Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA)
News updates:
- County withdraws from water agreement
- Dam removal good for Klamath Salmon 1/5/13
- All to sign on to KBRA Extension 1/1/13
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Klamath Settlement Legislation: Klamath Economic Recovery Act November 10, 2011- Senate Bill 1851 & House Bill 3398
- On the Klamath, a ship is sailing (December 1, 2011)
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A dam bit of difference: the Klamath debate-by Bill Cross-Siskiyou Daily (News November 28, 2011)
- Comment Period for Klamath Dams Draft EIS/EIR Extended
- Congressman Greg Walden's Comments on Klamath Legislation 11-10-11
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Proposed Klamath Legislation Supports Rural Economies 11-10-2011
- If you missed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement Meetings but would like to submit comments via online, please follow this link: http://klamathrestoration.gov/Draft-EIS-EIR/feedback
- Support Basin Argicutlure and Jobs on Oct 18th and 19th at the Draft Environmental Impact Statement Meetings
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--KWUA Press Release: Department of Interior Releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on Klamath Settlement Agreements--Findings Include Positives for Agriculture, Economy and Environment
- Viewpoints: Klamath restoration plan deserves congressional support
- Klamath restoration studies support dam removal; Project would create jobs, increase chinook harvest
- Independent science panel calls Klamath Agreements "Major Step Forward"
- Salazar: Klamath dam removal cheaper than forecast; Interior secretary's remarks spark optimism among stakeholders
- Report: Dam removal would create jobs
- Salazar: Klamath dam removal will cost far less
- Secretay Salazar Touts Benefits of Klamath Restoration Plan
About Settlement Agreements:
The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA), signed by multiple parties on February 18th— still needs federal legislation and appropriation for full implementation. That said, there are several provisions of the KBRA that can be implemented prior to any Congressional action. For example, KWUA has continued to work with Klamath Water And Power Agency (KWAPA) to implement provisions of the irrigator power resources program that will bring an allocation of federal power to the Klamath producers for irrigation and drainage pumping. In addition, we continue to develop plans for implementing the renewable power provisions of the KBRA in order to benefit the region’s agriculture.
KWAPA has also begun the process of creating an outline and scope of work for the development of the On-Project Water Plan among other requirements as per the KBRA.
The Klamath Basin Coordinating Council (an advisory only group formed by the KBRA and made up of signatory parties) continues to meet monthly and discuss protocols for operations, decision making, and communications with the public and other logistical elements of the agreement.
With the change in state leadership in Oregon and California and the seating of a new Congress, much work remains regarding educating people about what the KBRA does and does not do. With much misinformation about the agreement still circulating, and the challenges of the nation’s economy, there remains a lot of heavy lifting before we will see full implementation of the agreement. However, there are reasons to be optimistic and we believe that even now, Project irrigators have seen real benefit from the signing of the agreement. (WUQ)
More information is available at:
http://klamathrestoration.gov/ an official website of the Department of the Interior, and other federal and state agencies.
The final public drafts of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Agreement, both signed February 18,2010, are available for review and use including summaries of the documents in the links below:
- KBRA Final Draft Signed February 18, 2010 (full text)
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KHSA Final Draft Signed February 18, 2010 (Full text)
Summary information on the KBRA
Watermarks
The Klamath Falls, OR, Herald and News were awarded the 2008 Dolly Connelly Award for Excellence in Environmental Journalism for its "Watermarks", a series of four special sections covering the history of water use in the Klamath Basin.
Signing of the Agreements, Oregon State Capitol
February 18, 2010