It’s All of Them
Publisher Summary: In 2001, Siskiyou County became ground zero for what would be called the first major water war of the 21st century. The conflict began in Klamath Falls when local water rights were threatened with cancellation. The catalyst was a claim by local Indian tribes that the shortnose and Lost River sucker fish were critical to their spiritual and cultural practices, and that irrigation projects had negatively impacted fish populations. The situation came to a head at a contentious meeting at the local fairgrounds, where, according to Barbara Peterson (a retired Folsom State Prison guard), armed snipers in riot gear were positioned on building rooftops while elderly farmers gathered below to learn they would lose their water rights. The decision affected 1,400 farmers directly, plus hundreds more in supporting industries. Peterson notes that the formerly fertile region from Klamath Falls to Sacramento subsequently turned to “dust bowl” conditions. This 2001 incident marked the beginning of a larger water rights battle that would spread across the western United States, with Siskiyou County becoming a test case for broader water rights cancellations that California Fish and Game indicated would eventually be implemented nationwide.
