The Klamath Basin national wildlife refuges provide a vital link for millions of birds that migrate along the Pacific Flyway, connecting northern breeding grounds and southern wintering areas. Today, as much as 80 percent of waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway rest and refuel here during migration. However, in recent years, refuge wetlands have been allowed to go bone dry, even as water has continued to be delivered to refuge land leased for commercial agriculture. We need your help to stop years of abuse and misuse of water in the Klamath Basin!
Take Action
Let Oregon’s senators know that they should be supporting water conservation in the Klamath, not more special interest subsidies that prop up excessive, uneconomical water use at the expense of taxpayers and fish and wildlife.
- Submit Comment Letter to Senator Merkley
- Submit Comment Letter to Senator Wyden
- Text for Draft Comment Letter
Talking points for comments to Senators Wyden and Merkley:
- Please drop support for Section 9301 of the Energy and Natural Resources Act as it would provide a multi-million subsidy to the irrigator-controlled Klamath Project and offer no water for wildlife.
- As written the bill lacks oversight and accountability and not include language of any requirement for involvement in these programs by tribes, fishermen, conservation groups or agencies tasked with restoring fish and wildlife
- Because of the current scandal and misuse of over $32 million in taxpayer spending by Klamath Water and Power Agency and denial by the Bureau of Reclamation in any wrongdoing, I am very concerned about directing more funding toward a similar program that does not have adequate oversight.
- The Klamath Refuges contain some of the most important migratory stopover habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife in the western United States. Please protect this irreplaceable natural resource and drop support of this bill.
