Klamath Irrigation District
Update
17 June 2022
Upcoming Events
Department of Interior
June Hydrology Update
June 2022 Hydrologic Forecast Meeting

22 June 2022 at 9a.m.
Stop by K.I.D. to sit in on the virtual meeting.
Klamath Irrigation District July Meeting
14 July 2022 at 1p.m.

K.I.D. HQ - 6640 K.I.D. Lane, Klamath Falls OR
Klamath Water Users Association July Meeting
Agriculture Law in the Northwest
Hood River, OR
July 14 & 15, 2022
Available In Person, Live Webcast, or On Demand
         
Klamath Project Operations Update
Reclamation letter to Klamath Drainage District - Water Right Transfer to LKNWR
"Three of the four panels at the Reclamation (Ady) headgate will be closed. The remaining panel will remain partially open for the sole purpose of allowing the delivery of water to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge under Oregon water right transfer T-13673... Unless notified otherwise by Reclamation in writing, the partial closure of the Ady Canal (denying water to Project irrigators) will be effective June 13, 2022 and remain in effect until the end of the 2022 irrigation season."
Buffers to buffers, on top of buffers will not improve conditions for species recovery and is not a foundation for assessing jeopardy.

"We will continue to operate consistent with the attached plan based on diverting water in a manner that does not cause Upper Klamath Lake elevations to drop below elevation 4,138.15 feet this season."
Seeps, Holes, Breaks, and other damage directly attributed to 2021 conditions
The K.I.D. maintenance team has been working diligently to keep water where it belongs to create the most benefit for our community and our patrons.

Unfortunately, the damage incurred from Reclamation's poor policy decision in 2021 to not allow water into the A Canal has resulted in significant damage and unnecessary expense.

  • Every canal has an on-going seep.

  • Infrastructure control facilities have been washed out.

  • Private property has been damaged from water escaping the deteriorated system.

  • Maintenance crews and ditch riders have put in numerous over-time hours, further increasing costs to our patrons.

  • Maintenance teams are focused on emergency repairs and not on routine maintenance (such as weed control).

  • Miller Hill Pump #2 has been pulled for emergency repairs.

  • A portion of the F-1 Canal received an emergency lining installation to slow down a hole which was dumping water onto Crystal Springs Road.

  • The A Canal bike path between Eberline and Washburn was shut down for 10 days as we addressed an issue identified by property owners.
Reclamation's Interim Operations Plan expires 30 September 2022...and it must expire because it FAILED!!!
"The IOP is not a functional plan. It is not grounded in a coherent regulatory logic. It is based on erroneous data, flawed hydrologic assumptions, and a proposed action that does not comport with current operations. Further, there is new scientific information that must be considered, and additional new scientific information will be in hand before the 2023 irrigation season"
K.I.D. Communication with Reclamation
Reclamation responds to K.I.D.'s inquiry about its authority to direct K.I.D. operations
"In your subject letter, which responds to the Bureau of Reclamation's April 22, 2022, letter transmitting the Klamath Project 2022 Drought Plan. you raise questions seeking the legal authority and contractual basis by which Reclamation can limit the Klamath Irrigation District's diversion of Klamath Project water supply, as well as apportion Project water supplies between districts served by the Klamath Project.

Your letter raises legal issues that implicate matters in active litigation. Reclamation refers you to its recent motion for summary judgment filed in Yurok Tribe et al. v. Reclamation et al., 3:19-cv-04405-WHO (N.D. Cal.), which sets forth the United States' position on a number of related issues. The motion is attached for your convenience."
Klamath Irrigation District responds to Reclamation
"In review of Reclamation’s response, I find the response insufficient to address the direct questions K.I.D. presented. Rather than supporting Reclamation’s authority to act on its position, the response shows just how questionable the basis for the agency’s action is...

