July 31, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 136 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page H4205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             KLAMATH BASIN

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, lying in northern California and southern 
Oregon is the Klamath Lake as well as the Klamath Project, which has 
provided water for agriculture for almost 100 years.
  The science involved that informs how much water the Klamath Project 
receives each year has been flawed for quite some time. For years, 
farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin have competed with salmon and 
suckerfish for the full water allocation that they need. This year's 
battle was the final straw.
  Earlier this month, in July, Secretary Bernhardt and Commissioner 
Burman came to visit the Klamath Basin to meet with farmers, ranchers, 
locals, and other stakeholders at the invitation of myself and my 
colleague,   Greg Walden. They got to see just how harmful the bad 
science has been to the irrigators in the basin.
  This week, the Secretary and Commissioner announced that the Trump 
administration is making a commitment to update the science on the 
Klamath Project, and it will inevitably provide relief to the 
irrigators and the dwindling fish populations that have suffered 
nonsensical allocations.
  In a time where it seems that our government can't seem to get much 
right or much production done, this administration has provided a 
potentially lifesaving solution to the Klamath Basin in just under a 
month.
  Updating the science is critical and will help us make more informed 
decisions for decades to come.

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