Klamath Adjudication table of contents

'Indians' Table of Contents
OWRD / Oregon Water Resources Department Klamath River Adjudication webpage: claim listings, orders, stipulations, letters of determination
"Klamath Adjudication" website
Klamath Task Force webpage
Oregon Senator Whitsett on Oregon Water adjudication, Part 1 of 2, 11/8/09, YouTube Video. Oregon Senator Whitsett on water adjudication, Part 2 of 2, 11/8/09 YouTube Video
Water rights of non-Indian purchasers of Klamath Indian Reservation lands, To: Commissioner of Indian Affairs From Solicitor 3/14/58


Agency may be awash in red ink from water litigation; The Oregon Water Resources Department is on track to overspend its litigation budget by $1.3 million in the 2017-2019 biennium, Portland Tribune 3/19/18. "Litigation over water has increased mostly due to more regulatory calls cutting off water to junior irrigators in the Klamath Basin...The agency has a legislatively adopted budget of $98.6 million for 2017-2019."
Water adjudication: Wogan hears exceptions to state's decree, H&N 6/9/17.
Water shutoffs along Sprague coming. Some 40 upper Basin wells may be regulated, too, H&N 6/25/15
Water shutoffs effects felt on (Klamath) area’s farms and ranches; cattle, hay come at steep premium, H&N 6/19/14. "Crume said he might have enough water to get by until his first cutting of hay, but if the water to his field is shutoff, it’s likely his remaining 75 cows will have to go."
Council mulls options for drought response; possible well shutoff draws varied reactions, H&N, posted to KBC 6/20/14. " Kyle Gorman, the OWRD South Central Region manager, said the two city wells and 10 private wells that received shutoff notices were deemed to have “timely and effective” impacts on surface water....Paul Stewart, president and CEO of Sky Lakes, said hospital staff are concerned about the prospects of having hospital water curtailed or shutoff."
Well shutdowns: Impacts too early to tell. Two municipal, 10 privately owned wells ordered to limit or curtail use, H&N 6/14/14. "(Klamath Falls City Manager) Cherpeski acknowledged that city and county officials need to begin developing policies to mitigate impacts of water shortages. 'It’s more about the future of the Basin. We should think about the community and reducing water simply because we live in the desert,' he said." KBC CORRECTION on above H&N article: Klamath Basin was a lake up to 30' deep before we diverted much of our water INTO the Klamath River, and INTO a meadow east of Tule Lake to evaporate so WWI and WWII war veterans could grow food for a hungry nation. Does Klamath Falls city manager not know the history of our basin he calls a "desert" ?
City of Klamath told to shut off wells. Tribes, Project make call on water; Sky Lakes, OIT may be affected, H&N 6/13/14. "A comment period is open for a grant to evaluate Crater Lake National Park’s options to mitigate potential water shutoffs and keep the park open during extreme drought...Written comments can be submitted until 5 p.m., June 27"
Water shutoffs begin in the Basin; Klamath Tribes expected to make its ‘call’ this week, H&N 6/10/14
Water diversion on hold, adjudication order for Fourmile Lake withdrawn for review, H&N 2/11/14. "According to Rancier, the ESA does not have an adjudication priority date, and therefore does not have a water right."
Crater Lake water crisis. Crater Lake faces significant cutbacks. Yearly budget trimmed by $150,000. Water quality worries, H&N, posted to KBC 11/23/13. "Because the park has a low priority among water users — it ranks 28th — calls for water last summer by the Klamath Tribes, which have priority water rights, created concerns the park might have to close. Ackerman said trucking water to the park was not feasible because it would have cost $900,000 a month."
Crater Lake to have adequate water, H&N posted to KBC 7/16/13. "Although there were concerns that shortages stemming from Klamath Basin water rights adjudication might create a need for water to be trucked in to the park, Ackerman said a July 1 decision by the Oregon Water Resources Commission that provides water for human consumption means the park will have water for cooking, drinking and sanitation.."
Crater Lake shutoff possible, H&N 6/30/13. "Any impacts to Crater Lake could be far-reaching economically. In 2011, visitors contributed $34.6 million to nearby communities, said Jeff Olson, National Park Service spokesman, and 549 area jobs were supported...Calls for water were made June 10 by the most senior water rights holders: Klamath Project farmers and the Klamath Tribes."
Devastating results from (Klamath) water regulations, by Edward Bartell letter to editor, H&N, posted to KBC 6/30/13	"Today, a portion of the water on our ranch and all of the water for a neighboring ranch that we rent was shut off, thanks to the government and the Klamath tribes." letter from Brandon Toppin, Flying T Salers Ranch, Sprague River, posted to KBC 6/25/13	Water shutoffs to continue; Judge denies temporary stoppage on Klamath Basin adjudication enforcement, H&N 6/15/13. "If they cannot feed their livestock, ranchers will be forced to sell..."
Klamath Tribes and feds exercise water rights, Sacramento Bee 6/10/13. "Tens of thousands of acres in Oregon's drought-stricken Klamath Basin will have to go without irrigation water this summer after the Klamath Tribes and the federal government exercised for the first time newly confirmed powers that put the tribes in the driver's seat over the use of water..."
Klamath Water Rights Adjudication Milestone: Oregon Water Resources Department Submits Its Final Order of Determination to the Klamath County Circuit Court, Somach, Simmons and Dunn, KWUA attorneys, posted to KBC 3/22/13.
Klamath River Basin water adjudication gets positive reactions, H&N 3/9/13.		35-year adjudication process nearing end, H&N 1/23/12
No free lunch in Klamath deal, Capital Press Letter by Edward Bartell, Orovada, Nevada 12/29/11. "They have a unique negotiation strategy; refuse to participate in litigation, so they have no chance of prevailing in court; agree to support the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which supports granting the tribes what they want up front, (dam removal, 92,000 acres of deeded land, millions in fishery money, etc.), thereby surrendering potential leverage, without guaranteed protection from tribal in-stream claims." Also titled Endless negotiations won't accomplish much in the Herald and News
Tribes position in water settlement clarified, H&N 12/17/11. “The Tribes have not in any way agreed to exchange their time immemorial priority date for a 1908 priority date. The KBRA does not make decisions about priority dates and the amount of water anyone has a water right to — that is the jurisdiction of the adjudication. Instead, the KBRA is an arrangement between the Tribes and the Project irrigators that lays out how each party will behave in regard to water rights calls and diversions.”		Adjudicating Water (in the Klamath Basin), who gets what and why, H&N 12/11/11. 4 articles on the proposed ruling and its effects, and comments by reps Wyden, Merkley, Herger and McClintock.
Adjudication confirms Tribes’ water rights, H&N 12/4/11 The impact of adjudication on irrigators, H&N 12/4/11 Tom Mallams sent this addition to KBC: "There are going to be winners and losers in the adjudication, That's just the way it is. In the KBRA, however there would be a couple of major winners, tribes, environmental groups and the government agencies, and ALL THE REST OF US, irrigators taxpayers ratepayers and the entire Klamath river Basin environment, are all major losers. Tom"
VIDEO - New Ruling Grants Klamath Tribes Water Rights, December 5, 2011 KDRV		About the adjudication process, H&N 1/6/10
Adjudication: $5,000 a day plus 4 more articles, H&N 9/13/08	Adjudication process reopens, 4/10/08 Herald and News	Water allocation critical to cattle ranchers; Adjudication process under way in Klamath Basin, Capital Press 2/18/2007