Friday August 26, 2022
CounterPunch —
Ranchers who are members of the Shasta River Water Association have defied state law by diverting water flows from the Shasta River, a key Klamath River tributary for imperiled coho and Chinook salmon, a joint press statement from the Karuk and Yurok Tribes revealed.
The association violated an order by the State Water Resources Control Board Board to cease and desist all diversions from the Shasta River just a week after a fire-induced mudslide killed all fish in a 60-mile reach of the Klamath River.
The violation by the association takes place as the Klamath Irrigation District in Southern Oregon also plans to defy a U.S. government order issued last week to halt water deliveries to farmers in the basin.
“The Klamath River Water Association is illegally dewatering one of the most important salmon nurseries in California,” said Karuk Chairman Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery. “After last week’s fish kill, every juvenile salmon in the Klamath basin must be protected to ensure future runs. We are horrified, we are angry, and we expect accountability.”