Residents along the Klamath River in northwest California argue that federal policies divert too much water from the river for farming purposes and endanger the environment. This is blamed for the recent deaths of more than 33,000 salmon in the river, and the policy has sparked a debate between conservationists and the Bush administration. American Indian leaders are joining environmentalists in condemning the administration for bowing to the wishes of the powerful farm lobby instead of protecting the river. The National Academy of Sciences panel's review is also drawing fire, as its findings have been used by the administration to justify its position. The Yurok, Hupa and Karuk tribes can no longer rely on the dwindling salmon, once central to their cultures, and environmentalists worry about the vanishing fish and migratory birds in the wildlife refuges of the basin. The Yurok, who are the only tribe in the basin to fish commercially, have been most affected by the policy to lower river flow. Interior Department officials deny politics are influencing their decisions, and say it's still too early to decide what exactly killed the Klamath fish in September.
