Lake letter hypocritical
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Editor,
Susan Lake, how can you say you are “concerned about the emerging rift within your community” when you are backing the very water compact that will take away your neighbors’ water to irrigate their land? How about the fact that stockgrowers will lose the right to stock water? And backing the compact that unconstitutionally gives the right to adjudicate water rights to the tribe — including the right to drill a new well for any landowner, rancher or residential?
Have the Lakes already entered into consensual agreements for more water with the tribe? What about the FJBC members who are supposed to be representing all irrigators, contacting local farmers and ranchers advising them to enter into “consensual agreements”? There is no more than 1.4 acre feet total water being provided to the project; water you get through your “consensual” agreement is taken from your neighbor to fulfill your own need. Who took away the non-quota and extra duty water? The CME board, members of which are not elected, but appointed. Steve Hughes has stated non-quota and extra duty water are not necessary. Leroy Lake “gave up” his seat to Steve Hughes, who has engaged in private meetings with tribal attorneys, Jon Metropoulos and Alan Mikkelsen.
The Lakes came to this area from Idaho because of the availability of water and the water issues that had arisen in Idaho. Tired of moving? Has the compact commission, Weiner or Tweeten actually provided the public with the list of waterways showing the overreaching occurring off-reservation? Most importantly, Susan Lake, have you read the compact documents, or are you basing your opinion on Mikkelsen’s advice — the man who sold out all of the irrigators back in 1990, filing amendments to the FIIP water rights changing the record water right holder to the FJBC, giving a 1855 priority date, and stating “many of the irrigators are either Indian allottees” or successors, followed by a letter from Metropoulos stating the change is to “remove question that the FJBC has water rights distinct from any other entity.” Seriously Susan, where does your concern really lie?
Kenneth Scott
St. Ignatius
