Federal actions on water frustrate Klamath farmers
A decades-long tussle over water continues at the California-Oregon border, as irrigators of the federal Klamath Water Project say they find themselves hamstrung again by environmental regulations and operating procedures prioritizing protected fish over the needs of agriculture—the economic engine for local communities. … Tulelake farmer Ben DuVal, president of the Klamath Water Users Association, said he is frustrated by “a complete breakdown in management” at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which “built this project, and they essentially are not taking care of it.” After three years of drought and little to no water allocated to the project during that time, Reclamation, which manages the Klamath Project, put in place temporary operating procedures in January.