Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Invest in Keno Dam on the Klamath River
Senators say the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law presents a historic opportunity to benefit irrigation, water quality, wildlife refuges, and salmon and steelhead fisheries
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week urged the Bureau of Reclamation to invest in critical facility upgrades at Keno Dam on the Klamath River that would benefit irrigation, water quality, wildlife refuges, and salmon and steelhead fisheries.
The Oregon senators noted in their letter to Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton that the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) they both supported has a new program targeting aquatic ecosystem restoration.
“The IIJA is a historic opportunity to make much needed investment in improving Western water infrastructure, particularly in the Klamath Basin which is home to the oldest Reclamation Project,” Wyden and Merkley wrote. “Furthermore, Congress provided Reclamation with new authority and funding to implement the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration program aimed at improving the ecological health of watersheds. This program encourages Reclamation to support solutions to water scarcity that also restore river function and health and is ideally suited for this challenge.”
“These infrastructure upgrades would benefit irrigation, water quality, wildlife refuges, and salmon and steelhead fisheries in California and Oregon,” the senators wrote.
The entire letter is here.
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