District Manager’s View

By Rick Woodley

March 2007

What a great start to the farming season! Fuel prices are unreasonably high and no one can figure out why, the weather is uncertain as usual for the Klamath Basin, and there is continuing uncertainty about the amount of irrigation water supplies available for the Klamath Basin farmers.

We do not have the supernatural power to order the perfect weather we desire, and it seems that controlling spiraling fuel prices are beyond the reach of mere mortals. That leaves us with only one of the three factors that have any chance for common sense or rational decisions. But alas, recent history has shown that neither common sense nor rational decisions are imminent with regard to irrigation water delivery.

First, we must strike from our minds the fact that for decades, intelligent decisions regarding water use for farms and other environmental uses was a mutually agreed upon rational determination. We must also deprive ourselves of the memory that every one derived a beneficial use and shared the available water supply with no adverse results to fish, farm, fowl, or domestic and wild beasts. (What a concept!)

Now here we are nearly six growing seasons since the irrigation water theft of 2001. Our illustrious courts have ruled against agriculture again. To a common man it appears that our courts have sided with the extremists and are looking forward to eating imported food. Right here in America, we produce the safest food for your family and it is grown closest to your own table. (Again, what a concept!) I guess since the imported fuel thing works so well, why not import food as well? Really, why would anyone want to feed their children the safest food products in the world? Makes no since to me, but my children are grown and out of the house. Oh, wait! Doesn’t my wife, the spouses of our children and the addition of our six grandchildren deserve the right to a safe and secure source of meat, fiber and abundant clean water? (Almost lost my head for a minute.)

Farmers, ranchers and a host of non-agricultural landowners have invested multi-millions of dollars to make conservation improvements to insure an adequate and abundant supply of clean water for our great watershed. The very same government that took the water in the first place has invested even more multi-multi-millions to solve the “water crises” that the courts and federal regulations created in the first place. (Is there a dichotomy here?)

The producers of our food have become so skilled in the science of crop irrigation, they actually can apply the net plant needs, and not a drop more, even though ground water supplies are suffering. Landowners are providing riparian areas often better than nature supplied in the beginning to satisfy clean water demands. We have added organic farming and no-till farming to further curtail the use of irrigation water. To satisfy special interest desires who demand our surface water, we are now degrading our ground water supplies by pumping the pure water in place of using surface water for irrigation. Oh yes, we are also laying waste to valuable agricultural farmland with the less than virtuous water bank programs. And so on and so on. Any individual with reasonable cognitive skills, would think with all these conservation measures in place, the shear volume and impact of the cumulative conservation activities would be sufficient for growers to have gained a certainty for irrigation water deliveries. You would be wrong! In spite of all the great watershed activities of the past decade or so, it just doesn’t matter. We, (the irrigators) are waiting for the declaration from the “powers that be” on what type of water year they have determined it is, and along with a few other unsubstantiated factors and studies, how much water will be available for us, (farmers and ranchers) to grow crops.

What a way to do business. Sadly, I am relieved that dad and grandpa are not around to see how far farming and ranching have evolved in the Klamath Basin. It sure hasn’t been for the best. It would break their hearts to witness such a travesty to their hopes, dreams and hard work. Will the greater good ever be reached, or will we (farmers and ranchers) continue to have to operate on the whims of the courts and special interest groups? Did I mention common sense and rational decision making already?