Klamath farmers bank on fish in California drought conflict
It’s a strange place to find fish, deep in the high desert, where drought-baked earth butts against scrubby mountains. But water spews from the hot springs on Ron Barnes’ land near the California-Oregon border, pure and perfect for rearing c’waam and koptu, two kinds of endangered suckerfish sacred to Native American tribes. Barnes, who holds an advanced degree in aquaculture from UC Davis, has dug dozens of ponds on his property and filled them with thousands of young suckerfish.