Should agriculture have more of a priority than stable river ecosystem and water rights that tribal members have along the Klamath River?

Finding a solution to such a complicated and multi-sided problem is difficult. One argument is very emotional and deals with the ethics of the issue while the pro-agriculture issue is centered around what is best in the long run. We need food to survive, that is a known fact, but are we willing to do that at the expense of tribes who have been there for so long?

 

Klamath and Modoc tribes are shown near the bottom of the map. 

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American history has always been violent with Native Americans, and disputes along the Klamath River have been no exception. However, the Klamath, Modoc, Yurok, Yahooshkin, Karuk and other tribes were here long before settlers and have a rightful, ethical claim to that specific land. In early treaties, specifically the treaty of 1864,  those tribes were promised that specific land, so the law is in their favor if we look back in time. (Lessons of Our Land). There is not enough water to substantiate agriculture and bring back the salmon that are so sacred to these tribes, not to mention how damming the river has effected the aquatic species even more. Before government and agricultural intervention, the ecosystem was stable and thriving.

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Food is necessary for life and the Klamath river provides key irrigation to many ranches and farms. Also mentioned in the argument above, if crops did not survive and agriculture was not available, the value of land would plummet which is bad for the entire economy around the area. Some key crops that come from the area are barely, alfalfa, sugar beets and potatoes. They provide a stable economy to the farmers and workers, and food for people who live in the surrounding areas and all around the states. It is hard to make an argument to stop the agriculture irrigation when we know that so much of that area relies on it so heavily and we don’t know how the people living in that area would be financially effected.

What Should We Do?

To make matters simple: we need more water. Water that will return the river to the stable ecosystem it once was, but also water to supply to agricultural needs of farmers. Buying water from other states could potentially solve that issue. Buying water fixes both of these problems and replenishes the water supply. However, there are some drawbacks. Neighboring states are also facing water shortages and it wouldn’t help if we took their water. Also, a huge pipeline transporting water is expensive (about 2.5 million dollars per mile), time consuming and may not be a permanent fix to the solution, however it is an idea that fixes both of our problems without upsetting either side (Bastasch, 2017)

Another solution that is less beneficially to agriculture is to rewrite laws concerning water use. If we place water restrictions on irrigation use, then more water can be kept in the river, hopefully providing a little bit better stability to the ecosystem. Of course this could really hurt agricultural communities because they can not produce as many crops as they might like to, but at least it would not completely eliminate their business. There are more than 1,600 farms along the Klamath River, and every single one of those farms would be hurt by a change in law. Also, if this was made into a law, it could be protested in court which would take more time and money then it really should, making the process a lot more complicated (Bastasch, 2017).

There is no right answer, but changing the law and making a restoration project seems like the best option. We need to stop all the appeals and overturns of laws, because eventually, whoever has the most money will win and that is not good. Water measure usage should be reported and required from people who irrigate. Reclaiming and restoring wetlands as well as creating protection for the wildlife who live in the areas should also be required. This is the best option for a better Klamath River Water Basin environment and giving native tribes their land back (Klamath Basin Coalition Briefing Paper).

References

Bastasch, Rick. “Finding Solutions.” The Oregon Story- Water. US Department of Agriculture, Web. 18 May 2017.

McCarthy, James. “Klamath Basin Coalition Briefing Paper.” Real Solutions in the Klamath Basin. 15 May 2003. Web. 01 June 2017.

“Treaties (Klamath).” Treaties (Klamath) | Lessons of Our Land. Indian Land Tenure Foundation. Web. 19 May 2017.