Need an up to the minute update? Check out our Facebook Page & Videos –
We are happy to announce that we still have the following weeks available for those looking to fish Cuba on Spring season 2017:
JARDINES DE LA REINA:
MARCH 11 – 17, 2017, HALCON YACHT, 3 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
JUNE 10 – 16, 2017, LA REINA YACHT, 3 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
CAYO LARGO:
APRIL 07 – 14, 2017, 2 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
MAY 19 – 26, 2017, 2 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
JUNE 23 – 30, 2017, 4 SKIFFS AVAILABLE (ASK FOR GROUPS SPECIALS)
CAYO CRUZ:
MARCH 31 – APRIL 07, 2017, AVALON FLEET I, 5 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
APRIL 21 – 28, 2017, AVALON FLEET I, 4 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD:
MAY 12 – 19, 2017, PEROLA YACHT, 4 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
JUNE 02 – 09, 2017, PEROLA YACHT, 4 SKIFFS AVAILABLE
AMERICANS CAN NOW FLY FISH CUBA INFORMATION REPORT < Click Here for more info
Would Like To Welcome Bryan And Christine Frost From Australia Going To Cayo Largo, Cuba January 9th to the 24th, Doing Fly Fishing & Tours. Also Jim Chadwick Group In November 2017 Coming Back A 2nd Time.
Mount Shasta from the Shasta Valley, what a great photo my wife took this past week. Now’s the time to start heading up here for the best fly fishing of the year. Myself, Forrest, Dale, Ryan, Ian, Zach, Nick, Kenton, Neal and Jim are busy guiding people all over the North State of California & its coasts, so give us a call for a fishing update.
Thanks for watching!
Jack & Carola Trout & Team Trout International Guides – 530-926-4540 * Cell 530-925-0331 * info@jacktrout.com
The method of transport for steelhead fishing 2016/2017 season.
It’s already begun people, ask Phillip Pailey and his family.
Just returned from two days with Jack (Klamath and McCloud Rivers). He was most helpful and enthusiastic, showing us some great fishing spots. We three had a really nice fishing experience with Jack Trout. Our third day Jack arranged for two guides, Forrest and Ian, to float us on the lower Sac out of Redding. These guides were also superb. We caught a lot of fish on the Sac.
Solid Hook -Up Lower Sac!
Brett Franklin with a hog on, I’m starting to think those fish on the side of my boat attract them.
This is a great time of year to fly fish on the McCloud River, give us a call if you need a guide.
This is a great place but wading can be difficult, so speak softly carry a big wading stick.
Pocket water and places where no one else goes is a must on this river.
Fish into the tail outs and be ready for grabs on the retrieves.
Keep you tip up high and watch the tip as much as you watch your catch.
Look for confluences and ares that food might naturally flow through a run. Mainly high stick and stay attached to your flies by feel and sight.
Try to look for sections you can cross and get to the otherside of the river, on the McCloud there is usually a side you should be fishing from and a side you should be leaving soon from.
Success!
Keep the eyes on the prize! Whoohoo the trout that launch a 1000 ships! The McCloud River Rainbow was transported to every Continent on the Earth plus every state in the union.
Fly free to be caught once again, or just stay home and make more babies.
Just a boy and his passion out with pops, trying to solve mysteries, without clues.
Dry fly dog names Beef!
Keeping Beef cool is part of the adventure!
My fishing buddy Beef dog.
We do family fun floats, picnic, scenic tours and fishing instruction.
“Family Fly Fishing!”
We spent two days with Jack and Beef (his sweet dog) and our girls 7 & 8, and had an amazing authentic experience on the McCloud and Upper Sacramento rivers. It was our first fishing experience and we had a great time. Highly recommend!
Lower Sac ~ Stop it! Stop being the top rainbow fishery in the west.
Great memories over this 2016 season catching and a lot of laughing and fun.
Wow! What a treasure, we are so lucky to have a resource for catching trout like the Lower Sac, I sure wish the slamon run this year was better.
Same back at you!
I really think the Lower Sac is getting better and the trout keep getting larger, I have no complaints.
Beef Snooze iss always in order, I mean he is 105 years old in dog age. (15) “Ah Beef, sleeping on the job again!”
That’s not sitting on the job, that just means your worldly.
Big run!
Back on the McCloud the dry fly is starting up!
Once you finally get there, you can kick back on a rock and cast to rising trout.
Fish on!
Sweet!
Picture perfect! Nice catch and thank so much!
