Brett Cole Conservation Photography

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Klamath Issue Overview

Draining of Klamath lakes & wetlands (requires Flash)

The Klamath Basin, straddling the Oregon and California Border, is the largest wetlands west of the Missisippi in the lower 48 states (the Copper River Delta in Alaska is larger). It's situated at a major intersection point of the Pacific Flyway (a bird migration route).

The lakes and wetlands and lakes were largely drained almost 100 years ago to irrigate the surrounding land. In its natural state the Klamath is on a short list of the most spectacular places on Earth for birds, with 350,000 acres of lakes and wetlands and more than ten million birds of almost 300 species.

The Basin has a rich history, with approximately 7,000 years of human inhabitation. The Modoc War was fought around Tule Lake. Tule Lake was also the site of the largest Japanese Internment Camp during World War II. Tule Lake also has one the most important aggregations of Native American petroglyphs (rock art) in California.

National Wildlife Refuges

There are six National Wildlife Refuges in the Klamath. The Lower Klamath (its eventual name), designated by Roosevelt in 1908, was the first waterfowl refuge in the US and is a registered historic site. The refuges are considered by many to be the among the most important and beautiful of the 548 National Wildlife Refuges in the US. Despite this, Tule Lake and Lower Klamath are the only two refuges on which large-scale commercial farming is practiced.

The Solution

The solution is to end the practice of farming on the refuges and restore the natural environment, particularly in the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake Refuges, sites of the leaselands farming program. This would bring these two critical refuges in line with the other 500+ refuges in the country.

It is important to understand that the refuges take up just a portion of the former lakes and wetlands. In addition, most of the Basin farmland is already private (show me). No one has to lose their livelihood or way of life, nor should they. Restoration of the refuges would be a win-win for everyone: for local residents, for wildlife, and for water management.

What it Might Look Like

My personal opinion, not speaking for any groups:

1. Gradually transition out of the leaseland program. Provide compensation to leaseholders (a bit tricky as they change with some leasing cycles), maintaining current revenue levels for 20 years. These payments are in light of the fact that area leaseholders will have to adjust to losing the extra acreage from the wildlife refuges.

2. Restore the lakes and wetlands within refuge boundaries, particularly in Tule Lake and the Lower Klamath.

3. Vigorously promote refuge visitation, and agricultural products grown on private farms in the area. Provide tax breaks and incentives to support organic farming and wildlife improvements on private farms throughout the Basin.

It's easy to imagine the positive future restoring the refuges could create - a vibrant, healthy environment, millions more dollars in the local economy from patrons to the refuges, cleaner water, and more stability and predictability in water management.