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Klamath farmers hope settlement leads to certainty

Posted by: Maven on June 9, 2009 at 1:30 pm

From the California Farm Bureau Federation:

“At the end of the day it is about ending the fighting,” says Tulelake grower Scott Seus. For Seus and other farmers on the California side of the Klamath Basin who receive irrigation water from Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon, water supply certainty is expected to come in the form of a recent settlement among the Klamath Water Users Association and the Klamath Tribes of Oregon.

The tribes and irrigators in the Klamath Water Project signed an interim settlement of disputes over water in Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River. The settlement results from ongoing efforts by some 26 stakeholders in the basin to increase stability for tribal, agricultural and fishing communities through the implementation of a Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.

Regardless of what happens, Klamath Water Project irrigators say they will not have to worry about the Klamath Tribes making a call on their water, because they worked together to settle a long-time dispute. “This is the product of a lot of hard work and good faith by the parties,” said Luther Horsley, president of the Klamath Water Users Association. “We commend our neighbors the Klamath Tribes for the collaborative approach that led to this big step forward.”

Klamath Tribal Council member Jeff Mitchell said the parties would realize immediate benefits. “After years of bitter disputes and lawsuits, we can turn our attention to providing economic and water stability to both communities. If the restoration agreement can be finalized these fights will be over for good, with all sides winning,” he said.

Read more from the California Farm Bureau Federation by clicking here.

June 9, 2009 · Filed Under Northern California

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