“McCloud Gold”
Reviewed August 24, 2016
My wife and I hired Jack to take us out on a half day trip on the McCloud river. Jack was well experienced and enthusiastic the whole time, he showed great knowledge of the area as well as the history that surrounds the McCloud river system. We caught some beautiful rainbow trout and even though we had a half day he let us use the equipment for the remainder of the afternoon which was great. Overall just a great experience and we look forward to our next trip with him sometime in the future.
“A Unique Mix of Exploration, Fishing, and History”
Reviewed August 22, 2016
I bought a full-day guided trip as a surprise for my husband’s birthday along the McCloud River. He’s a pretty experience fly fisherman, but this was my first time to fly fish. Jack made it a fun and challenging experience for both of us! He would put us in different spots and give each of us tips. I not only learned a lot of good technique as a newbie, but he also would entertain with his wit and his vast knowledge of local history (as it relates to the fish in the river). His equipment was quality and I would have stayed completely dry had it not been my clumsiness of falling into the river. 😉 We caught a few fish, and I almost reeled in a monster. Book Jack! If you can, do it in the peak fishing months. We’d do it again! Thank you, Jack!
“Jack Trout on the McCloud”
Reviewed 3 weeks ago
The trip with Jack Trout and his guides was great. Jack took care of all the pre-planning and organization. They took us to the beautiful McCloud; the fish were there, they taught us how to fish the technical McCloud environment, and everyone had a great time.
Highly recommend Jack Trout and his guides. Highly recommend.
Beef Dog has our backs when we’re out there!
Blackberries sure were great this year!
Time to go fishing with Beef Dog! I’ll take my dad’s bamboo rod on the McCloud River, nothing but dries.
Whoohoo, high sticking away and fish on people!
Nice little philly.
Looks good to me!
I’m just following Beef dog…
Old Wintu Indian Site.
Beef just saw a trout rise!
He was right!
What a fun time we had on a rare day off.
Then I saw the old stage coach trail from the 1850’s to 1880’s before the Siskiyou Canyon rails were laid, most went up the McCloud River on this route. People like Joaquin Miller, John Muir and Peter Sisson, made their way up this passage.
And there it was right in front of my eyes, a little over grown but it was a very wide and I could see it must of been heavily used if it still existed today.
I sat down and looked out over the McCloud, what and incredible feeling I had come over me thinking about all the history I was relaxing on.
Plenty of room for a wagon and a team of horses, I started looking around the hillsides for Wells Fargo coin boxes that were hidden by Black Bart. You know there’s still many that were never found, still out there waiting for you or I to discover it.
YOU DON’T THINK THERE’S STILL HIDDEN GOLD COINS IN THE HILLS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. READ THIS ARTICLE >
http://insider.foxnews.com/2014/03/05/were-gold-coins-found-california-couple-stolen-us-mint
Oooh! What’s that?? Cool rock, maybe some kind of mineral like copper or something, wow, what a cool adventure.
I collect historical McCloud River documents, check out this news paper/magazine from the Harper’s Weekly 1888 original print I found and bought. It’s so cool they show the Indians who lived on the Mccloud River and what was Baird, California, before Shasta Lake buried it all. Soon to be more ruined by Westland’s Water District when they bury more Upper Sac, McCloud & Pit Rivers.
It was fascinating to me, I have the same picture that was in the Harper’s Weekly 1888 print.
Truly a classic I am honored to own, getting it framed now.
Mr. Osprey very happy summer for all birds in our North State, we had a normal winter this past year and this winter looks to be solid, as we all hope.
Wow, must been a bumpy beautiful trip up the McCloud river in the 1880’s.
Look close you can see the old trail up on the hill above the McCloud River.
Lower Sac On My Mind…
Hooking 4 pounders”
We had an awesome experience fishing the lower Sacramento River with Jack. He was extremely knowledgable about the river and even imparted some local history about the gold rush on us. I’m a fairly experienced fly fisher but I took a novice with me for his first float trip. Jack help him connect with several fish and he boated his first trout on a fly rod. The river is cold and beautiful. I was a little shocked and hesitant at first that we were using 12 foot nymph rigs but that went away quickly as we hooked up with several trout between the 3 and 5 pounds. Jack was in no hurry to finish the day. He took his time on the float. You could tell he loved fishing not just punching the 8 hour time card and collecting his fee. We hooked up with 15 fish that day and shockingly when meeting a couple other guides found out they got skunked. I Highly recommend. He does bring his dog Beef so if you have an allergy let him know but if not he’s a fishy dog so bring him.
