Fish and Farming Clash in Klamath River Basin

March 5, 2002

Last year's drought in the Klamath River Basin in Oregon and California, along with federal legal requirements regarding water use, resulted in a scarcity of water available both for agricultural use and for maintenance of water levels necessary to sustain threatened and endangered fish populations in the Klamath River Basin.

President Bush says the reduction in water avail-able for irrigation caused "severe economic consequences in the basin." Ensuring that the farming community has access to sufficient water supply while complying with federal environmental laws and respecting tribal trust obligations will involve "complex economic and legal issues that call for the immediate attention of Cabinet-level officials and others," Bush added.

Bush established the Klamath River Basin Federal Working Group, consisting of the Secretary of the Interior as chair, the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary of Commerce; and the chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality.

The Klamath River Basin Federal Working Group is to advise the President on immediate steps and long-term solutions to enhance water quality and quantity and to address other complex issues in the Klamath River Basin.

Members of the farming and fishing communities; residents of the Basin; representatives of conservation, environmental, and water use organizations, and existing coordinating entities; the States of Oregon and California; local governments; and representatives of Klamath River Basin tribal governments are to be consulted.