Klamath Falls News - Locally owned news brand, reporting stories affecting citizens of the Klamath Basin.
CHILOQUIN, Ore. — C’waam (Lost River sucker) and koptu (shortnose sucker) are two species of fish unique to Upper Klamath Basin, and both were once a plentiful food source for the Klamath Tribes. However, in the last 50 years, the population of these fish has been decimated from degradation of their habitat, the rivers they spawn in, and the lakes where they live.
Read MoreCHILOQUIN, Ore. - The Klamath Tribes see no alternative but to sue the Federal Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to force those agencies to live up to their obligations under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and protect the C’waam (Lost River sucker) and Koptu (shortnose sucker) from extinction.
Read MoreCHILOQUIN, Ore. - The Klamath Tribes today filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation in federal district court in Medford, Oregon, over Reclamation’s ongoing violations of the Endangered Species Act in its operation of the Klamath Project. C’waam (Lost River sucker) and Koptu (shortnose sucker), two critically endangered fish of vital spiritual and cultural importance to the Tribes, are being pushed to the very brink of extinction by Reclamation’s violation of one of our country’s bedrock environmental laws.
Read MoreCHILOQUIN, Ore. - This historically bad water year requires urgent measures to save the C’waam (Lost River sucker) and Koptu (shortnose sucker). These two critical treaty resources of the Klamath Tribes are on the verge of extinction and the Bureau of Reclamation’s water management this year must focus on meeting their needs first.
Read MoreCHILOQUIN, Ore. - In this historically bad water year, protecting the C’waam (Lost River sucker) and Koptu (shortnose sucker) must be the first priority. That is the key message the Klamath Tribes delivered to the Bureau of Reclamation today [3/15/21] in comments on Reclamation’s initial draft management framework for Klamath Project operations this spring.
Read MoreSenator Jeff Merkley visited Klamath Falls on Monday to tour the rearing ponds at Gone Fishing and the floating net pens on Upper Klamath Lake. This was Merkley’s first visit to tour the facilities following his Sucker Recovery Event held last fall. Following the summit, Merkley secured $3 million in federal funding for an expansion of the project.
Read MoreIn the old times the Klamath Tribe believed everything they needed to live was provided for them by their Creator - They still believe this today.
One of those things provided by Creator is the C’WAAM. Each spring the Klamath Tribe holds a ceremony to celebrate the fish and to give thanks to the Creator for providing the fish.
Read MoreKLAMATH FALLS, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley on Friday hosted a science summit, the Sucker Recovery Summit, to share updates on the health of the species and to discuss possible short-term options to help the Lost River (C'waam) and shortnose (Koptu) suckers survive until long-term solutions take effect.
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today [September 5, 2018] pushed U.S. Department of Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke to reverse his decision to withhold from the Klamath Tribe almost $500,000 in already allocated funding for critical water quality research in the Upper Klamath Lake.
Read MoreChris Derrickson tilts his head slightly, listening to the faint bird-like ‘chirping’ sound through his earphones while standing in a slowly moving boat. He concentrates on a digital scanner as the chirp grows stronger, closing in on his target. But rather than look to the sky for a bird, Derrickson leans over, peering into the murky waters of Upper Klamath Lake.
Read MoreJudge William H. Orrick deny's a motion filed by the Klamath Tribes for preliminary injunction to protect sucker fish of Upper Klamath Lake. Orrick also orders a transfer of venue to a Federal Court in Oregon. At this time, it is unclear which Oregon Federal Court will receive the case.
Read MoreThe Klamath Tribes sued federal agencies (Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service) alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act and seeking the imposition of “immediate, emergency measures” to protect two endangered sucker fish species in the Upper Klamath Lake.
Read MoreOp-Ed Commentary by, Scott Seus
It was epic. Two mint harvesters working into the sunset, with Mt. Shasta on the horizon and a fiery orange haze in the air. The photographer from the San Francisco Chronicle jumped at the invitation to get on the cab of Terryn’s combine. Combine surfing wasn’t what I had in mind, but I guess when you’re in the moment and you love your job, you go to great measures to achieve your goals.
Read MoreChiloquin, OR – The Klamath Tribes today filed a lawsuit under the federal Endangered Species Act to protect endangered C’waam and Koptu (Lost River and Shortnose suckers, respectively) through better management of water levels, water quality and habitat protection in Upper Klamath Lake.
Read MoreAlong the shore line of Upper Klamath Lake at the Eagle Ridge County Park a small number of reared Lost River and Shortnose Sucker fish have been released. These fish are the first of thousands to be raised in captivity and released into Upper Klamath Lake.
Alan Mikkelsen, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke was in attendance to help release the fish into the wild and answer questions about the program.
“This is the first cohort of what we expect to be many more releases in the coming years,” says Mikkelsen. “What is going on here is an attempt to stabilize and ultimately increase the population of suckers in the lake.”
Read MoreThe U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is planning on the initial release of a portion of 2,500 Lost River and Shortnose suckers for 2018 on March 20th in the Shoalwater Bay area. Although, the Klamath Tribes appreciate this effort, we feel strongly that in order to be effective this needs to be accomplished on a much larger scale. We also are saddened that we are at the point where artificial propagation is now a necessary step in attempt to save these species from extinction.
Read MoreOn Friday, February 9, 2018, attorneys for the Klamath Tribes sent a letter to representatives of three federal agencies requesting that Upper Klamath Lake be managed at higher levels throughout the upcoming irrigation season to protect the endangered C’waam and Koptu (Lost River and Shortnose suckers, respectively).
Read MoreAlong the banks of the Sprague River, in Chiloquin, Ore. the C'waam Ceremony is held each year after the first big Fish-Blanket snow in March when c’waam (also known as the Lost River Sucker) swim up the Sprague River to spawn. This years event will be held March 24th.
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![Klamath Tribe blesses C’WAAM and honors Creator in ceremony [VIDEO]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1553909682874-I9CJAD9BOHTBAK5FLPOY/DSC_3350.jpg)
![Merkley Hosts Science Summit to Identify Solutions for Suckers [VIDEO]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1542519732549-13MCK060XKQIBEZEV1TX/DSC_0464.jpg)
![US District Court Hearing Klamath Tribes vs Bureau of Reclamation [Full Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1532546223845-Z6HMHIL3QFWDRSDCXBDY/thumb2.jpg)
