2001 Klamath Reclamation Project Water Shutoff


The mood was hope, anger, shock, disbelief and fear.
The Tractor Rally was held March 9, 2001 outside the Bureau of Reclamation’s offices near the Klamath Falls, OR airport. Hundreds of farmers and supporters had gathered for speakers and a parade of tractors, mobile farm equipment and support vehicles. The mood was hope, anger, shock, disbelief and fear. John Crawford, a Tulelake farmer, spoke at length on what may be coming. He predicted that there wasn’t enough water to satisfy the federal requirements for coho salmon and the Upper Klamath Lake sucker fish, let alone agriculture. His words echoed in my head as I videotaped the long somber procession of trucks and tractors that left the meeting and headed to Klamath Falls. A documentary had begun. This documentary’s last interview was with John Crawford in a Tulelake CA potato shed, August 2008.


The will and creativity of farmers to survive. We all need to eat.
Dr. Ken Rykbost, retired Superintendent of Oregon State University Klamath Experiment Station in Klamath Falls, talks about governmental public policy consequences, a little water history of Upper Klamath Lake and the will and creativity of farmers to survive. We all need to eat.

©2013 Anders Tomlinson, all rights reserved.