Smith: No regrets on Klamath role

Post from the Oregonian's political blog on Senator Gordon Smith's statement that he has no regrets regarding the massive 2002 Klamath River fish kill.

A scene from the devestating 2002 fish kill on the Klamath River

Posted by The Oregonian August 08, 2007 14:51PM

Sen. Gordon Smith says he doesn't regret helping restore water to Klamath Basin farmers in 2002, despite the massive salmon die-off that followed on the Klamath River. In fact, Smith questions whether the diversion to farmers was the cause of the fish kills - a position severely at odds with environmentalists and one that is likely to keep the issue alive politically.

Smith said in an interview with the editorial board of The Eugene Register-Guard that he thought the die-off was more likely a result of disease and said: "I am not here to make any apologies.I am proud to fight for the farmers or any group of Americans whom the federal government says has no standing, no water. I just find that offensive."

Smith said he was also unaware that Vice President Dick Cheney had intervened with federal officials to restore the flow of water to farmers. A recent Washington Post series that detailed Cheney's involvement in the Klamath issue led to a new round of congressional hearings that began last week.

Steve Pedery, conservation director of Oregon Wild, said that for Smith to say he has "no regrets about the biggest fish kill in Northwest history is just astonishing." He and other environmentalists pointed to a report by the California Department of Fish and Game that said the low flows played an important role in the die-off. Pedery also scoffed at Smith's claim that the fish kills occurred 18 months after water was diverted to farmers. He said the diversions started in March of 2002 and water levels in the river remained low when the die-off started in September of that year.

-Jeff Mapes