KBC (jdk) response to Michael Milstein's
Klamath wells deep in trouble, The Oregonian 5/3/04.

Mr. Milstein, yes, we are constantly blackmailed: that if we do not retire land (this year worth 75,000acre feet of water) and pump our wells, the Klamath Project will again be shut down.

Yes the water bank is failing. If our neighbors do not use water, we must use more. The projected 100,000 acre feet of water we are being forced to provide in 2005---mandatory regardless of weather or precipitation or contrary science--will downsize the agricultural economy by one fourth.  That means our farm industry, crops, farm labor, stores, schools will be downsized by one forth.

You forgot to mention that the National Academy of Science report said that lake level/river flow management is not needed for the fish and 2001 shut-off "was unjustified."  However, in spite of this, our government agencies refuse a prompt re-consultation on our biological opinions based on flawed science.

You state, "Government water checks have helped farmers pay off some wells they drilled in desperation at a cost of $50,000 or more when canals went dry in 2001. But in the process, federal records show, the government is paying for irrigation at farms that already grow subsidized crops."

We farm, and we paid $100,000 to drill a well when our perennial crop would have died during the 2001 water shut-off. We were not reimbursed for this well, and neither were our neighbors.  We still have not recovered from this expense. Some neighbors went bankrupt because of 2001. The only reimbursement there was for well drilling to private individuals was when over 200 domestic wells went dry or disabled in 2001. They were granted some funds to re-drill. This did not cover their added expenses of having to, in some cases, move out of their homes when there was no ground water.

You say our crops are subsidized. There are no subsidies for mint, horseradish, potatoes, cattle, onions and sheep.

You state: "They are also pursuing options such as storing water on land around Upper Klamath Lake north of Klamath Falls, but those depend on funding."

Yes, Rich McIntyre, former vice-president of WaterWatch, has been advocating the federal purchase of Barnes Property on Upper Klamath for 'storage'. He just happens to be the counselor for American Land Conservancy, the organization brokering the land sale. Go HERE for article regarding why this property would provide nothing but very little warm water. Most of our community realize that this would be just one more federal acquisition to add to the government's collection of taking our agricultural land with no benefit to water supply.  In 2000 McIntyre was heavily promoting federal funds to buy our our farmland through the American Land Conservancy. So regarding special interests, the quote you used, "There's a lot of people here who just want to make money," is correct. We have been inundated by many outside interests wanting money.

When it comes to our farmers, yes, some are participating in the water bank.  If you had been at last summer's Tulelake Irrigation District meeting, you would understand.  We had a few hundred million dollars worth of crops in the fields, already planted.  We were told by the Bureau of Reclamation that if we did not pump our ground water, at our own expense, the entire project would be shut down. Again this spring we were reminded that, if we did not agree to pump or retire 75,000 acre feet of water by pumping our wells or idling land, we would again be shut down with no reimbursement like last summer.

So, you do include some hard facts of our situation. But you spin it like we are a bunch of subsidized, money hungry farmers who couldn't give a damn about the fish science. You do not mention the real NAS science. Yes, let's look at real science.

The spotted-owl fiasco turned out to be a fallacy that they were endangered at all, yet it shut down most of the mills. The sucker fish fallacy was based on flawed "science", contracted by the  DOJ, DOI and BIA to go against the farmers in water adjudication (go HERE for power point by Dr Rykbost on flawed Hardy report). The results have contributed to Oregon having the highest unemployment rate in the United States. Congratulations! That is why we call the so-called 'environmentalists 'ecoterrorists'. They are destroying our lives, our communities and our country. At the same time we, on the home front, are spending every waking hour trying to farm the land, provide American-grown food, and live side-by-side with our wildlife in spite of the assault by these agenda-driven groups.

by KBC editor JDK