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Tri-County boards back drafting letter urging fulfillment of Klamath Power & Facilities Agreement and fish-protection measures
Summary
After fisheries were observed inside Klamath Project facilities following dam removal, Tri-County members directed staff to draft a letter supporting Reclamation's commitments under the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement, including installation of fish screens and other entrainment-reduction measures; Siskiyou and Modoc boards approved the direction.
Elizabeth Nielsen, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, told the joint Tri-County meeting that Chinook salmon had been observed inside Klamath Project facilities (including the 80 Canal and Tule Lake Irrigation District) and that commitments in the 2016 Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement (KPFA) intended to prevent entrainment had not been fully implemented before dam removal. "Some of the requirements of the KPFA were not fulfilled, and then the dams were removed, and now we have fish up here," Nielsen said.
Nielsen said the Tri-County group requested meetings with the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation and fisheries agencies; she reported that National Marine Fisheries Service provided a clarification in the incidental-take coverage of the biological opinion to provide near-term protection for irrigators if coho salmon enter project facilities before formal reconsultation is complete.
Public commenters and irrigators offered differing views on next steps. Scott (identified on the record as Scott Soise/Soiz) told the boards the region should weigh engineering screening against ecosystem connectivity and suggested exploring a Habitat Conservation Plan, saying screening could impede sucker recovery or create unintended problems if installed without careful planning. Ken Sandusky (Modoc Nation homeland director) urged the Tri-County group to consider the broader ecological function of keeping water in lakes and refuges. John Crawford (project irrigator and KWA board member) called for transparency about fish movements and agency actions and urged aggressive, public planning for fish and irrigator needs.
Given the concerns and the agencies' stated near-term clarifications, supervisors and commissioners moved to direct staff to develop a Tri-County letter supporting KPFA commitments and resources to install fish screens and other entrainment-reduction facilities. Siskiyou County took a roll-call vote and recorded affirmative votes; the motion carried. Modoc County made a similar motion and the chair announced the motion carried by voice vote. Klamath County said it would take up a similar motion at its next available meeting.
The boards asked staff and KWA representatives to draft a letter that incorporates the points raised in today's discussion and to return drafts for review. The Tri-County group emphasized the need both to protect irrigators in the near term and to plan holistically for fish recovery and habitat connectivity.
