Hearing finds evidence of river science manipulation

Startling new evidence was revealed Tuesday during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on whether government officials manipulated science in order to divert water from the Klamath River. The Department of Commerce’s Inspector General testified that department officials bypassed key oversight mechanisms when creating a biological opinion on how a water diversion would affect endangered fish in the Klamath. The final biological opinion, which was later found in violation of the Endangered Species Act, contributed to the deaths of 80,000 spawning salmon.

Startling new evidence was revealed Tuesday during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on whether government officials manipulated science in order to divert water from the Klamath River. The Department of Commerce’s Inspector General testified that department officials bypassed key oversight mechanisms when creating a biological opinion on how a water diversion would affect endangered fish in the Klamath. The final biological opinion, which was later found in violation of the Endangered Species Act, contributed to the deaths of 80,000 spawning salmon.

“Today’s hearing is clear evidence that the scientific process behind the water diversion was purposely manipulated by government officials,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson.

The hearing was held by the House Natural Resources Committee in response to a request made by Thompson and 35 of his Democratic colleagues from California and Oregon. They called for the hearing because of the reported pressure Vice President Dick Cheney placed upon the Department of Interior to, as the Washington Post stated in their June investigative report, “prioritize economic interests over protected fish.” The Post reported that the vice president called for water to be diverted from the Klamath River Basin to farms in Oregon in order to secure the farmers’ votes.