We had an awesome experience fishing the lower Sacramento River with Jack. He was extremely knowledgable about the river and even imparted some local history about the gold rush on us. I’m a fairly experienced fly fisher but I took a novice with me for his first float trip. Jack help him connect with several fish and he boated his first trout on a fly rod. The river is cold and beautiful. I was a little shocked and hesitant at first that we were using 12 foot nymph rigs but that went away quickly as we hooked up with several trout between the 3 and 5 pounds. Jack was in no hurry to finish the day. He took his time on the float. You could tell he loved fishing not just punching the 8 hour time card and collecting his fee. We hooked up with 15 fish that day and shockingly when meeting a couple other guides found out they got skunked. I Highly recommend. He does bring his dog Beef so if you have an allergy let him know but if not he’s a fishy dog so bring him.
Beef Leafen!
Joe Romson, ladies and gentlemen!
Adams size 16, no parachute.
Amazing Fun on the McCloud”
Reviewed September 1, 2016
I’ve always wanted to try my hand at fly fishing. Since I frequent the Mt Shasta area, I looked for local guides. I absolutely struck gold! Jack Trout is an amazing, skilled, talented and entertaining guide! His historical knowledge literally rivals many History Professors. As a raw beginner his instruction was kind, tolerant and good humored. Again, being new to the joys of river fishing, Jack supplied all of the excellent, comfortable equipment–and a tasty lunch! This may sound disingenuous, but I had so much fun being on the river, learning new skills, that I would have been satisfied even if we didn’t catch anything. Instead, I was lucky enough (via a superb guide, of course) to land a large Rainbow trout and two smaller ones. The reason Jack’s trips get such good ratings on Trip Advisor (for example), is because he delivers! Try him out, you won’t be disappointed!
Whoa!
There you go.
Ahhhh!
Always worth it in the end…
Ryan with our clients out on the Lower Sac.
Nice!
It’s That Time of Year!
Professor Moser fish on! 🙂
That’s a real chunky monkey, never seen a back like that before, maybe he has lower back pain…
Now those are racing stripes!
“Jack Trout gets it. People want to catch fish and have fun doing it.”
Reviewed 2 weeks ago
I first heard Jack in the late 1990’s on a radio show called Fishing Report. He was always enthusiastic and very informative about the freshwater fishing in the northern waters. Since that time I have enjoyed numerous trips, some included my son, with Jack. He has remained as enthusiastic as ever and I have benefited from his nearly quarter century of guiding experience. Jack understands that his clients have different levels of angling abilities and he works hard to support their efforts and have a successful trip. He does this with humor and patience.
I am a retired biologist (U.C.Berkeley), enjoy fishing and the natural history of the environment. Jack shares these interests and has been a wonderful resource for the history of the river systems and the people who established these fisheries. For example, he has just posted on his web site the history of the McCloud River and the worldwide transplanting of the McCloud River trout. In a recent trip (9/20/16) I caught a couple of beautiful red band trout in the Lower Sacramento River. I had never seen this variety of trout and found Jack’s knowledge of the fish and their distribution very interesting. In addition, I appreciated the hot lunch he prepared along the river bank complete with a table cloth, silverware and home made dessert.
I believe you will also find Jack an excellent guide and enjoyable companion.
Mike Moser
Mill Valley, CA
Lunch is served! 🙂
Buen Provecho!
Beef saw a trout jump!
Just a dog and his adventures!
Wow! That’s a hog!
Kids are our specialty, we can instruct and they will learn and catch!
Seeing kids grow up right and learn fly fishing with their dads is what we’re all about.
Wow! What a great hook up at 12 years old!
Now it’s bro’s turn!
The biggest trout of his life, so far! Way to go!
Nice fatty to go!
The catches kept coming!
Thanks so much for coming up hope to see you and the fam, later on for steelhead fishing.
Lower Sac calls again.
The hits kept coming!
Bill, Thank so much for coming up, see you again for steelhead fishing in November!
Everyone’s happy!
“Great day fishing with Jack!”
Reviewed 2 weeks ago
We were up in Redding and fished the lower Sacramento with Jack Trout as our guide. Caught several large Rainbows as well as a couple of Steelhead. We are planning on fishing with Jack again the beginning of November. Another nice touch, is that Jack fixes a nice hot lunch. It was so good!
Can’t wait to get back out on the water again.
