Groups such as Oregon Wild and Water Watch, say they were kicked out of the talks that produced the two historic deals on Klamath Basin water sharing and dam removal. National groups such as American Rivers and Trout Unlimited did sign on.

Earlier this week, we talked with Sean Stevens of Oregon Wild about his group’s objections. He calls this a billion dollar boondoggle that doesn’t do enough to protect Klamath Basin salmon.

Video: Water Sharing

The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, or KBRA, governs how water in the region will be shared by farmers, tribes, and salmon. Stevens says the KRBA guarantees water to farmers first. There may not be enough leftover for salmon during droughts and dry years when water supplies are low.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8LZjnUFDhg

Video: Farming On The Wildlife Refuges

The two deals allow for another 50-years of farming on the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuges. Stevens calls this a bad idea. It limits how much land is available for wetlands – important habitat for salmon and other wildlife. It also means farmers get a greater share of the water in the basin. Finally, he says pesticide runoff from agriculture only hurts water quality in the refuges.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj97LrHNaOI

Video: Dam Removal

The Klamath Basin Hydroelectric Agreement lays out a plan for removing four hydropower dams from the Klamath River. This will open up more than 300 miles of river to salmon. Oregon Wild is a big supporter of removing the dams.

But Stevens says it was a mistake to link the two agreements together. He says this has created a billion dollar boondoggle for irrigators. Much of the estimated billion dollar cost in the KRBA, says Stevens, is for irrigation subsidies, and there’s not enough in there for doing actual restoration work in the basin.

Besides, the dam removal agreement doesn’t guarantee the dams will come out. It says the Interior Secretary first has to decide if removing dams is a good idea. That process could last a couple of years. While it appears that dam removal is likely, Stevens says there are other ways this deal could fall apart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8MoyBAaNI0