Klamath irrigators right to challenge federal decisions denied

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. —The US Court of Appeals says Klamath Project irrigators cannot challenge federal agency decisions in court.

The Klamath Water Users Association says it concerns lawsuits that were filed by irrigation districts in the Klamath Project, back in 2019.

Those lawsuits challenged decisions made by the Bureau of Reclamation regarding operations of the Klamath Project.

The KWUA’s Executive Director says this news is a disappointment to the basin.

“Essentially anybody can challenge the federal government to try and take water away from Klamath Project irrigators, but irrigators on the other hand are not allowed to challenge the federal government decisions in order to protect their water supply that’s the situation we’re in,” said KWUA Executive Dir, Paul Simmons.

The KWUA says the decision can only be changed by the 9th circuit or the supreme court.

The organization is still actively looking to try to get some of the disputed issues resolved.

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NBC5 News Reporter Jenna King is a Burbank native. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Sports Business. During her time at the U of O, she was part of the student-run television station, Duck TV. She also grew her passion for sports through interning with the PAC 12 Network. When Jenna is not in the newsroom you can find her rooting for her hometown Dodgers, exploring the outdoors, or binging on the latest Netflix release.
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