Born and raised in Vacaville California, Ryan spent his teenage years fly fishing Putah Creek every chance he had. Ryan’s fly career began in 2004 when he landed a job in a fly shop at the age of 16 in Napa. Shortly after, being very familiar with Putah Creek, he began guiding. Eventually, moving to Chico Ryan decided to put his walk/wade guiding on the back burner to focus on college and learn new local waters. Later in college, while working at Fish First, he decided to really put his drift boat to use. He’d been rowing for the past 6 years plus and he began his guiding career for the second time. He has since moved out to Lake Oroville and guiding full time, and has honed in on his tying skills in the process. Ryan primarily focuses on the Lower Sacramento and Feather Rivers. He is also an avid striper and bass fly angler, and enjoys drifting for shad. He’s known for his ability to catch bass on a fly all winter long on Lake Oroville, and he’s currently pioneering Clear Lake with a fly rod. Ryan has a vast arsenal of tricks for just about all fish species, and any situation in Northern California. He has a true passion for passing on his knowledge. He has devoted his life to fly fishing with zero regrets. A big enthusiast of teaching beginner’s of whatever ages, and he will have allot to bring to the table for even the most veteran of anglers.
Raised in Northern California, Fly fishing Guide Nick Stetser grew up fishing all the local streams and rivers in California and has honed his skills over many years. Nick concentrates most of his time fly fishing the Lower Sacramento and Klamath rivers but also does trips on the feather river as well as walk and wade trips for steelhead. Nick welcomes all skill levels from expert anglers to first time on the water he will make sure everyone has a outstanding day on the water!
Ian Stratte –
“Fishing with Jack Trout”
Reviewed 3 weeks ago
I have been fly fishing for over 15 years in the Mt. Shasta area but have never used a guide service. I recently planned a trip to Oregon to fish for salmon on the Columbia and for trout in Eastern Oregon. I decided to wrap up the trip the trip with a day on the Klamath going for steelhead. I had never fished the Klamath and based on his reputation decided to use Jack Trout’s guide services. The steelhead got cancelled due to lack of fish in the river so Jack suggested I use the day to fish the Lower Sacramento River through downtown Redding. What a treat! Jack’s guide, Ian, was well prepared, had a nice drift boat and served an excellent lunch. He made sure I was properly set up using my rod. A drift trip through Redding’s urban environment is a unique experience & Ian made sure I fished some excellent spots. We drifted a number of good holes several times & when we got to the end of the trip he suggested that we return to the original launch point & fish several holes we had covered in the morning once again. I caught some good fish & didnt get off the water until after 6 pm. Unheard off!! It really topped off a delightful vacation.
Zachariah Stone Silver, just the name says it all, you’ll catch trout and learn from a Plumas County Pro.
“Graeagle Fishing Trip”
Reviewed August 28, 2016
Zachariah Stone Silver was an amazing fly fishing guide down in Graeagle!!! We met at the general store and then headed out for four hours of FUN and EXCITEMENT. My husband caught his first trout on a fly! Z did a super job making sure all people were having a good time and learning. He is very knowledgeable and funny. Wonderful experience…..book with this company if you are looking for an awesome experience!!
We have you covered on the Feather River and the Truckee River. When You Need A Guide For Fly Fishing In California, Give Us A Call. 530-926-4540
Brown Trout with spots out of Westwood High School colors. (Plumas County)
Smith River And All California Coastal Rivers, We Have The Best Guides For Fly Fishing.
The perfect swing runs, we know where to take you.
Our guides are experts who can instruct you on spey casting to catch wild steelhead.
ROGUE RIVER OREGON, WE GOT YOUR STEELHEAD TRIP DIALED!
TRINITY RIVER STEELHEAD SEASON STARTS NOW!
Forrest And His Award Winning Trinity River Fly Fishing Trips! Forrest Also Does Trips On The California Coast.
Van Duzen River ~ California Coast.
Trinity River Steelhead
Trinity River Steelhead
Reviewed yesterday N
After reading the amazing reviews, I scheduled a 3 day fly fishing trip with Jack for me, my brother and dad in early October in the Mt Shasta, CA area. Jack and his wife were a pleasure to work with in setting it up and made everything so easy. Once we got to Mt. Shasta, we had the time of our lives. We hadn’t fly fished for 20 years and Jack was patient, a great teacher and great guy all around. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of fishing and the history of the area. We fished 3 very different but fantastic rivers on each of the 3 days – the Klamath, McCloud and Lower Sac. Some of the best scenery out there. Jack knew just which flies to use and spots to hit. We caught a lot of fish and on the last day on the Lower Sac with his really cool guides Forest and Ian, I had the best fishing day of my life. I was floating in a boat with my brother and Forest and, with Forest’s expert tutelage, we were catching large rainbows pretty much every time we put our lines in the water (my brother and I both had fish on the line at the same time throughout the day).
