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Guest opinion: Restoration proposal unfair to many in Basin
By TOM MALLAMS
Guest Writer
The Klamath Basin has a rich history of timber and agriculture as our main industries. The hard-working citizens of the Basin have been richly blessed by the natural beauty of our area and being able to work with our natural resources.
We all know what happened to the timber industry and I see agriculture being directed down the same path. Our agriculture industry is continually changing and adapting to the demands of special interest groups. This is why I feel the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, as written, is not beneficial to all of the Klamath Basin.
Fairness is the ideal
Agriculturalists continue to be excellent stewards of the land, honing technology to increase productivity and protecting the natural resources that are so near and dear to us all.
A fair and equitable Basin-wide settlement has always been the ideal solution for the water issues in the Klamath Basin. Off-Project irrigators do not prefer litigation. Litigation is expensive, time consuming and detrimental to the entire community. We have to pay our attorney bills just as the Project irrigators do.
A recent commentary in the Herald and News announcing support for the current settlement agreement was signed by 74 individuals. A petition against the current settlement agreement, as written, with close to 300 off-Project individuals was submitted to the Klamath County Commissioners and the Herald and News.
The Klamath Basin Alliance has a separate petition with more than 600 signatures against the current settlement. It’s apparent there is no widespread support in the Basin for the current agreement as written.
In the Reclamation Project, the boards of directors of the various irrigation districts have endorsed the current agreement. However, many of the individual project irrigators openly do not favor the agreement and acknowledge that it is not an equitable agreement Basin wide.
Most people admit that they haven’t read the agreement. It isn’t an easy read, but it doesn’t take long to see major flaws and the inequity for both Project irrigators and Off-Project irrigators.
Some say the current agreement is the best we can do. I do not believe that is the case. If implemented, the current agreement, as written, will adversely affect all irrigators in the Basin, including all surface irrigators and eventually all groundwater irrigators. Ultimately, it will adversely affect the economy of the entire Basin. This will be agriculture’s “spotted owl.”
Off-Project irrigators have group
There have been claims that there is no organized group representing off-Project irrigators.
That claim is absolutely false.
Already in place is the Klamath Off-Project Water Users Association Power Group, which has been engaged in the power issues since 2005.
Sprague River Water Re-source Foundation and the Re-source Conservancy umbrella organization represent virtually all of the contestants in the ad-judication and they represent the vast majority of all Off-Project irrigators. Sprague River Water Resource Foundation has been active in water-related issues for more than 25 years, settling many claims in the adjudication. Resource Conservancy has been actively engaged in the issues for more than 11 years. To form yet another group seems redundant.
The Klamath County Commissioners organized facilitated meetings between Project irrigators, the Klamath Tribes, and an acceptable off-Project water user representation months ago to keep dialogue moving and to look for common ground.
Unfortunately for the Klamath Basin, the Project irrigators and Klamath Tribes refuse to meet with us.
We have been labeled uncooperative and uncompromising. Yet the Off-Project Water Users Power Group, Sprague River Water Resource Foundation, and Resource Conservancy are the only groups that are still willing and waiting for the meetings to take place.
I encourage everyone to read through this settlement agreement completely and realize what is at stake here and what you will be giving up if you sign on the dotted line to accept it as written.
Remember what one of our nation’s great founding fathers Benjamin Franklin said, “They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety.”
About the author
Tom Mallams has been an irrigator in the Upper Basin for more than 30 years and has been active in agricultural and water issues for more than 25 years. He is president of Klamath Off-Project Water Users Association Power Group, serves on the board of directors for Klamath Soil and Water Conservation District, currently chairs the Headwaters Local Advisory Committee and is past president of Sprague River Water Users Association.
We all know what happened to the timber industry and I see agriculture being directed down the same path. Our agriculture industry is continually changing and adapting to the demands of special interest groups. This is why I feel the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, as written, is not beneficial to all of the Klamath Basin.
Fairness is the ideal
Agriculturalists continue to be excellent stewards of the land, honing technology to increase productivity and protecting the natural resources that are so near and dear to us all.
