Northern California ranchers defy state orders to cut water usage

Alana Madden

(CN) — The Yurok and Karuk tribes have blown the whistle on ranchers in Northern California who are defying state orders to curtail water usage by diverting flow from the Shasta River, imperiling already endangered salmon of the Klamath tributaries. The tribes say the diversion led to a 37% decrease in Shasta River flows, from 58 cubic feet per second to 36 in two hours on Aug. 17.

The Shasta River Water Association’s diversion came days after a fire-induced mudslide killed tens of thousands of fish in a 60-mile reach of the Klamath River.

“The Shasta River Water Association is illegally dewatering one of the most important salmon nurseries in California,” said Karuk Chairman Russell Attebery in a statement Tuesday. “After last week’s fish kill, every juvenile salmon in the Klamath basin must be protected to ensure future runs. We are horrified, we are angry, and we expect accountability.”

Located outside of Yreka, California, the Shasta River Water Association delivers irrigation to several small ranches and farms between the towns of Grenada and Montague. However, since August 2021, residents of Siskiyou County’s Shasta and Scott River valleys have been subject to a water reduction order from California’s State Water Resource Control Board in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s drought emergency declaration that year.

“The order is an attempt to maintain bare minimum flows in two of the Klamath’s most productive tributaries for Chinook salmon,” Karuk senior fisheries biologist Toz Soto said in the tribes’ statement. “These flows reflect the best available science and are the minimum amount of water the fish need to survive in drought years.”

The Scott and Shasta rivers have long been home for salmon to spawn and lay eggs before returning to the ocean. “There’s cold flow year-round that is perfect for salmon,” Karuk natural resources consultant Craig Tucker. “Unfortunately, all this great water is diverted onto fields to grow pasture for cows.”

On Aug. 17, the Shasta River Water Association sent a letter to the Division of Water Rights Deputy Director Erik Ekdahl, informing the agency of plans to defy the curtailment order through exceptions listed by the order.

“The Shasta River Water Association has chosen to follow the suggested curtailment of 15% on the Shasta River,” the association said in its letter. “We will start pumping to supply water to livestock as the weather is over 90 degrees per the suggestion. We will also follow the suggestion to fill ponds for fire suppression and attempt to water the tree base to reduce fire hazards to the community and our families.”

The association closed its letter by saying it “looks forward to working with the numerous agencies in effort to protect the health of the river. At this time, we are choosing to protect the health of livestock, wildlife and…