As of Monday, residents in
Chiloquin cannot use city water for anything other than
human consumption following a call on water by the Klamath
Tribes.
Due to cancelation of the
Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement last year, the
city’s well is now included in tribal calls on water,
subjecting the city to shutoff notices issued by the Oregon
Water Resources Department (OWRD).
The Tribes, as the senior
water right holder in the Klamath Basin, made a call on
water March 8 due to low water levels after a particularly
dry winter. Severe drought conditions are forecast for this
summer and many water users are concerned about the impact
of the Tribes’ call.
Not outside the home
Chiloquin was notified Friday
by OWRD it was required to cease all use of groundwater,
which included the municipal water system. Mayor Mark Cobb
requested an increase in the amount of water available for
domestic use and the city was granted a six-month exception.
During the exception period,
water for cooking, bathing, cleaning dishes and clothes is
still allowed, but chores like washing a car, watering a
lawn or spraying off a driveway are prohibited.
“Basically everything outside
of your home ceases,” said Cobb.
He clarified this shutoff
applies only to municipal water and that water acquired from
sources not impacted by the Tribes’ call can still be used
for non-domestic purposes.
Future solution
Cobb said the city
anticipated the shutoff notice and plans are already in
place to build a city well far enough from the Williamson
River to not be impacted by future calls on water. The city
purchased 211 acres of forestland along Highway 97 last
November for a new sewer plant, with the secondary goal of
building a well on-site.
Cobb said funding has been
secured for well construction, including a $2.5 million loan
from Business Oregon. He said ideally the well would be
completed in the next six months to prevent this type of
shut-off in the future.
Self-regulation
Amid such strict water
regulations, Cobb said city residents are expected to
self-enforce. He said, with few exceptions, residents can be
trusted to stick to the rules in this type of situation.
“Our community pretty much
works together,” he said.
City Recorder Teresa Foreman
said staff such as public works employees will keep an eye
out for potential violators and will give reminders to
anyone they see improperly using water.
“We’re just going to try to
get people to be honest and above board,” she said.
In the lead-up to the
restrictions, the city began a public awareness campaign
about water conservation. This included a poster contest at
local schools asking kids to depict their ideas of
conservative water use. Contest entries were judged by city
officials and winners are displayed in City Hall.
Tribal help
Though the Tribes were the
impetus behind the water shutoff, Tribal Council Member
David Ochoa said they want to support the water needs of the
Chiloquin community. Ochoa spoke on his own behalf Monday
during the City Council’s regular meeting and said, if a
dire need for water should arise, the Tribes could help with
access to water from outside the regulated area.
Ochoa said they have a water
tank not impacted by the call that could be used for
programs such as Chiloquin’s community garden. He said he
was unsure why the city did not approach the Tribal Council
beforehand, seeking such support.
“I think it was a failure of
the system that no one came and asked the Tribes for help,
even though we provide help,” he said. “We’re one community,
not separate …. When we’re protecting the water, we’re
protecting it for everybody.”
Cobb said he would contact
the Tribal Council to be placed on their next meeting agenda
to discuss the water issue in Chiloquin.
