Since 2010, the Agreement has languished in Congress. Local groups came together to solve a problem. Now Congress needs to its job and pass pass SB 133 the Klamath Basin Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act. If the bill fails to pass this year, the Settlement Agreement expires leaving the future of the Klamath River, its fishery and its communities in continued turmoil.
Perhaps the bill has been ignored in Washington because it seems unimportant — a parochial little water bill from a part of the country that few have even heard of. But that’s a mistake. The strength of this bill is as a model for the West. It shows how water scarcity and strong local leadership can actually foster increased cooperation among historic adversaries and produce healthy and productive ecosystems.
Perhaps the bill has been ignored in Washington because it seems unimportant — a parochial little water bill from a part of the country that few have even heard of. But that’s a mistake. The strength of this bill is as a model for the West. It shows how water scarcity and strong local leadership can actually foster increased cooperation among historic adversaries and produce healthy and productive ecosystems.
It’s time.
To read the full article by jounalist Emma Marris, click here.