I can’t recommend Jack and his team enough. He uses the absolute best fishing gear, including providing very high end, comfortable waders. The lunches prepared by his wife were super gourmet and delicious (one day we had pork ribs and the other day the best chicken stew ever). We will definitely be coming up for another trip with Jack.
******************************************************
“Guided Trip of Awesomeness!”
Reviewed February 29, 2016
Jack and Carola set myself and a friend up with Forrest up in Redding, CA and couldn’t be happier. His knowledge of the river was second to none. The drift boats have seats in them but I’m not sure why since we were hooked up constantly. Can’t wait to go back again. I will most certainly be back with the wife and kids too!
Posting a message sent to our guide:
Hey Forrest,
It was by far, the best fishing trip I’ve been on, and on the fly made it that much more amazing.
Both Tomas and I were used to catching smaller yearling size trout and I don’t think he’s ever been exposed to such a great fishery/trout sizes in the UK.
I’m sure you’ve been on many epic guided trips but this one for us was amazing to say the least. First Steelhead EVER! We both agreed that we couldn’t have been paired up with a better guide.
Without getting all mushy, you made us feel as though we were just fishing with another friend (who happened to have a boat and charged us money! LOL). You knew every seam, pocket, riffle, red, etc… and put us on the fish while others had little success. Tomas and I were smiling ear to ear for the rest of the trip and all the way back home. Both of us hooking up on that last drift finished the day off perfectly. It was truly the “Guided Trip of Awesomeness!”
HAT CREEK FIRES UP BUGS & DALE LANGSTAFF IS YOUR MAN!
Dale Langstaff on Hat Creek – Just received this email yesterday – Dale guides for me on Hat Creek, Pit River, McCloud, Baum Lake, Klamath River, Lower Sac.
Dear Jack & Carola:
Thank you for a wonderful experience on Hat Creek. Dale was a great guide. He patiently taught my brother the basics of dry fly and streamer fishing, and even more patiently untangled my many rats’ nests. What a wonderful day we had!
Best regards,
Sebastian Braum, PhD
************************************************************
Also saw this on Tripadvisor, what a great review Dale!!
Experience of a lifetime! – Great Service and amazing guide!”
My wife and I had an absolutely amazing day on the Mccloud River with our guide Dale.
For anyone who loves natural beauty and/or fly fishing, this is the perfect trip for you! Beginner, amateur, or advanced fisherman alike, Jack Trout and Dale were amazing. They recommended where to stay once we got to the area, made it very easy for us to book the trip, and obviously put us on the fish all day long!
My wife was fly fishing for her very first time and Dale was very patient while teaching her and helping her catch her first Mccloud Rainbow Trout. The scenery of where we went felt like it was out of a movie, and the water was a color I had never seen before. To say the least, it was a very special place and a very special day. I cant imagine anyone not enjoying themselves on this river and with these guides! I am hooked and will be a client for life. Cant wait until next time!
Visited September 2016
*************************BELIZE CARIBBEAN FLY FISHING**************
“The Tug is the Drug”
Reviewed August 19, 2016
First time salt water fly fishing for bonefish and permit and what a tremendous and exhilarating experience. I obtained my guide, Lloyd Nunez, through Jack Trout Fly Fishing. Jack was very easy to communicate and did all the scheduling. This was an all day trip out of Hopkins, Belize. We left from the Sittee River Marina and fished numerous flats around a variety of very small islands. Lloyd was excellent locating numerous pods of bonefish and permit throughout the day. I also had a spotter (Marlin) that would accompany me when we wade fished and he would also carry the second fly rod that was rigged for bonefish. On several occasions we encountered pods of permit and bonefish in the same area. I am certainly not an excellent fly caster but decent enough.
Had to deal with moderate wind and had numerous excellent attempts during the day to
cast upon permit and bonefish. I was quite amazed how darn picky these fish can be.
It was not until our last stop in the late afternoon that I hooked up with my first permit.
The entire day was a great adventure. Highly recommend Jack Trout Fly Fishing.
Kelly Keith
PLACENCIA BELIZE WITH WAYNE CASTELLANOS –
CHILE CHILE CHILE CHILE CHILE !!
