The water crisis along the California-Oregon border went from dire to catastrophic this week as federal regulators shut off irrigation water to farmers from a critical reservoir.
‘Worst day’: Water crisis deepens on California-Oregon line
Gillian Flaccus
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AP2002
FILE - This Oct. 1, 2002, file photo shows hundreds of Klamath River salmon rotting near Klamath, Calif., after restoration of irrigation to farmers upstream produced low and warm water conditions that spread disease among the fish. A severe drought is creating a water crisis not seen in more than a century for farmers, tribes and federally protected fish along the Oregon-California border. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says it won t release water into the main canal that feeds the massive Klamath Project irrigation system for the first time in 114 years, leaving many farmers and ranchers with no water at all. The agency also says it won t release water from the same dam to increase downstream water levels in the lower Klamath River, where tribes say 97% of juvenile salmon are dying from a bacterial disease caused by poor water conditions. (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta, File)
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By GILLIAN FLACCUS
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) â The water crisis along the California-Oregon border went from dire to catastrophic this week as federal regulators shut off irrigation water to farmers from a critical reservoir and said they would not send extra water to dying salmon downstream or to a half-dozen wildlife refuges that harbor millions of migrating birds each year.
In what is shaping up to be the worst water crisis in generations, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said it will not release water this season into the main canal that feeds the bulk of the massive Klamath Reclamation Project, marking a first for the 114-year-old irrigation system. The agency announced last month that hundreds of irrigators would get dramatically less water than usual, but a worsening drought picture means water will be completely shut off instead.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. NBC5 News first told you Wednesday, the Bureau of Reclamation has shut off the A Canal, the principal irrigation canal for the Klamath Project. It’s the first time, it’s converted no water, meaning thousands of farmers are without water for the irrigation season.
Thursday, several dozen took to the streets of Klamath Falls, to peacefully protest. Around 50 people gathered Thursday in front of the Klamath Irrigation District office. They’re asking for more water to be released from Upper Klamath Lake.
The group Thursday, made up of farmers, ranchers, and members of the Klamath Water Users Association, and the Klamath Irrigation District Board.