Oregon Farmers Win Reprieve in Water War: Klamath WILL get water

Fox News ^ | Feb 27, 2002 | William LaJuenesse

[Jeff Head]

The Federal Bureau of Reclamation announced Wednesday that beleaguered farmers in Klamath Falls, Ore., will be receiving water this year in time for the 2002 planting season, which officially begins next month.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, John Keys, the head of the Reclamation Bureau, said the move will not guarantee enough water for the farmers. But if current weather patterns and water levels hold it should be plenty, he said.

[Jeff Head]

More steps in the right direction. I pray that

THE WATER WILL FLOW

and soon. Ultimately the BOR and government must be out of the picture as respects water allocation from the irrigation waters IMHO, according to the original terms of the contractual agreement.

The farmers own that irrigation water.

[donozark]

A job well done. On your part as well as others...

[Jeff Head]

FYI ... latest.

THE STAND AT KLAMATH FALLS - THE FULL ACCOUNT

[mancini]

Good news.

[Jeff Head]

Yes it is, particularly if they follow through and actually do it, and supply ENOUGH water for the year.

Then the government has got to get out of the picture. Those people can not live like this. Of course that is the whole idea of those trying to shut off the water, to drive these farmers off the land.

[Jeff Head]

Thank you. Along with the many helpers and protests, it took a few very couragous people over there willing to risk everything to net this.

[CyberCowboy777]

Ping

[Dukie]

Jeff, I know that you're not the type to look for any sort of accolades but let me at least give you a backpat for leadership by example in showing the Klamath farmers that they could not be bulldozed if they just stay united and committed.

Well done, my friend.

[Utah Girl]

This is great news. Congratulations.

[Jeff Head]

I just went over and stood with some friends when they called.

Then did everything I could to help keep thier fight going thereafter.

I pray they will get water this year ... enough to have a bountiful harvest. There are tens of thosuands of real prayers ascending to heaven for exactly that outcome and, in the end, HE is in charge.

Then I pray we can get the real resolution which is to get the project works turned over to the farmers as it was orignally planned.

Those prayers, along with the committed efforts to turn them into reality, is what is making the difference IMHO.

[knarf]

This is great news, Jeff.
The article is rife with back peddling and CYA, but the result (for this year, at least) is a return to normalcy. Let's pray it continues.

I want to express my personal appreciation to you for all that you have done in this matter.

If it wasn't for you, I, and perhaps most of us in FR would never know nor understand all that was at stake and the involvement of the government in trying to destroy the lives of many human beings.

Thank you.

[Eustace]

I'm glad the feds are backing off a little.

With this many Good People working together, maybe God will smile on them this year with enough rain for a good growing season.

Thank You for the update Jeff.

[Jeff Head]

The article is rife with back peddling and CYA

It is at that, but I am told by people I know and trust that Keys is in fact a friend to these farmers and will do all he can to help them.

They are getting water this year, now we have to fix the root problem IMHO.

Semper Fi!

[d14truth]

Government floats plan to fully supply Klamath Basin farmers

Is this pretty much the deal you are talking about today, Jeff?

[snopercod]

Thanks to you and others, the feds are backing down...for now. But you of all people have firsthand knowledge of how much this small victory has cost.

The principle of "rights" has not been settled.

That the feds are "permitting" the water that the farmers own by contract to flow again is not a win, but only a stay of execution.

There is much more work to be done. And with FReeper help, it will be done.

[d14truth]

FYI

[arepublicifyoucankeepit]

I would hope that farmers' losses could be recovered by suing the stupid environmentalists who "mistakenly thought the suckerfish needed more water".

I am glad for the victory of the land owners but pray that none will lose their land because of the set-back. Only in a free country do citizens own and control their land; all others are slaves.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Feds promise Klamath Farmers will get the water the farmers own this spring! PING!!!!!
The farmers own the irrigation water according to the original terms of the contractual agreement.

Anybody who thinks the farmers don't own the water and did not pay for the original construction costs
off years ago feel free to read the research threads.

Klamath Falls Research Thread 1

Klamath Falls Research Thread 2

Klamath Falls Research Thread 3

Klamath Falls Research Thread 4

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

FINALLY the Feds see the light!B>

[HiJinx]

Keys said, we have...a plan that maintains enough water for the fish and still delivers water to the farmers in the area."

It bothers me that the bureaucrats are still apparently putting the fish first...y'know what I mean, Vern?

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Please do the honors of pinging the Klamath Ping List!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"It bothers me that the bureaucrats are still apparently putting the fish first...y'know what I mean, Vern?"

Gale Norton KNOWS better, but it's hard to teach an old fish a new trick. LOL

[holyscroller]

"FINALLY the Feds see the light!,/i>

The feds ONLY see the light because the Republicans won. Had the tree won, Klamath and a lot of other places would also be without water, without power, without fishing, without logging, without mining, etc., etc., etc.

[Nitro]

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!!