A fair and equitable Basin-wide settlement has always been the ideal solution for the water issues in the Klamath Basin. Off-Project irrigators do not prefer litigation. Litigation is expensive, time consuming and detrimental to the entire community. We have to pay our attorney bills just as the Project irrigators do.
A recent commentary in the Herald and News announcing support for the current settlement agreement was signed by 74 individuals. A petition against the current settlement agreement, as written, with close to 300 off-Project individuals was submitted to the Klamath County Commissioners and the Herald and News.
The Klamath Basin Alliance has a separate petition with more than 600 signatures against the current settlement. It’s apparent there is no widespread support in the Basin for the current agreement as written.
In the Reclamation Project, the boards of directors of the various irrigation districts have endorsed the current agreement. However, many of the individual project irrigators openly do not favor the agreement and acknowledge that it is not an equitable agreement Basin wide.
Most people admit that they haven’t read the agreement. It isn’t an easy read, but it doesn’t take long to see major flaws and the inequity for both Project irrigators and Off-Project irrigators.
Some say the current agreement is the best we can do. I do not believe that is the case. If implemented, the current agreement, as written, will adversely affect all irrigators in the Basin, including all surface irrigators and eventually all groundwater irrigators. Ultimately, it will adversely affect the economy of the entire Basin. This will be agriculture’s “spotted owl.”
Off-Project irrigators have group
There have been claims that there is no organized group representing off-Project irrigators.
That claim is absolutely false.
Already in place is the Klamath Off-Project Water Users Association Power Group, which has been engaged in the power issues since 2005.
Sprague River Water Re-source Foundation and the Re-source Conservancy umbrella organization represent virtually all of the contestants in the ad-judication and they represent the vast majority of all Off-Project irrigators. Sprague River Water Resource Foundation has been active in water-related issues for more than 25 years, settling many claims in the adjudication. Resource Conservancy has been actively engaged in the issues for more than 11 years. To form yet another group seems redundant.
The Klamath County Commissioners organized facilitated meetings between Project irrigators, the Klamath Tribes, and an acceptable off-Project water user representation months ago to keep dialogue moving and to look for common ground.
Unfortunately for the Klamath Basin, the Project irrigators and Klamath Tribes refuse to meet with us.
We have been labeled uncooperative and uncompromising. Yet the Off-Project Water Users Power Group, Sprague River Water Resource Foundation, and Resource Conservancy are the only groups that are still willing and waiting for the meetings to take place.
I encourage everyone to read through this settlement agreement completely and realize what is at stake here and what you will be giving up if you sign on the dotted line to accept it as written.
Remember what one of our nation’s great founding fathers Benjamin Franklin said, “They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety.”
About the author
Tom Mallams has been an irrigator in the Upper Basin for more than 30 years and has been active in agricultural and water issues for more than 25 years. He is president of Klamath Off-Project Water Users Association Power Group, serves on the board of directors for Klamath Soil and Water Conservation District, currently chairs the Headwaters Local Advisory Committee and is past president of Sprague River Water Users Association.
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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.
richard wrote on Nov 18, 2008 5:16 PM:
" to get real:
calm down! Relax..
I guess you'd have to know me to understand my style of satire.
Several of my friends called to tell me, how hystericaly funny the posting was.
I was only trying to find common ground with Lacroix (for once).... lol
Although the facts I stated are true, I really dont care how much water you waste. Your paying to pump it out of the ground sooo knock yourself out.
By the way my car washing water hose has a water miser nozzel. Does your water cannon?? ...lol "
calm down! Relax..
I guess you'd have to know me to understand my style of satire.
Several of my friends called to tell me, how hystericaly funny the posting was.
I was only trying to find common ground with Lacroix (for once).... lol
Although the facts I stated are true, I really dont care how much water you waste. Your paying to pump it out of the ground sooo knock yourself out.
