Oregon just had its driest April in 80 years, and rainfall during the typically wet months of March and April was the lowest since 1924, The Associated Press reports. The acute drought led the federal Bureau of Reclamation to announce last month that it won't release any water from Upper Klamath Lake in Southern Oregon, leaving tribes, wildlife, and farmers in the 240,000-acre Klamath Project irrigation zone high and dry.
The native tribes, which have first rights to the water under a long-fought 2013 court ruling, are upset about a drought-related parasite that's decimating the salmon they rely on, The Oregonian reports. And some of the farmers in the Klamath Project are up in arms — specifically, Grant Knoll and Dan Nielsen, who are promising a "standoff" with the federal government.
When Knoll and Nielsen purchased land in April right outside the fence protecting the headgates that feed the "A" Canal, the main irrigation channel for the Klamath Project, Nielsen called it an "investment" to "be close to the enemy," meaning the Bureau of Reclamation. Knoll and Nielsen have ties to militant anti-government activist Ammon Bundy, infamous for leading the 2016 armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge; Bundy has said he will come to Klamath Falls to participate in a federal showdown, if asked, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Knoll told Jefferson Public Radio on Monday that he and Nielsen plan to break through the fence protecting the headgates and try to release some water, like they did in 2001, the last time water levels were too low for irrigation. "I'm planning on getting D.C.'s attention," he said. "We're going to turn on the water and have a standoff." Nielsen said when he and his allies break into the headgates, "[we're] not going to be armed but they're probably going to be people on the outside protecting us, and if it's not our sheriff, we'll have people protect us."
Gene Souza, who manages the Klamath Irrigation District, told OPB "the sad part" of Knoll and Nielsen's plan is it "would not result in a single drop of water being delivered to their farm," thanks to five massive steel gates locked together to block the flow of water.
A standoff also wouldn't solve the underlying problem: Too many claims on too little water amid a changing climate. You can read more about the issue at The Oregonian and OPB.
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate brandingIn the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Cloudbursts: what are the 'rain bombs' hitting India and Pakistan?The Explainer The sudden and intense weather event is almost impossible to forecast and often leads to deadly flash-flooding and landslides
-
What do heatwaves mean for Scandinavia?Under the Radar A record-breaking run of sweltering days and tropical nights is changing the way people – and animals – live in typically cool Nordic countries
-
Blue whales have gone silent and it's posing troubling questionsUnder the radar Warming oceans are the answer
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wantedUnder The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Why is the world so divided over plastics?Today's Big Question UN negotiations on first global plastic treaty are at stake, as fossil fuel companies, petrostates and plastic industry work to resist a legal cap on production
-
Tuvalu is being lost to climate change. Other countries will likely follow.Under the Radar Sea level rise is putting islands underwater
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
