California Trout has been a long-time supporter of the Klamath Basin Agreements, which would dramatically improve long-term prospects for salmon and steelhead in the Klamath Basin. The Agreements ensure that fish will receive enough water (even in dry years) for successful migration and include provisions for significant habitat restoration as well as the removal of four hydroelectric dams. Congress must pass legislation for the Agreements to move forward. If legislation is not passed by the end of 2015, the Agreements will expire and we’ll be back at square one.

Congressman Doug La Malfa represents significant portions of the California side of the Klamath Basin. Despite strong support from his constituents, he has not taken a public stand in support of the Agreements. If you would like to see the return of healthy salmon and steelhead runs to the Klamath River, please attend one of these upcoming events with Congressman La Malfa to urge him to support the Klamath Agreements.

Anderson Town Hall
September 21st
6pm-7:30pm
Anderson VFW Hall
3210 W. Center St., Anderson

Butte County Water Forum
September 22nd
With State Senator Jim Nielsen and Assemblyman James Gallagher
6:00pm-8:00pm
Chico Elks Lodge
1705 Manzanita Ave., Chico

Congressman La Malfa has already heard from the agricultural community that there is strong support for these Agreements. Please let him know that the angling and conservation communities also support the Agreements and urge him to take leadership on this important issue. La Malfa held a town hall meeting last week in Tulelake. To read about that meeting and some of the issues raised, click here.

If you offer comments at one of these meetings, here are some points you may wish to make:

• Full implementation of the Klamath Agreements would create more certainty for irrigators, wildlife refuges, and fisheries.
• Fish habitat restoration, expansion of fish habitat into the upper basin, and other fishery programs would increase the resilience of fish populations to survive droughts.
• The recreational and commercial fishing industries provide important economic benefits. Healthy salmon and steelhead fisheries would stimulate significant economic activity in the region.
• If the Agreements are implemented, ocean commercial and sport harvests of Chinook salmon are forecasted to increase by about 50 percent, the in‑river tribal harvest would increase by about 60 percent, and the in-river recreational fishery would increase by about 10 percent. The increased harvest will add several hundred new jobs in California.
• Implementation of the water, habitat, and fisheries programs in the Agreements would add $346 million in direct benefits in California.

If you are unable to attend these meetings, please consider sending Rep. La Malfa an email registering your support for S. 133: Klamath Basin Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act of 2015.

Thank you!