Our Klamath Basin
Water Crisis
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Irrigation districts required to
file petition
By SARA HOTTMAN, H&N
2/10/11
The Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement requires the validations. Klamath,
Malin and Shasta View irrigation districts
filed the petition
in June.
“This filing was
required of our district as outlined by K BRA,” said
Luke Robison, manager of Shasta View and Malin
irrigation districts, “The main focus during this
process was achieving water reliability, affordable
power and relief from environmental regulations.”
The Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement is a $1.5 billion
agreement between
stakeholders in water on the Klamath Reclamation
Project.
It aims to establish
sustainable water supplies and affordable power rates
for irrigators, remove four hydroelectric dams owned by
PacifiCorp, help the Klamath Tribes acquire a
92,000-acre parcel of private timberland, and fund
habitat restoration and economic development throughout
the region.
The agreement
requires signatories to seek court validation, showing
irrigation boards have the authority to sign irrigators
onto such an agreement, said Greg Addington, director of
the Klamath Water Users Association, which represents
Klamath Reclamation
Project irrigators.
According to the
KBRA, districts that wanted to participate had to file
for validation within four months of its signing, which
was Feb. 18, 2010. On June 18, Klamath, Malin and Shasta
View irrigation districts met that requirement.
The court will
assess whether irrigation boards went through the
correct process to sign on to the agreement — such as
holding meetings and taking public comment.
“My understanding is
that our board agreed with KBRA and signed onto the
agreement,” said Mark Stuntebeck, the relatively new
manager of Klamath Irrigation District. “We are asking
to court to say the board can make that decision for the
district.”
Opposition parties,
including some Project irrigators whose boards have gone
through the validation process, on Tuesday filed a
response to the districts’ petition. The response says
because the KBRA has not been authorized by the U.S.
Congress, the filing for validation isn’t legal.
The response
specifies Shasta View, Malin and Klamath irrigation
districts. Robison said nine other districts have
already completed the validation process.
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Page Updated: Wednesday February 16, 2011 03:39 AM Pacific
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