Our Guide Mattias With Jeff Gargiulo On The Rio Maullin Chile / Argentina 2017
Carola and I won’t be going to Chile until Late February This Year, We Want To See Some Snow Around Christmas For Once And Beef Dog Is 15 Years Old And We Don’t Want To Leave For Extended Lengths Anymore. We Booked A Trip From Chile To Argentina 10 Days March 17th to March 27th, 2017. We Have Open Feb 28th Through March 14th or March 30th to April 10th. Two 10 Day Slots Left For Our Famous 10 Day Trip To Fly Fishing, Touring & Lodging in Chile & Argentina. Mattias Will Be Guiding Cruise Ship Clients Out Of Puerto Montt, Ben Will Be guiding Puerto Natales, Jose & Nico Guiding Out Of Coyhaique And Rafael Is Guiding Our Clients Out Of Punta Arenas. info@jacktrout.com.
Our Guide Esteban Guiding Our Clients In Argentina Is Happy And Waiting For All Streams To Open Soon!
Well it’s time to wind thing down a little and head on back to the barn Beef says… Your fly fishing adventures is just a phone call away
530-926-4540 or info@jacktrout.com
The Life Of Beef Dog And His Fly Fishing Adventures!
Thanks for watching folks! Jack & Carola Trout & Team Trout International Fly Fishing Guides Worldwide.
WE WILL BE AT THE PLEASANTON FLY FISHING SHOW THIS YEAR COME BY AND MEET THE GUIDES, FREE PRIZES!! 🙂
Farmers were paid $32M to pump and not farm. Was it a
waste of money?
In a move that could have ramifications across the arid West, a government watchdog agency accused federal water regulators of wasting taxpayer funds when they gave Klamath Basin farmers more than $32 million to stop growing crops and to pump groundwater instead of drawing from lakes and rivers.
The funds were spent in a failed bid to protect endangered fish and wildlife near the California-Oregon border, the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a report this week.
The inspector general slammed the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for not having legal authority to enter into a seven-year agreement that reimbursed farmers and said bureau officials were wrong to take funds that Congress had set aside to help struggling species and give them to the now-defunct Klamath Water and Power Agency.
The watchdog agency said there was little evidence the program helped threatened coho salmon and two kinds of endangered sucker fish. In fact, the report says, it might have further strained the watershed because the pumping lowered groundwater already depleted by years of drought.
Moreover, it said, the program didn’t provide much water to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, a critical habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds.
“We determined that the benefits … flowed primarily to irrigation contractors rather than fish and wildlife,” the inspector general’s report said.
More than $4 million of the funds went to salaries, rent, travel and other expenses that the watchdog agency determined to be “questionable” or “unallowable” under the law.
“It was almost like (they were) using these funds as their own cookie jar,” said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
Klamath Water and Power Agency, which managed the funds, closed earlier this year after the Bureau of Reclamation stopped making payments.
The bureau and farmers defended the program as legal and successful. The inspector general had unfairly bashed an innovative water-sharing program for what amounted to minor bureaucratic mix-ups, they said.
“Reclamation maintains that (the reimbursement program) has been an important tool in dealing with water issues in an over-allocated basin,” the bureau said in a written statement.
Supporters say the program kept more surface water in the lakes and rivers where fish and birds most needed it, while also helping farmers avoid devastating financial losses during a prolonged drought.
It avoided costly legal challenges to water cutbacks, and more water flowed to the refuge than it otherwise would have in drought years, they said. The refuge typically receives its water only after the farmers, who have senior water rights, get theirs.
The Klamath Water Users Association blamed the report on groups “hostile to the farm and ranch families that rely on the Klamath Reclamation Project for their irrigation water supply.”
The report outraged environmentalists and others who have been trying for years to secure more water for wildlife.
“Here is money that is supposed to be spent specifically to benefit the refuges, and even that is taken away,” said Michael Lynes, director of public policy at Audubon California. “That’s what makes this sting so much.”
Jennifer Harder, a law professor at University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, said that most of the red flags raised in the report might have been avoided had the Bureau of Reclamation better documented the benefits to fish and wildlife and explained its rationale.
Harder said that’s a shame, because it’s important for government agencies to find creative ways to better balance the needs of wildlife and farming.
“(Reclamation) was trying to do something that was, in a sense, very smart,” she said. “They were trying a physical solution to balancing and accommodating both agriculture and environmental flows. That’s very tricky business.”
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