It was a remarkable day

Five years ago, on April 7, the Bureau of Reclamation shut off the irrigation water to ranchers and farmers in the Klamath Reclamation Project. To my family, that year became the “Silent Spring” Rachael Carson wrote about in the 1970s.

With the ditches dry, the wild ducks went elsewhere to nest, there was no croaking of frogs, the deer and other wildlife looked for other places to drink, the fertile soil lay barren and even the lower refuges dried up. It was, indeed, a very sad and silent spring.

The 15,000 people who formed the Bucket Brigade and passed buckets of water down the main street of Klamath Falls from Lake Ewauna to the A canal, demonstrated that we were not alone. The national press were there with cameras running to record the event.

Today, in remembrance of that admirable day a bucket stands in front of the Klamath County Government Building.

In comparison, at the headgates there is a $20 million fish catcher.

James R. Ottoman

Klamath Falls