As Reclamation has clearly indicated water is available for irrigation as expressed in 43 U.S.C. §§ 383, 485h-4, given K.I.D. has a priority water right to the available water under Oregon law and the ACFFOD, given that K.I.D.’s contract with Reclamation does not have an apportionment clause, I therefore find no justification, nor authority for Reclamation to set a maximum diversion amount for K.I.D., other than established by Oregon law, while water remains available at our points of diversion."
On 13 June 2022, K.I.D. issued a petition for writ of mandamus filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging Judge Aiken’s decision not to remand K.I.D.'s motion for preliminary injunction against Reclamation to the Klamath County Circuit Court. 
K.I.D. issues Mandamus to U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Klamath Irrigation District assess that "once a prior court assumed jurisdiction over the res of the water rights in Upper Klamath Lake, Ninth Circuit law prohibits the federal district courts from exercising jurisdiction over components of that res in in rem or quasi in rem proceedings. This rule is mandatory, not discretionary. To allow this case to proceed in what is clearly the wrong court would do great harm to K.I.D., and be a wasteful and inefficient use of judicial resources...K.I.D. requests this Court grant this petition and...remand the motion for preliminary injunction to state court under the doctrine of prior exclusive jurisdiction."
Opportunity Knocks!!!
Klamath Irrigation District - Bookkeeper
General Position Summary
The Bookkeeper is responsible for Financial and Office Support services to ensure District business office runs effectively and efficiently with a focus on customer service. Responsible for overseeing accounts payable and receivable, processing payroll, assisting the Manager in preparation of annual budget, provide monthly financial reports for the Manager and Board members, acts as treasurer for Klamath Basin Improvement District, works in collaboration with the Office Specialist on both K.I.D. and KBID business and reports directly to the District Manager. Must be well organized and comfortable dealing with financial data to produce clear financial reports.
 
Bookkeeper Required Skills
·   Proficiency in QuickBooks and Microsoft office suite, specifically Excel.
·   Knowledge and preparation of financial reports for multiple companies.
·   Ability to maintain a high level of accuracy and confidentiality.
·   Provide exceptional customer service to District Patrons, Staff and customers.
·   Demonstrate initiative and willingness to assist with all District activities.
·   Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and deadlines.
·   Demonstrate strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
·   The ability to work effectively and collaboratively with others.
·   Demonstrate analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills.
·   Must have the ability to comprehend and adhere to District policies and procedures.
Major Duties
·   Develop and maintain accounting records and assist with updating policies and procedures in appropriate accounting guidance and audit standards.
·   Responsible for the District payroll account and process, including tax payments, retirement, insurance, and benefits etc. Prepares W-2 and 1099 forms.
·   Manage District official communications with contractors to include pension plans, IT, phone service, insurance, medical plans, and others.
·   Prepare for and assist with annual audit.
·   Responsible for monitoring all District cash accounts, deposits/withdrawals, time deposits, and investment accounts.
·   Responsible for accounts payable and accounts receivable, including obtaining proper approvals before placing orders or processing payments.
·   Ensure that bank reconciliations and accounts are balanced monthly and provide reports to the Manager.
·   Purchase of office supplies, office equipment and office repairs.
·   Assist Office Specialist with all assessment rolls; billings, and collections as needed.

For complete job description and application go to https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3084014954/

Applications are also available at Klamath Irrigation District office, 6640 KID Ln, M – F 8am to 4:30pm. 541-882-6661. Open until filled.
Klamath Project
Drought Response Agency Update
The Klamath Project Drought Response Agency Board of Directors met on 16 June 2022. The directors received an update on the number of applications received and and number of acres signed up for the 2022 no-irrigation program. Several applications were received late on 15 June and had not yet been updated in the numbers presented. Initial indication is the number of acres anticipated to apply for the program were received.
Automatic enrollment for K.I.D. and KBID landowners who meet the DRA's 2022 Small Acre Program. The Districts enrolled lands deemed eligible for this program in an attempt to maximize beneficial use without waste. Klamath Irrigation District does not intend to deliver water in 2022 through the A-3 system and laterals serving the suburbs as there is a great deal of loss providing water through this system. Therefore, K.I.D. enrolled eligible acres into the DRA's 2022 small acre program. If found eligible by the DRA, the District may receive funding to cover the 2022 Operations and Maintenance assessment for qualifying acres. Any funding received is anticipated to be applied to individual accounts as credits.
Oregon SB5661 Funds. The District is currently auditing credits applied to each tax-lot allocated from these funds. These credits are meant to off-set the increased cost of operations due to the damage created to the infrastructure in 2021.
Update from Farmers Conservation Alliance
After receiving KID’s Water Project Grant application that we developed on behalf of the District, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) requested additional information related to the ownership of District infrastructure. We worked closely with Gene Souza, KID Manager, to turn around the application and re-submit it for funding this month. If awarded, the grant would serve as match funding for a Reclamation WaterSMART grant that the District was awarded in 2021 to implement Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) at 21 key locations throughout KID. OWRD is currently accepting public comments on Water Project Grant applications until July 22, 2022. The Water Resources Commission will tentatively make a funding decision in November 2022. Additionally, Julie O’Shea, FCA Executive Director, and Amanda Schroeder, FCA Program Specialist, continue to work with KID and other irrigation districts in the Klamath Basin to develop funding strategies for projects throughout the Klamath Project.