By the way my car washing water hose has a water miser nozzel. Does your water cannon?? ...lol "
Please get real wrote on Nov 18, 2008 3:28 PM:
" To Richard,
What a shame you have to re-polish a $250,000 car because it gets some ag water on it now and then. Maybe you should cover it while transporting to events if it is reallly that bad - if I had anything worth $250,000 that I took out on the road, I might cover it - or retain a car buff enthusiast (responsible neighborhood kid for $50 or $100 bucks) to clean it for me.
Hope you never have to go hungry due to your attitude.
No one likes to waste water and it is almost always impossible to contain a mechanical system that depends on pressurization to "be perfect" - you can rest assured that the farmer/rancher doesn't liike the water on the road either and tries to fix it ASAP. "
What a shame you have to re-polish a $250,000 car because it gets some ag water on it now and then. Maybe you should cover it while transporting to events if it is reallly that bad - if I had anything worth $250,000 that I took out on the road, I might cover it - or retain a car buff enthusiast (responsible neighborhood kid for $50 or $100 bucks) to clean it for me.
Hope you never have to go hungry due to your attitude.
No one likes to waste water and it is almost always impossible to contain a mechanical system that depends on pressurization to "be perfect" - you can rest assured that the farmer/rancher doesn't liike the water on the road either and tries to fix it ASAP. "
Bettingdf wrote on Nov 18, 2008 3:22 PM:
" Many ranchers in the upper reaches of Klamath County (above the lake tributaries) have never used fertilizer on their property. A natural occurrence of the phosphorus bearing mineral, apatite, has created a naturally occurring system rich in phosphorus - totally unrelated to man. Too bad, some people don't know what they are talking about on these blogs.
Talk about wasted water - if the 300,000 - 500,000 acre feet of water that flows out of the Basin and down the Klamath River in each of these winter storm runoff events were stored for later use, we wouldn't have most of the shortage problems in the summer. Long Lake is a good example, but it will never be ulitilzed because the government is going to waste a billion dollars implementing the KBRA agreement, and it still won't keep the radical far left enviromentalists from suing in court when the first drop of water goes to the irrigators under the KBRA.
Anyone who was not a signatory to the "agreement" can sue and WILL sue - they've already said so.
My prediction will be Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and Oregon Wild (ONRC) will figure prominently in the first suit against the coalition representing the KBRA. It will be heavily funded by environmental groups who are unhappy with the water going to the project irrigators in the KBRA and the Bush Administrations's involvement. Any bets??? "
Talk about wasted water - if the 300,000 - 500,000 acre feet of water that flows out of the Basin and down the Klamath River in each of these winter storm runoff events were stored for later use, we wouldn't have most of the shortage problems in the summer. Long Lake is a good example, but it will never be ulitilzed because the government is going to waste a billion dollars implementing the KBRA agreement, and it still won't keep the radical far left enviromentalists from suing in court when the first drop of water goes to the irrigators under the KBRA.
Anyone who was not a signatory to the "agreement" can sue and WILL sue - they've already said so.
My prediction will be Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and Oregon Wild (ONRC) will figure prominently in the first suit against the coalition representing the KBRA. It will be heavily funded by environmental groups who are unhappy with the water going to the project irrigators in the KBRA and the Bush Administrations's involvement. Any bets??? "
joe wrote on Nov 17, 2008 8:57 AM:
" Agriculturalists continue to be excellent stewards of the land.
