," he said.
He said government officials such as Bettenberg are there to share information with the group that it couldn't come up with on its own.
The group is set to met again on Dec. 1. After that meeting, Root said the group should have some recommendations to share with the public. He said the group feels like it can find recommendations.
"There is also an air of optimism - what appeared to be a confounded problem has potentially a lot of solutions attached to it," he said.
Among those at Monday's meeting were Root; Keppen; Klamath Tribes Chairman Allen Foreman, former Tribes Chairman Jeff Mitchell; Upper Basin water users Chuck Bacchi, Jim Popson, Becky Hyde and Bob Sanders; Klamath Reclamation Project Manager Dave Sabo; Water for Life President Doug Whitsett; Klamath Water Users Association president Dave Solem; Tulelake farmers John Crawford and Gary Wright; Rangeland Trust scientist Chrysten Lambert and Rangeland Trust board member Kurt Thomas.
 |
||
| Storm blows through Surprise Valley |
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
RSS