Joe Reber, FCA Information and Analytics Specialist, has provided the District with a GIS data package that encapsulates all the GIS work that we have completed to date. The data package also includes a technical memorandum that describes the data that were collected and the methods used to produce it. Joe is working to schedule a short data presentation for the District to be conducted in early June.
Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD)
OWRD
Director's Project Update
In its long session, the Oregon Legislature invested about $538 million in water-related issues across several state agencies and programs. The investments included funding specific water projects, authorizing a number of work groups, studies, and assessments, supporting, and enhancing existing programs, and establishing new programs.

Project Implementation Update:

Potential to declare a Serious
Water Management Problem
Area (SWMPA) or Critical
Groundwater Area in Klamath
(CGWA)

•Not started due to other
workload priorities

Limited staff capacity: current
focus is on completing Division 10
rulemaking; conduct Harney
SWMPA- CGWA rulemaking
after Division 10.
OWRD Issues a Single Emergency Drought Permit for Groundwater use in the Klamath Basin
Ryan Andrews states, "Due to pervasive drought conditions and declining groundwater levels in the Klamath Basin, the Department will be issuing only one emergency use permit. That one emergency drought permit is for a limited amount of groundwater for an irrigation district with wells located west of the Klamath River.

The decision to deny any other drought permits followed the review of groundwater levels and groundwater use data, which revealed groundwater level declines of approximately 20 feet over the past two years, and total declines of up to 40 feet in some parts of
the project area since 2001.
OWRD Director's Update on the Klamath Basin Litigation to the Commission
Klamath Basin Adjudication; Klamath County Circuit Court

Fort Klamath Critical Habitat Landowners, Inc., et al. v. Oregon Water Resources Department; Marion County Circuit Court, Case No. 21CV37688

Klamath Irrigation District v. Oregon Water Resources Department; Marion County Circuit Case No. 21CV39570

Klamath Irrigation District v. Oregon Water Resources Department; Oregon Court of Appeals, Case No. A176270 (Marion Circuit Case No. 20CV17922)

Klamath Irrigation District v. Oregon Water Resources Department; Oregon Court of Appeals, Case No. A175510 (Marion Circuit Case No. 20CV17922)

Klamath Irrigation District v. United States Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. District Court, Medford, Oregon, Case Nos. 1:21-cv-00504-AA

United States of America v. Oregon Water Resources Department; U.S. District Court, Medford, Oregon, Case Nos. 1:21-cv-1442

Yurok Tribe, et al. v. United States Bureau of Reclamation and National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. District Court, Northern California, Case Nos. ND CA3:19-cv-0445

Klamath Tribes v United State Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. District Court, Medford, Case No. 1:22-cv-00680-AA
OWRD Division 54 Rulemaking Conversion of a Hydroelectric Water Right to an Instream Water Right
Division 54 is a proposed new rule division that would establish standards and procedures for the
Department to consider the conversion of a hydroelectric water right to an instream water right in accordance with the provisions of ORS 543A.305.

The proposed Division 54 rules establish standards and procedures to implement the
provisions of ORS 543A.305, including:

1. Considerations for providing notice of projects eligible for conversion instream;

2. Actual use under the hydroelectric water right;

3. Resulting impacts on actual use by other existing water right(s) as of
October 23, 1999;

4. Whether the conversion would result in injury to other existing water right(s) as of
October 23, 1999; and,

5. Mitigation measures to avoid injury, and to ensure the continuation of authorized
water uses by other existing water right(s) as of October 23, 1999.

The proposed rules also establish procedures for providing notice of a proposed conversion of a
hydroelectric water right to an instream water right, and procedures that govern the Department’s review and decision-making process associated with the proposed conversion.
OWRD 2021-2022
Feasibility Study Grant Approved Awards
Many thanks to the OWRD staff, Chair Reeves, and the Commission for your investment in our communities.

