Klamath Basin Water voisin wrong 102006

Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
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http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2006/10/21/viewpoints/letters/letters.txt
Voisin wrong about Basin
Letter to the editor of Herald and News by Bob Gasser, Merrill

A recent letter to the editor invited me to hear the “real truth” about Carol Voisin, congressional candidate for 2nd District. I decided to take that offer and attend the meeting.

Voisin's version of truth was very interesting - not very accurate - but interesting, so I took notes.

On radio station KLCC, she recently stated that because of the poor quality of Klamath Basin soil, specific crops grown in the Klamath Basin were very harmful to the environment. During her question and answer session, when I asked her to identify those crops, she immediately singled out alfalfa, potatoes and rice.

It was surprising to hear that rice is so bad for the Basin since it has never been a commercial crop grown in the Klamath Reclamation Project - a notable area of rich bottomland soils. And alfalfa is always considered a soil builder.

She also noted that the Klamath Project was very wasteful of water resources, citing over 40 percent loss of water during daylight use of sprinklers. Perhaps she should review well documented studies that give the Klamath Project credit as being one of the more efficient irrigation projects in the world with a 91-92 percent efficiency rating.

Negative toward agriculture, she'd like the government to buy out a large percentage of our Basin agri-businessmen.

During Monday night's debate with U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, she insisted that the Chiloquin Dam should be removed to restore salmon.

The issue with the Chiloquin Dam has always been focused on suckers, not salmon.

Listening to her rants that the forests would be better off burnt and not salvaged left me shaking my head in disbelief.

The “real truth” according to Voisin should make all of us run to the post office and vote for Walden.

He's a man of vision, truth and action for all Oregonians.

Bob Gasser

Merrill