C.O. farmers, struggling to survive amid drought, seek changes in wildlife habitat plan

(Update: adding video, comments from rancher and conservationist)

Spotted frog debate returns as C.O. farmers host meeting

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan protects spotted frogs, bull trout, and other wildlife. It also limits the amount of water ranchers and farmers can use. That limit -- plus a severe drought this year -- is taking a toll on their livelihoods.

"At this point, we really have nothing to lose." JoHanna Symons, owner of Symons Livestock LLC and Symons Beef Co., and co-founder of the nonprofit Perfect Balance USA, said Tuesday.

That's why she organized a meeting Tuesday evening for farmers to discuss the issues and work to come up with a better balance between irrigation and conservation. Symons says she wants to amend the current plan and add infrastructure that would take water from Lake Billy Chinook.

Symons says most of her farmland has dried out.

"We are not going to be feeding, probably, any cattle this winter, because we cannot find the commodities." Symons said.

Tod Heisler, rivers conservation director of Central Oregon LandWatch says protected wildlife, like the spotted frog, are declining in record numbers.

While he was unavailable to speak on camera Tuesday, he says they sympathize with farmers, but that water users with first priority (senior water rights) to the river are the most inefficient.

He gave this statement to NewsChannel 21: "We are well aware of this year’s historic water shortages and the impacts to fish and wildlife. A century ago, the water that fish and wildlife needed to survive was allocated to agriculture. Now, we see these species declining in record numbers.

"The current shortage is driven by an antiquated, inefficient, and wasteful irrigation system. The water users with first priority to the river are also the most inefficient. Irrigators in Deschutes County divert three times more water than Jefferson County farmers, even in this severe drought year.

"At LandWatch, we sympathize with farmers in Jefferson County who desperately need water for their livelihoods, while most of the water in our basin is used on lifestyle properties in other areas that do not produce crops. 

"The way forward must include all of the conservation measures available to us, not just main canal piping. These measures can consist of piping private laterals, improving irrigation systems on-farm, administering a water bank that can reallocate water resources through water leasing, water transfers, and other incentive-based approaches."

Symons says the issue needs to be solved -- and soon.

"I'm looking for a short-term solution, where we're all still around to enjoy a long-term solution," she said.

When asked what she's willing to compromise in order to find a balance between irrigation and conservation, Symons says she's already compromised so much.

"There's already been a lot of compromise. We got 1,100 acres of farmland, and I still have a lot of the same expenses." Symons said.

"Especially to keep a lot of that land, the weeds down, erosion under control, and we've probably got around 400 acres in production. So that's our compromise already," she said. "I don't know how much more we can compromise without going out of business."