Home / Contact GPID / Elected Officials GRANTS PASS IRRIGATION DISTRICT Frequently Asked Questions about GPID September 1, 2001 9. Question: Why don't we stand up and fight to keep the diversion? Answer: The answer is two-fold. First, we can't afford to fight any longer. The District has spent almost a million dollars over the past few years defending itself in one lawsuit after another with federal and state agencies. A vote of the patrons in December, 2000 resulted in 63% of the the patrons who returned their ballots said "yes" to removal of the diversion and installation of the pumps. State and federal laws require us to address the fish passage issues. Secondly, without the new system, the supplemental water right that we have been operating under is gone. That means one-third of our total water allocation is gone. Without the additional water right, we can't operate. A new modern system will guarantee our water right, and will provide reliable water delivery while complying with federal and state law. |