farming practices are dated, and wastefull. allthewhile using horrible chemicals to achieve results in the fall. I know what farmers put on the ground and its scary. monsanto and sygenta are some scarry, profit driven names. Whose mere uttereance makes carcinogens flock to from my weary lymphnodes. heres one example of a herbicide, sygentas atrazine, or as i call it "the white snot of death." it was banned because it gets into the watertable and works it's way up the food chain. also it never really goes away. well there was a loophole in the ban and now its back on the market and used extensively. monsanto, on the other hand, has been making eerie chemicals that predate agent orange (yeah the guys that make roundup made agent orange). so in conclusion i wouldnt say that farmers are "excellent" stewards, but average. "
farming practices are dated, and wastefull. allthewhile using horrible chemicals to achieve results in the fall. I know what farmers put on the ground and its scary. monsanto and sygenta are some scarry, profit driven names. Whose mere uttereance makes carcinogens flock to from my weary lymphnodes. heres one example of a herbicide, sygentas atrazine, or as i call it "the white snot of death." it was banned because it gets into the watertable and works it's way up the food chain. also it never really goes away. well there was a loophole in the ban and now its back on the market and used extensively. monsanto, on the other hand, has been making eerie chemicals that predate agent orange (yeah the guys that make roundup made agent orange). so in conclusion i wouldnt say that farmers are "excellent" stewards, but average. "
richard wrote on Nov 17, 2008 6:41 AM:
" It isn't very often I agree with Lacr0ix:
This time I feel his/her comments are right on. I to am appauled at the wasted water going on to the hwy. by all those (stuck) water cannons pointed directly toward the roads and the run off channels filled to capasity with wasted water.
On a personal note: I own and enjoy showing about 40 times a year, spring, summer and fall a classic car of about $250,000. It is a personal irration to have to re-polish the car after driving to a show with an additional 8 hrs of work mto get all that slimw water off the chrome and finish. I have even consideded a little rifle practice on some of the lines feeding those misdirected water cannons. Of course I wouldnt do it, but its a fun thought while repolishing the car. "
This time I feel his/her comments are right on. I to am appauled at the wasted water going on to the hwy. by all those (stuck) water cannons pointed directly toward the roads and the run off channels filled to capasity with wasted water.
On a personal note: I own and enjoy showing about 40 times a year, spring, summer and fall a classic car of about $250,000. It is a personal irration to have to re-polish the car after driving to a show with an additional 8 hrs of work mto get all that slimw water off the chrome and finish. I have even consideded a little rifle practice on some of the lines feeding those misdirected water cannons. Of course I wouldnt do it, but its a fun thought while repolishing the car. "
Lacr0ix wrote on Nov 16, 2008 10:40 AM:
" Obviously it's not "beneficial to ALL" - because SOMEONE has to give.
As far as growers being "excellent stewards" - go drive around and see the over-pumping, over-irrigating, and "watering the road all day long". Go look at the chemicals being sprayed and the clogged-up Lost River and then say that with a straight face? People used to fish in Lost River...
"Fair" is the purview of children, fools, and politicians. It is the cry of the spoiled and privileged whenever their status-quo is threatened.
I'm all for basin agriculture - I'm for buying locally-grown food. I'm not for irrelevant appeals, short-sightedness, or the same old sloppy way of doing things. Digging in the heels isn't going to accomplish anything but wasting time and energy and furthering divisiveness.
Using childish terms like "fair" (to me and mine) is likewise unproductive. The climate is changing (naturally so), the population is growing, and we're going to have to get along and be productive.
I'm anxious to hear SOMEONE involved in this water issue stop with the chidishness and greed-talk and get on with realizing that EVERYONE is going to have to give a bit to resolve it. "
As far as growers being "excellent stewards" - go drive around and see the over-pumping, over-irrigating, and "watering the road all day long". Go look at the chemicals being sprayed and the clogged-up Lost River and then say that with a straight face? People used to fish in Lost River...
"Fair" is the purview of children, fools, and politicians. It is the cry of the spoiled and privileged whenever their status-quo is threatened.
I'm all for basin agriculture - I'm for buying locally-grown food. I'm not for irrelevant appeals, short-sightedness, or the same old sloppy way of doing things. Digging in the heels isn't going to accomplish anything but wasting time and energy and furthering divisiveness.
Using childish terms like "fair" (to me and mine) is likewise unproductive. The climate is changing (naturally so), the population is growing, and we're going to have to get along and be productive.
I'm anxious to hear SOMEONE involved in this water issue stop with the chidishness and greed-talk and get on with realizing that EVERYONE is going to have to give a bit to resolve it. "
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DeLux wrote on Nov 20, 2008 10:57 AM: