‘Nobody’s winning’: Drought upends life in US West basin
‘Nobody’s winning’: Drought upends life in US West basin
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, maneuvers a boat near a fish trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A field book used by Yurok Tribe biologists is seen on the shore of the lower Klamath River while researchers monitor nearby chinook salmon populations on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Competition over the water from the river has always been intense, but this summer there is not enough for all users. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching fish species hover closer to extinction as water flows are reduced. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Gilbert Myers, left, and Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, right, count dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” Holt said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, counts dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, right, and Gilbert Myers count dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Gilbert Myers takes a water temperature reading at a chinook salmon trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching helplessly as fish species hover closer to extinction because of lower water levels caused by historic drought. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Aaron Troy Hockaday Sr., a Karuk tribal member, holds a handmade mule deer drum decorated with fishing symbolism on Monday, June 7, 2021, in Happy Camp, Calif. Salmon have been fished from the Klamath River by members of the Karuk Tribe for generations, but recently the tribe has declared a state of emergency. They say climate change and the worst hydrologic conditions in the Klamath Basin in modern history have led to the decline of the salmon population. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A salmon tattoo is seen on the leg of Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, while documenting chinook deaths in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A dead chinook salmon is documented at a salmon trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Dead chinook salmon are lined up before being documented at a salmon trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The Klamath Tribes Fish and Wildlife facility, where the health of native suckerfish is tracked, is seen here on Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Chiloquin, Ore. Toxic algae blooms in the Upper Klamath Lake threatens the habitat for the endangered species. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A fish trap used to catch and document the health of salmon floats in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching helplessly as fish species hover closer to extinction because of lower water levels caused by the historic drought. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Toxic algae are seen in a sample of Upper Klamath Lake water on Thursday, June 10, 2021, near Klamath Falls, Ore. Toxic algae blooming in the lake threatens the vital habitat for the endangered suckerfish. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A tent erected by a small group of farmers protesting the lack of water allocation to irrigators sits next to the head gates of the Klamath River on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. The group has threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for irrigators. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Alex Gonyaw, senior fish biologist for the Klamath Tribes, examines juvenile suckerfish at the tribe’s fish and wildlife facility on Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Chiloquin, Ore. Toxic algae blooms in the Upper Klamath Lake threaten the habitat for the endangered species. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, talks about the history of the Klamath Water Basin project on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. The nonprofit private corporation represents the water needs for agricultural members who draw water from the Klamath Reclamation Project along both sides of the California-Oregon border. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Danny Nielsen sits around a gas fire on property he purchased next to the head gates of the Klamath River on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. Nielsen, who owns 43 acres in the Klamath Project, is among those who have threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for downstream users. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Danny Nielsen walks through a tent on property he purchased next to the head gates of the Klamath River, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. Nielsen, who owns 43 acres in the Klamath Project, is among those who have threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for downstream users. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A small stream runs through the dried, cracked earth of a former wetland near Tulelake, Calif., Wednesday June 9, 2021. The area was drained in an effort to prevent an outbreak of avian botulism, which occurs when water levels become too low. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Erika DuVal moves an irrigation pipe through a field of triticale, one of the few crops her family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. The DuVal family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, they and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Erika DuVal drives a swather through a field of triticale, one of the few crops her family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. The DuVal family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, they and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal stands in a field of triticale, one of the few crops his family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal walks past a dry irrigation pipe in a field he had rented for crops this year but was unable to plant due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The DuVal family eats dinner together in their farmhouse on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. Ben DuVal said he worries the continued water shortage will prevent him from passing on their farming way of life to his kids. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Birds and other wildlife move through a wetland in the Klamath River Basin on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. Extreme drought is tearing apart communities in the massive basin, which spans the Oregon-California border. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Clouds hover over the the Upper Klamath Lake on Thursday, June 10, 2021, near Klamath Falls, Ore. The farmers draw their water from the 96-square-mile lake, which is also home to suckerfish. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal stands in a field of triticale, one of the few crops his family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. Competition over the water in the Klamath Basin has always been intense, but this summer, because of a historic drought there is not enough water for the needs of farmers, Native American tribes and wildlife refuges. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The Klamath River winds runs along Highway 96 on Monday, June 7, 2021, near Happy Camp, Calif. Competition over the water from the river has always been intense, but this summer there is not enough for all users. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching fish species they have fished for generations hover closer to extinction as water flow are reduced. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A dead chinook salmon floats in a fish trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A tractor tears dried dirt on land that was unplanted this year due to the water shortage on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. This summer for the first time ever, hundreds of farmers along the California-Oregon border who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. Competition over the water in the Klamath Basin has always been intense, but this summer, because of a historic drought there is not enough water for the needs of farmers, Native American tribes and wildlife refuges. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, maneuvers a boat near a fish trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, maneuvers a boat near a fish trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A field book used by Yurok Tribe biologists is seen on the shore of the lower Klamath River while researchers monitor nearby chinook salmon populations on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Competition over the water from the river has always been intense, but this summer there is not enough for all users. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching fish species hover closer to extinction as water flows are reduced. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A field book used by Yurok Tribe biologists is seen on the shore of the lower Klamath River while researchers monitor nearby chinook salmon populations on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Competition over the water from the river has always been intense, but this summer there is not enough for all users. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching fish species hover closer to extinction as water flows are reduced. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Gilbert Myers, left, and Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, right, count dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” Holt said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Gilbert Myers, left, and Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, right, count dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” Holt said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, counts dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, counts dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, right, and Gilbert Myers count dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, right, and Gilbert Myers count dead chinook salmon pulled from a trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Gilbert Myers takes a water temperature reading at a chinook salmon trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching helplessly as fish species hover closer to extinction because of lower water levels caused by historic drought. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Gilbert Myers takes a water temperature reading at a chinook salmon trap in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching helplessly as fish species hover closer to extinction because of lower water levels caused by historic drought. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Aaron Troy Hockaday Sr., a Karuk tribal member, holds a handmade mule deer drum decorated with fishing symbolism on Monday, June 7, 2021, in Happy Camp, Calif. Salmon have been fished from the Klamath River by members of the Karuk Tribe for generations, but recently the tribe has declared a state of emergency. They say climate change and the worst hydrologic conditions in the Klamath Basin in modern history have led to the decline of the salmon population. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Aaron Troy Hockaday Sr., a Karuk tribal member, holds a handmade mule deer drum decorated with fishing symbolism on Monday, June 7, 2021, in Happy Camp, Calif. Salmon have been fished from the Klamath River by members of the Karuk Tribe for generations, but recently the tribe has declared a state of emergency. They say climate change and the worst hydrologic conditions in the Klamath Basin in modern history have led to the decline of the salmon population. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A salmon tattoo is seen on the leg of Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, while documenting chinook deaths in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A salmon tattoo is seen on the leg of Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe, while documenting chinook deaths in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. “When I first started this job 23 years ago, extinction was never a part of the conversation,” she said of the salmon. “If we have another year like we’re seeing now, extinction is what we’re talking about.” (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A dead chinook salmon is documented at a salmon trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A dead chinook salmon is documented at a salmon trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile-long river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Dead chinook salmon are lined up before being documented at a salmon trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Dead chinook salmon are lined up before being documented at a salmon trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The Klamath Tribes Fish and Wildlife facility, where the health of native suckerfish is tracked, is seen here on Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Chiloquin, Ore. Toxic algae blooms in the Upper Klamath Lake threatens the habitat for the endangered species. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The Klamath Tribes Fish and Wildlife facility, where the health of native suckerfish is tracked, is seen here on Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Chiloquin, Ore. Toxic algae blooms in the Upper Klamath Lake threatens the habitat for the endangered species. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A fish trap used to catch and document the health of salmon floats in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching helplessly as fish species hover closer to extinction because of lower water levels caused by the historic drought. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A fish trap used to catch and document the health of salmon floats in the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching helplessly as fish species hover closer to extinction because of lower water levels caused by the historic drought. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Toxic algae are seen in a sample of Upper Klamath Lake water on Thursday, June 10, 2021, near Klamath Falls, Ore. Toxic algae blooming in the lake threatens the vital habitat for the endangered suckerfish. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Toxic algae are seen in a sample of Upper Klamath Lake water on Thursday, June 10, 2021, near Klamath Falls, Ore. Toxic algae blooming in the lake threatens the vital habitat for the endangered suckerfish. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A tent erected by a small group of farmers protesting the lack of water allocation to irrigators sits next to the head gates of the Klamath River on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. The group has threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for irrigators. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A tent erected by a small group of farmers protesting the lack of water allocation to irrigators sits next to the head gates of the Klamath River on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. The group has threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for irrigators. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Alex Gonyaw, senior fish biologist for the Klamath Tribes, examines juvenile suckerfish at the tribe’s fish and wildlife facility on Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Chiloquin, Ore. Toxic algae blooms in the Upper Klamath Lake threaten the habitat for the endangered species. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Alex Gonyaw, senior fish biologist for the Klamath Tribes, examines juvenile suckerfish at the tribe’s fish and wildlife facility on Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Chiloquin, Ore. Toxic algae blooms in the Upper Klamath Lake threaten the habitat for the endangered species. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, talks about the history of the Klamath Water Basin project on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. The nonprofit private corporation represents the water needs for agricultural members who draw water from the Klamath Reclamation Project along both sides of the California-Oregon border. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, talks about the history of the Klamath Water Basin project on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. The nonprofit private corporation represents the water needs for agricultural members who draw water from the Klamath Reclamation Project along both sides of the California-Oregon border. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Danny Nielsen sits around a gas fire on property he purchased next to the head gates of the Klamath River on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. Nielsen, who owns 43 acres in the Klamath Project, is among those who have threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for downstream users. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Danny Nielsen sits around a gas fire on property he purchased next to the head gates of the Klamath River on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. Nielsen, who owns 43 acres in the Klamath Project, is among those who have threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for downstream users. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Danny Nielsen walks through a tent on property he purchased next to the head gates of the Klamath River, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. Nielsen, who owns 43 acres in the Klamath Project, is among those who have threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for downstream users. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Danny Nielsen walks through a tent on property he purchased next to the head gates of the Klamath River, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Klamath Falls, Ore. Nielsen, who owns 43 acres in the Klamath Project, is among those who have threatened to forcibly open the head gates of the Upper Klamath Lake if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does not release water for downstream users. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A small stream runs through the dried, cracked earth of a former wetland near Tulelake, Calif., Wednesday June 9, 2021. The area was drained in an effort to prevent an outbreak of avian botulism, which occurs when water levels become too low. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A small stream runs through the dried, cracked earth of a former wetland near Tulelake, Calif., Wednesday June 9, 2021. The area was drained in an effort to prevent an outbreak of avian botulism, which occurs when water levels become too low. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Erika DuVal moves an irrigation pipe through a field of triticale, one of the few crops her family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. The DuVal family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, they and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Erika DuVal moves an irrigation pipe through a field of triticale, one of the few crops her family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. The DuVal family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, they and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Erika DuVal drives a swather through a field of triticale, one of the few crops her family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. The DuVal family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, they and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Erika DuVal drives a swather through a field of triticale, one of the few crops her family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. The DuVal family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, they and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal stands in a field of triticale, one of the few crops his family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal stands in a field of triticale, one of the few crops his family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal walks past a dry irrigation pipe in a field he had rented for crops this year but was unable to plant due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal walks past a dry irrigation pipe in a field he had rented for crops this year but was unable to plant due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The DuVal family eats dinner together in their farmhouse on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. Ben DuVal said he worries the continued water shortage will prevent him from passing on their farming way of life to his kids. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The DuVal family eats dinner together in their farmhouse on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. Ben DuVal said he worries the continued water shortage will prevent him from passing on their farming way of life to his kids. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Birds and other wildlife move through a wetland in the Klamath River Basin on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. Extreme drought is tearing apart communities in the massive basin, which spans the Oregon-California border. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Birds and other wildlife move through a wetland in the Klamath River Basin on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. Extreme drought is tearing apart communities in the massive basin, which spans the Oregon-California border. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Clouds hover over the the Upper Klamath Lake on Thursday, June 10, 2021, near Klamath Falls, Ore. The farmers draw their water from the 96-square-mile lake, which is also home to suckerfish. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Clouds hover over the the Upper Klamath Lake on Thursday, June 10, 2021, near Klamath Falls, Ore. The farmers draw their water from the 96-square-mile lake, which is also home to suckerfish. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal stands in a field of triticale, one of the few crops his family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. Competition over the water in the Klamath Basin has always been intense, but this summer, because of a historic drought there is not enough water for the needs of farmers, Native American tribes and wildlife refuges. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Ben DuVal stands in a field of triticale, one of the few crops his family was able to plant this year due to the water shortage, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. DuVal’s family has farmed the land near the California-Oregon border for three generations, and this summer for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. Competition over the water in the Klamath Basin has always been intense, but this summer, because of a historic drought there is not enough water for the needs of farmers, Native American tribes and wildlife refuges. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The Klamath River winds runs along Highway 96 on Monday, June 7, 2021, near Happy Camp, Calif. Competition over the water from the river has always been intense, but this summer there is not enough for all users. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching fish species they have fished for generations hover closer to extinction as water flow are reduced. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
The Klamath River winds runs along Highway 96 on Monday, June 7, 2021, near Happy Camp, Calif. Competition over the water from the river has always been intense, but this summer there is not enough for all users. Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long river are watching fish species they have fished for generations hover closer to extinction as water flow are reduced. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A dead chinook salmon floats in a fish trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A dead chinook salmon floats in a fish trap on the lower Klamath River on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Weitchpec, Calif. A historic drought and low water levels on the Klamath River are threatening the existence of fish species along the 257-mile long river. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A tractor tears dried dirt on land that was unplanted this year due to the water shortage on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. This summer for the first time ever, hundreds of farmers along the California-Oregon border who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. Competition over the water in the Klamath Basin has always been intense, but this summer, because of a historic drought there is not enough water for the needs of farmers, Native American tribes and wildlife refuges. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
A tractor tears dried dirt on land that was unplanted this year due to the water shortage on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Tulelake, Calif. This summer for the first time ever, hundreds of farmers along the California-Oregon border who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all. Competition over the water in the Klamath Basin has always been intense, but this summer, because of a historic drought there is not enough water for the needs of farmers, Native American tribes and wildlife refuges. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
TULE LAKE, Calif. (AP) — Ben DuVal knelt in a barren field near the California-Oregon border and scooped up a handful of parched soil as dust devils whirled around him and birds flitted between empty irrigation pipes.
DuVal’s family has farmed this land for three generations, and this summer, for the first time, he and hundreds of others who rely on a federally managed lake to quench their fields aren’t getting any water from it at all.
As the farmland goes fallow, Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long (407-kilometer) river that flows from the lake to the Pacific watch helplessly as fish that are inextricable from their culture hover closer to extinction.
This summer, a historic drought and its consequences are tearing communities apart and attracting outside attention to a water crisis years in the making. Competition over Klamath River water has always been intense, but now there is simply not enough, and all the stakeholders are suffering.
“Everybody depends on the water in the Klamath River for their livelihood. That’s the blood that ties us all together,” DuVal said of the competing interests. “Nobody’s coming out ahead this year. Nobody’s winning.”
Those living the nightmare worry the extreme drought is a harbinger of global warming.
“The system is crashing ... for people up and down the Klamath Basin,” said Frankie Myers, vice chairman of the Yurok Tribe, which is monitoring a massive fish kill on the river. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Twenty years ago, when water feeding the irrigation system was drastically reduced amid another drought, the crisis became a national rallying cry for the political right, and some protesters opened the main irrigation canal in violation of federal orders.
This time, many irrigators reject the presence of anti-government activists. Farmers who need federal assistance to stay afloat fear ties to the far right could hurt them.
Meanwhile, toxic algae is blooming in the basin’s main lake, and two national wildlife refuges critical to migratory birds are drying out.
The conditions have exacerbated a water conflict that traces its roots back more than a century.
Beginning in 1906, the federal government reengineered a complex system of lakes, wetlands and rivers in the 10 million-acre (4 million-hectare) Klamath River Basin to create tens of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland.
The Klamath Reclamation Project draws its water from the 96-square-mile (248-square-kilometer) Upper Klamath Lake. But the lake is also home to suckerfish central to the Klamath Tribes’ culture and creation stories.
In 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed two species of sucker fish as endangered. The federal government must keep the lake at a minimum depth to support the fish — but this year, amid exceptional drought, there was not enough water to do that and supply irrigators.
“Agriculture should be based on what’s sustainable. There’s too many people after too little water,” said Don Gentry, the Klamath Tribes chairman.
With the Klamath Tribes enforcing their senior water rights to help suckerfish, there is also no extra water for downriver salmon.
The Karuk Tribe last month declared a state of emergency, citing climate change and the worst hydrologic conditions in the Klamath River Basin in modern history. Karuk tribal citizen Aaron Troy Hockaday Sr. is a fourth-generation fisherman but says he hasn’t caught a fish in the river since the mid-1990s.
“I got two grandsons that are 3 and 1 years old. I’ve got a baby grandson coming this fall,” he said. “How can I teach them how to be fishermen if there’s no fish?”
The downstream tribes’ problems are compounded by hydroelectric dams that block the path of migrating salmon.
In most years, the tribes 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the southwest of the farmers, where the river reaches the ocean, ask the Bureau of Reclamation to release pulses of extra water from Upper Klamath Lake. The extra water mitigates outbreaks of a parasitic disease that proliferates when the river is low.
This year, the federal agency refused those requests.
Now, the parasite is killing thousands of juvenile salmon in the lower Klamath River, where the Karuk and Yurok tribes have coexisted with them for millennia. An average of 63% of fish caught last month in research traps near the river’s mouth were dead.
“This is all unprecedented,” said Jamie Holt, lead fisheries technician for the Yurok Tribe. “Where do you go from here? When do you start having the larger conversation of complete unsustainability?”
Near the river’s source, some of the farmers who are seeing their lives upended by the same drought say a guarantee of less water — but some water — each year would be better than the parched fields they have now. Some worry problems in the basin are being blamed on a way of life they also inherited.
“I know turning off the project is easy,” said Tricia Hill, a fourth-generation farmer. “But sometimes the story that gets told ... doesn’t represent how progressive we are here and how we do want to make things better for all species. This single-species management is not working for the fish — and it’s destroying our community and hurting our wildlife.”
DuVal’s daughter dreams of taking over the family farm someday. But DuVal isn’t sure he and his wife, Erika, can hang onto the land if things don’t change.
“We had a plan on how we’re going to grow our farm and to be able to send my daughters to a good college,” said DuVal, president of the Klamath Water Users Association. “And that plan just unravels further and further with every bad water year.”