Nature and History in the Klamath Basin
by Stephen Most
A land of mountains, forests, wetlands, lakes, and rivers, the Klamath Basin spans the Oregon-California state line and is larger in area than nine of the fifty states. During the last two centuries, this region witnessed a succession of conflicts and accomplishments concerning the use of its land and waters: the 1873 Modoc War; the Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Project; the termination and reinstatement of the Klamath Indian Reservation; and the ongoing controversy concerning water allocations and endangered species. Stephen Most is a playwright and scriptwriter. His documentary film credits include two Emmy-winners and four Academy Award nominees. Most wrote the texts, audio voices, and video scripts for the permanent exhibit of the Washington State History Museum and four programs in a world history series for Oregon Public Broadcasting.
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A land of mountains, forests, wetlands, lakes, and rivers, the 16,400-square-mile Klamath Basin is larger than nine of the fifty states. Through the Upper Basin, which spans the Oregon/California border, flies North America’s largest population …
During the Civil War, the Oregon legislature asked Congress for a military post to keep the Indians of the Upper Klamath Basin under control. In March 1863 Major C. S. Drew surveyed the sites that …
Lower Klamath Marshes
In 1909 three members of the Czech Colonization Club in Omaha, Nebraska, investigated western lands in search of a region suitable for farming. After their journey, Land Committee member Vaclav Vostrcil recommended “the project in …
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After World War II ended, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) made eighty-six Klamath Project farm units of 160 acres or less available for homesteading. To be eligible for the lottery, one had to have prior …
John Staunton’s father was a West Virginia stockbroker who came to the dry climate of this region for his health. As a veteran of World War I, Edward “Web” Staunton applied for a Klamath Project …
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One quarter of Oregon consists of national forest lands. Within the drainage of the Klamath Basin, there are seven national forests, ranging from south-central Oregon across northwestern California.
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Ed. Beckham, Stephen Dow. Oregon Indians: Voices from Two Centuries. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 2006.