You are now in California and the U.S. Home Headline Media Coverage category.

OPINION: Klamath Dams Critical To Fighting Wildfires

Wildfire season is upon us once again in the Klamath Basin. When homes and lives are at stake in a wildfire, nothing is more important than having firebreaks and a readily available water source. That’s exactly what’s provided by the reservoirs created by dams on the Klamath River. The fact that the dams and those reservoirs are being targeted for removal by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is a great source of worry for residents, firefighters, and the County of Siskiyou. Citizen safety is a primary responsibility of the county. The reservoirs of Copco and Iron Gate have proven critical to saving local communities from wildfire for many years.

Facilitator To Aid Interior On Water Talks

A coalition aimed at bringing multiple parties together to discuss the future of water resources in the Klamath Basin is hiring an additional facilitator to help with the effort. Alan Mikkelsen, senior advisor to the Secretary of the Interior on water and western resource issues, said Friday he is continuing to take part in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” meetings in addition to the facilitator. Mikkelsen met with the coalition at the building housing the Bureau of Land Management office in Medford on July 30 and 31. “This is supplementing what we’ve been doing,” Mikkelsen said, of the facilitator position.