City of Klamath Falls Beneficial Reuse Feasibility Study
Reuse and Storage  $336,807

Farmers Canal Pipeline Design
Conservation   $60,000

Goose Lake Basin
Water Conservation Study   $80,245

Horsefly Irrigation District Modernization Study $75,000

Klamath Irrigation District Water Conservation Study $72,000

Langell Valley Irrigation District Modernization Study $75,000

West Canal Pumpback Project Reuse Study   Reuse   $115,000
OWRD Counter Claim in Yurok v. Reclamation
OWRD respectfully request that this Court enter a judgment:

  1. Granting a permanent injunction requiring Reclamation to provide OWRD with sufficiently detailed information to establish that the quantity of particular releases through the Link River Dam are required by the ESA and, therefore, preempt Oregon law.
  2. Alternatively, granting a permanent injunction requiring Reclamation to cease releasing stored water through the Link River Dam for any uses that are not expressly allowed in its water-rights permit, if the Court agrees with KWUA that the ESA does not apply.
News Stories Recently Shared with K.I.D.
Senate Committee Hearing To Examine Short And Long Term Solutions To Extreme Drought In The Western U.S.
June 14, 2022
Statement of Maurice Hall, Vice President of Climate Resilient Water Systems for Environmental Defense Fund
Sierra Club states, "Wildlife Needs Groundwater Too"

“This was an absolute gemstone of biological diversity in the West,” said Alex Gonyaw, the biologist for the Klamath Tribes native to these lands. “[Now] it’s the bare threads of a tapestry.”
Klamath Basin youth anxious about poor Federal policies damaging the Klamath Basin ecosystem

Oregon teens reporting ‘eco-anxiety’ from climate challenges, report finds
Youth revealed they are frustrated with government inaction and the impact future generations will face as a result

BY: ALEX BAUMHARDT - JUNE 14, 2022

KLAMATH DUST STORMS HARM FARMLANDS, ERODE SOILS
EDITOR’S PICK: J. WILLIAMS IN: UNCATEGORIZED WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

"Growers in the Klamath Basin have struggled with water-supply shortages for years, but this spring brought additional challenges: cold and wind. That made it more difficult for growers to get crops planted, as wind dried up fields almost immediately.
Dry conditions due to drought and fallowed fields led to dust storms.
Many of the region’s renowned field crops such as potatoes, garlic and onions are under contract. Without water, some growers were unable to fulfill their contracts and have lost them permanently."
As the Klamath Basin faces another dry year, the effects are far-reaching

By Elizabeth Castillo (OPB) and Dave Miller (OPB)
June 14, 2022

Yurok Tribe see an increase in salmon population,

Klamath County remains in emergency mode as wells continue to run dry

Klamath Tribes sue federal government over endangered fish

Ranchers and farmers face drought pressures

Agricultural and waterfowl groups join forces to manage water

SCIO, Ore. — Fierce competition for acreage in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is limiting the supply of cover crop seed just as demand is increasing. Seed growers haven’t planted as many acres of cover crops, including clover and radish, due to expectations of higher returns from wheat and grass seed, said Jerry Hall, president of GO Seed.

Environmental groups sue feds, alleging Shasta River permits threaten endangered coho salmon 
Courthouse News Service 

A lawsuit alleges that the National Marine Fisheries Service illegitimately offered 14 safe harbor permits to conduct activity in the Shasta River.
NATALIE HANSON / June 15, 2022

Photo by Michael Blikshteyn of members of the Yurok Tribe commercial gillnet fishing
Klamath/Trinity Rivers 2022 Salmon Season Set 

"With the number of ocean kings destined for the Klamath River trending upwards, Klamath/Trinity river anglers will have a few more fall Chinook salmon to harvest this fall. During last month's meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission adopted bag and possession limits for the Klamath Basin based on a quota of 2,119 fall-run adults. On the Klamath, the fall season begins Aug. 15 and closes Dec. 31. The fall season on the Trinity begins Sept. 1 and closes Dec. 31."