[lavaroise]

Last summer, environmental groups won a lawsuit that forced the government to shut off irrigation water to about 220,000 acres around Klamath Falls so there would be enough water in the basin for the suckerfish. Angry farmers responded by prying open the headgates to an irrigation canal, prompting the bureau to call in police.

I am astounded that the government is the puppet enforcer of enviro wackos' pet projects. Usualy the feds take their time to deal with things like Waco cover ups and what not, this time they were pretty damn prompt.

[MileHi]

Good news, Jeff. God bless those people, and you for all you have done for their cause. I never made it to Klamath. I will meet you one day, though. On the wall as it were.

FReegards, sir.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"The feds ONLY see the light because the Republicans won."

The theft of the Klamath farmers water started under Norton last spring.
Check the research threads above for the data.
The enviro wackos are in both parties.

[Dukie]

bureaucrats are still apparently putting the fish first..

I know exactly what you mean, Ernest ! Wasn't there some program under the previous administration associated with the lip service sloagan: "putting people first"

[VA Advogado]

Hopefully now these endless threads will stop.

[anymouse]

Holly Moses! :) Congratulations NW FReepers.

[Bump in the night]

Great news!!!!!!! BTTT!!!!!!!!!!!

[GrandmaC]

Thanks Jeff. Have sent it out on the "Stop Fed Land Grab Update" and have added to the website StopFedLandGrab.org

[timydnuc]

I must have something in my eyes, I can hardly see the the keyboard.......

That's better, I dried my eyes and now I'm ready to celebrate.

To the brave Patriots of Klamath falls: The blood of the original Patriots runs in your body. The spirit of all free men lives within your souls. I am proud to be your fellow American. If freedom and liberty are to be saved, it will start with the bravest of us all at Klamath. God bless all of you, and God bless your land, and your families. Your courage and devotion to the idea of liberty and self government may well change this nation back to the Republic that gives all men hope for freedom. You, by your righteous and brave defiance of tyranny, have given the rest of this great land, and her freedom loving people a reason to fight.

A group of rag tag "rebels" threw a bunch of tea in a harbor over two hundred years ago, and it started a "revolution". You have done the same! This revolution will get our liberty back. I can't thank you enough. There goes that thing in my eye again....I'll have to sign off.

God Bless the United States of America! (And, God, if you're not too busy, please hold Klamath, and it's people, in the palm of Your right hand.......Amen)

Timy

[Darlin']

Wonderful news, Jeff.

Thanks for the ping, Tonk. :)

[meadsjn]

Officials expect environmentalists to carry through with threats to sue to stop the release.

These people need to be fully exposed and stopped at every turn.

In the meantime, this article is good news for Americans. Great work, Jeff, and to all the others who were there.

[TLBSHOW]

Good job Sir!

[summer]

bttt

[anniegetyourgun]

The bad science was issued during the Clinton administration who set the standards for sucker fish.

It was Interior Secretary Gale Norton who asked the NAS to evaluate the scientific basis for withholding water from the farmers. The academy is a so-called independent institution chartered by Congress to provide scientific and technology advice. They fed the last administration the original lie and Clinton's green weenies bought it gladly.

I'm just sorry that it took the new administration a while to get their bearings and figure out what was going on.

[MeekOneGOP]

bump!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"I'm just sorry that it took the new administration a while to get their bearings and figure out what was going on."

Me too, I feel bad for the farmers who won't be able to farm this year because they were put out of business.
This guy needs to go now!
"Speaking to reporters in Washington, John Keys, the head of the Reclamation Bureau, said the move will not guarantee enough water for the farmers. But if current weather patterns and water levels hold it should be plenty, he said.
"It's water. There are never guarantees when dealing with a natural resource," he said. Keys said "we've put together a plan that maintains enough water for the fish and still delivers water to the farmers in the area."
He still does not understand people are more important than fish.
Norton needs to fire John Keys before he does more damage.

[backhoe]

Certainly agree with #40- thanks for flagging me; been offline most of the day trying to download some of those "free" files for a backup browser I'm working on ( and using now...)--

[WHATNEXT?]

Do you think President Bush had much to do with the decision?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you!

[Barnacle]

...the endangered suckerfish for which the water was diverted last year doesn't need as much water as previously thought.

Well, how do ya like that?

Congratulations!

Here's hoping you don't have any Spotted Kangaroo Rats running around.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Do you think President Bush had much to do with the decision?"

I do, after all we have been FReeping him since last spring about this issue.
And over 30,000 people signed the Petition to turn the water back on.

[RightWingMama]

Good job!!!

[Aquamarine]

KlamathBasinCrisis.org

More news.

[okimhere]

Congratulations! Wonderful news for all of you who worked so hard. President Bush spoke of it when he was there and I was wanting so much to believe him.

And I want to believe this is the end of the farmers' problems because to buy seed, reseed into prepared soil, etc., etc., is going to be very costly for those farmers who haven't gone out of business over this fiasco.

[Aquamarine]

KlamathBasinCrisis

Sorry, here is the good link.

[anniegetyourgun]

I think the reversal decision was at the highest levels of Interior.