{
  "id": "RL33098",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL33098",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 319692,
      "date": "2005-09-22",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:31:09.512029",
      "title": "Klamath River Basin Issues and Activities: An Overview",
      "summary": "The Klamath River Basin, an area on the California-Oregon border, has become a focal point\nfor\nlocal and national discussions on water management and water scarcity. Water and species\nmanagement issues were brought to the forefront when severe drought in 2001 exacerbated\ncompetition for scarce water resources and generated conflict among several interests -- farmers,\nIndian tribes, commercial and sport fishermen, other recreationists, federal wildlife refuge managers,\nenvironmental groups, and state, local, and tribal governments. The conflicts over water distribution\nand allocation are physically and legally complex, reflecting the varied and sometimes competing\nuses of limited water supplies in the Basin. For management purposes, the Basin is divided at Iron\nGate Dam into the Upper and Lower Basins.\n As is true in many regions in the West, the federal government plays a prominent role in the\nKlamath Basin's water management. This role stems from three primary activities: (1) the operation\nand management of the Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Water Project and Central Valley Project\n(e.g., Trinity River dams); (2) management of federal lands in the Basin, including five national\nwildlife refuges, several national forests, and public lands; and (3) implementation of federal laws,\nsuch as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and National Environmental\nPolicy Act (NEPA).\n Conflict was sparked in April of 2001 when the Bureau of Reclamation, which has supplied\nwater to farms in the Upper Basin for nearly 100 years, announced that \"no water [would] be\navailable\" for farms normally receiving water from the Upper Klamath Lake to avoid jeopardizing\nthe existence of three fish species listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA. While some\nwater was subsequently made available to some farmers from other sources (e.g., wells and other\nBureau sources), many farmers faced serious hardships.\n During Reclamation's operations in September of 2002, warm water temperatures and atypically\nlow flows in the lower Klamath contributed to the death of at least 33,000 adult salmonids. This\ndie-off damaged fish stocks and the tribes, commercial fishermen, and recreational anglers that catch\nKlamath fish.\n There have been many studies, Biological Opinions, and operating plans over recent years, all\nof which have been controversial. The events of 2001 and 2002 prompted renewed efforts to resolve\nwater conflicts in the Klamath Basin. Congress has responded to the controversy in a number of\nways, including holding oversight hearings and appropriating funds for activities in the area. This\nreport provides an overview of recent conflict in the Klamath Basin, with an emphasis on activities\nin the Upper Basin, and summarizes some of the activities taking place to improve water supply\nreliability and fish survival. This report will be updated as events warrant.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law",
    "Economic Policy",
    "Energy Policy",
    "Environmental Policy"
  ]
}