Federal insecticide treatments aimed at controlling grasshoppers and Mormon crickets on Western rangelands have come under fire from environmental advocates for allegedly causing ecological damage. Read more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed strengthening states and tribes' authority to block projects like pipelines, export terminals and dams over Clean Water Act concerns, saying the power had been improperly restricted by the Trump administration.
Agricultural leaders and Ducks Unlimited join forces on water issues in the Klamath Basin

By Elizabeth Castillo (OPB)
June 3, 2022
California court rules a bumble bee is a fish with legal protections

By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN Capital Press Jun 7, 2022
Other Items of Interest
Congressional Representatives request the Biden Administration to develop a plan to restore domestic production and allow American farmers to lower food prices.
"Administration’s federal regulatory barriers and policies are undermining America’s ability to meet the food and fiber needs of the globe by creating uncertainty for U.S. farmers and ranchers. We cannot afford to continue without a comprehensive plan to reverse course on this destructive agenda and address this crisis. We request that you immediately meet with Congressional Members to develop a plan that restores domestic production and allows American farmers to lower food prices at home and provide critical humanitarian aid abroad..."
The AgNewsWire reports:

Republican Leader of the House Agriculture Committee Glenn “GT” Thompson and GOP members this week introduced H.R. 8069, the Reducing Farm Input Costs and Barriers to Domestic Production Act. The bill requires the Biden Administration to reverse its regulatory barriers to domestic agriculture production and provide immediate relief to families across the country. Congressman Thompson was joined by more than 20 original cosponsors.
Congress questions for Governors Brown and Newsom, Department of the Interior, FERC, PacifiCorps, and KRRC

a. What the Bureau considers to be its legal authority to take title to Keno Dam and operate and maintain it under the terms and conditions of the KHSA?
b. How much it will cost the federal government to improve, make upgrades to, and maintain Keno Dam and related infrastructure, and provide all reports and 'studies that have been completed that relate to those activities?
c. What type of feasibility studies are required prior to modifications to Keno Dam, and when will they be completed?
d. Is the Bureau requesting funding for Keno Dam-related studies or
improvements or operation in its budgets for FY 2023, 2024, or 2025?
Bentz & LaMalfa on Klamath Dam Removal
"As we understand the KHSA, the lower four dams cannot be removed until after the Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) takes title to Keno Dam. As signed in 2010, implementation of the KHSA was contingent on Congress passing legislation that authorized the Bureau to take title to Keno Dam and operate the facility as part of the Klamath Irrigation Project. 

When it became clear that Congress would not authorize the legislation, parties amended the ICTISA such that federal legislation is unnecessary, and the Department of the Interior agreed to take title to, make improvements on, and operate Keno Dam in perpetuity, all without Congressional authority." 
Siskiyou County Water Users Newsletter
“SAVE THE DAMS SAVE THE SALMON”
 
 
 

 
William E. Simpson II - Naturalist 
ODFW (re)introduction of Chinook to the Upper Klamath Basin
Removing the lower four Klamath Hydroelectric Project (KHP) dams (J.C. Boyle Dam, Copco 1 and 2 Dams, and Iron Gate Dam) on the mainstem Klamath River or providing volitional fish passage at these dams and the reservoirs behind them is essential to meeting the objectives of this Reintroduction Implementation Plan.
K.I.D. Manager Editorial on anadromous species naturally above the Keno reef:

Utilizing the term "reintroduction" ignores several facts and attempts to speak assumptions into reality. This ODFW project leans heavily upon the musings of John Hamilton who utilized others assumptions and acknowledged his own.

In reviewing a Master Thesis by Mr. Alexander Stevenson at

 
I find Mr. Stevenson does a decent job at remaining unbiased before presenting the conclusion in his thesis work…there are some factual errors I could argue with in the thesis….but that happens...he does a good job at attempting to be inclusive of the known available data. I am now better educated and have a better appreciation for the archeological work.
 
I find it refreshing Stevenson states, “Hamilton and colleagues (2005) cite Cressman's data as evidence for Chinook salmon in the upper basin but do not also consider the tentative nature of Hubbs' species identifications.” P.18. Nor does Hamiliton acknowledge the known Red Band Salmon Trout discussions highlighted by Lestelle 1966.
 
"Hamilton and colleagues' (2005) study provides a false sense of accuracy to their species and biogeographic determinations. Their review considers all mentions of "salmon" in the documentary record to refer to Chinook and provides no justification for this practice. [Hamilton's] study does not draw on the full body of documentary evidence available." P.19 This supports my criticism of Hamilton’s articles.
 
What I find odd from Mr. Stevenson is that of the 5,859 fish remains examined, only 24 remains (unknown how many remains were from the same fish) contained Sr:Ca in levels large enough to indicate these were from an anadromous fish. (See page 74).
 
