FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oregon Wild Statement on NMFS Biological Opinion for Klamath Irrigation Project

Reaction to the new biological opinion for coho salmon that reduces river flow as compared to prior, court-mandated BiOp.

Background:
In 1998, coho salmon in the Klamath River were listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act, after years of decline due to excessive water diversions, pollution, and dams. In 2001, the Klamath Basin suffered a severe drought, leading to significant reductions in water for agricultural interests, bare-minimum river flows for salmon, and a near total cut-off of water to wetlands in the Klamath Basin’s important National Wildlife Refuges.  In 2002, the Bush administration overturned protections for salmon in order to maximize irrigation deliveries, sparking a massive fish kill in the Klamath River and a series of legal battles over water.

Today, with the Klamath Basin facing another severe drought, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar appears to be taking a page from the Bush administration’s 2002 play book.   Salazar’s new water plan for the Klamath Basin would significantly reduce water flows for threatened salmon in the Klamath River, particularly during the critical fall months when adults are returning to the river to spawn.

Statement of Steve Pedery, Conservation Director for Oregon Wild:

“For over a decade we’ve struggled with the question of how to reduce the negative impact that the Klamath Irrigation Project has on threatened fish and wildlife. The question becomes more immediate every time we have a drought. All indications show that this year will be a severe drought and we will be tested in our response. This BiOp is evidence that the Obama administration is failing that test.

“We all know that drought is hard on everyone. Fish, wildlife, and people all suffer. For one hundred years, salmon and other important wildlife have been last on the list for scarce water and have shouldered the biggest burden in drought years. Unfortunately, the new Biological Opinion continues this sad tradition of giving salmon and wildlife the leftovers. The Obama administration has taken a page from the Bush Klamath playbook. The new river flow levels reduce water for fish and wildlife nearly across the board.

“The drought years of 2001 and 2002 showed us that if we keep the Klamath Irrigation Project at its current size, we’ll never be able to recover threatened salmon and wildlife. Instead of spending the last eight years addressing this problem, the federal government has continued its attempt to spread not enough water to too many parties. Instead, the government and all interested stakeholders should develop a serious plan for reducing the demand for water inside the Klamath Irrigation Project. We cannot cut back river flows any further without pushing Klamath River salmon to extinction. Droughts are a fact of life in the Klamath and until we reduce the overall demand for water we’ll continue to face this crisis every dry year.”

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