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Tensions rise in water battle along Oregon-California line

Gillian Flaccus/AP

FILE - In this March 2, 2020, file photo, farmer Ben DuVal with his wife, Erika, and their daughters, Hannah, third from left, and Helena, fourth from left, stand near a canal for collecting run-off water near their property in Tulelake, Calif. The Klamath Basin, a vast and complex water system that spans Oregon and California, is in the throes of the worst drought in recorded history, with water flows in the tributaries of the Klamath River that are as low as they have been in a century. Federal officials are expected to announce the water allocations for the season this week and it's possible that farmers might not get any water at all. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)

By: Associated Press

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A historic drought in a massive agricultural region straddling Northern California and southern Oregon could mean steep cuts to the water provided to hundreds of farmers to sustain endangered fish species.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation oversees water allocations in the Klamath Project. It's expected to announce this week how much water farmers will get this season, if any, after delaying the decision a month amid severe drought.

The Klamath and Yurok tribes have treaties guaranteeing the protection of their fisheries.

They want water for federally listed fish species, the sucker fish and coho salmon.

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Tensions rise in water battle along Oregon-California line

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