Stevenson correctly addresses inter-tribal trade as a possibility. Stevenson does go on to make assumptions based upon his knowledge and experience…and clearly articulates his assumption.
SCWUA editorial,

"Much of the support for [dam removal] was created by a study by John Hamilton a local employee of the California Fish and Wildlife agency. He theorized based on a collection of comments from the past in magazines and newspapers that the Salmon regularly traveled upstream to the Upper Klamath Lake area.

This report was done in a style much as you would find in a high school book report but it became the pivot point in a 2006 case pressed by the then California Fish and Game department to support the theory that PacifiCorp needed to put fish ladders in so that the Salmon could bypass the dams.

The judge at the time was swayed by the argument and ordered PacifiCorp to put in fish ladders or remove the dams. He wasn’t interested in the evidence presented by PacifiCorp that there was no habitat upstream from Copco I. Prior to Copco the Klamathon racks maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries for collecting eggs stretched across the river preventing Salmon from going upstream beyond the Hornbrook area.

An investigation at the time, [several studies in fact between 1910 and 1956] concluded that the dams at Copco were not the reason for Salmon not going further upstream." - SCWUA Spring 2022 Newsletter
Commentary: Klamath Basin Dam Removal Needs a Science-driven Oversight Plan

Published in Cal Matters on May 23, 2022.

The Klamath Basin is on the cusp of the most ambitious dam removal effort ever attempted. If all goes to plan, efforts will get underway by next year to bring down the four aging hydropower dams that divide the basin in half. Are we ready for this?
The Paradox of Hatcheries
Jude Isabella
Founding editor of Hakai Magazine

As I wrote in “The Hatchery Crutch: How We Got Here,” we have a grim duty to look around, take our bearings, and say, “Well, where do we go from here?” Let the conversation begin.
by Carter Reschke

"In the process, these native rainbow trout known as redband trout provide some of the most productive trophy trout fishing on the West Coast.

If you’re in search of some of the biggest, most aggressive trout in Oregon, the Williamson River should be the next spot you check out."
Outside of Alaska, redband trout in the Upper Klamath are the largest-bodied strain of native rainbow trout that remain in freshwater their entire lives. Fish over 24 inches are common and 30-inch trout are caught each year.

People often assume Chinook ran up the Klamath River to the Upper Klamath Basin due to a picture of some fish taken from Link River in 1891. Dr. C. E. Bond, Professor of Fisheries at Oregon State University, examined the picture and positively identified a [single] chinook salmon. Other fish pictured were rainbows, some appearing to be native Klamath residents and others like steelhead [or Redband], but positive separation of these races cannot be made from a picture.
Herald and News - Looking Back: This week in Klamath Basin history for the week of June 18
By BEATRICE NAYLOR Klamath County Museum Jun 16, 2022

100 years ago

"To Miss Elda Offield goes the honor of landing what is believed the largest rainbow trout caught in Klamath Lake this season. The trout weighed 15 pounds and was 34 inches long, with a girth of 19 inches. It was caught near Rocky Point where Miss Offield spent the day with Mrs. G. G. Johnson. The record was taken at Rocky Point."

The Evening Herald, June 19, 1922

-The Evening Herald, April 8, 1912. Irving Wilson, State Fish Culturist, states…To the majority of fishermen, a rainbow, dolly varden, or steelhead does not mean any more than a salmon trout.
- Fuel was added to the controversy on April 9, 1912, when - The Evening Herald carried a statement: by David Starr Jordan classifying all trout on the Pacific Coast as salmon trout. On the same day, the paper printed a letter from W. H, Stiebly, Superintendent of Hatcheries, California, to IIany Telford, Oregon Deputy Game and Fish Warden.

The name salmon trout is only a local name applied to any species of Larger trout, There is not any such fish as a salmon trout, considered from a scientific standpoint. The large fish in the Klamath are called salmon trout, The large fish in Pyramid Lake, an entirely different variety, are known locally as salmon trout. It is a name given to any large trout, but scientifically there does not exist any such fish," Klamath fishermen apparently supported Jordan, using the term "salmon trout" in order to fish when trout season was closed, as there was no closed season on "salmon trout".
Klamath Basin Monitoring Program
KBMP hosted its Spring meeting via Zoom on June 16th discussing the latest updates from various researchers and project managers.