Worst day : Water crisis deepens on California-Oregon line | National News journalnow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from journalnow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By GILLIAN FLACCUS
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) â The water crisis along the California-Oregon border went from dire to catastrophic this week as federal regulators shut off irrigation water to farmers from a critical reservoir and said they would not send extra water to dying salmon downstream or to a half-dozen wildlife refuges that harbor millions of migrating birds each year.
In what is shaping up to be the worst water crisis in generations, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said it will not release water this season into the main canal that feeds the bulk of the massive Klamath Reclamation Project, marking a first for the 114-year-old irrigation system. The agency announced last month that hundreds of irrigators would get dramatically less water than usual, but a worsening drought picture means water will be completely shut off instead.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. NBC5 News first told you Wednesday, the Bureau of Reclamation has shut off the A Canal, the principal irrigation canal for the Klamath Project. It’s the first time, it’s converted no water, meaning thousands of farmers are without water for the irrigation season.
Thursday, several dozen took to the streets of Klamath Falls, to peacefully protest. Around 50 people gathered Thursday in front of the Klamath Irrigation District office. They’re asking for more water to be released from Upper Klamath Lake.
The group Thursday, made up of farmers, ranchers, and members of the Klamath Water Users Association, and the Klamath Irrigation District Board.
Oregon water litigation again exceeds agency s budget capitalpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from capitalpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.