Welcome to the Klamath Basin Tribal Water Quality Work Group (Work Group) website, which is aimed at informing the public about water quality problems in the Klamath River and how to solve them. The Work Group, made up of leaders of five Tribal water quality or environmental departments, collaborates on larger basin-scale water quality issues such as Klamath Hydroelectric Project Relicensing and Clean Water Act enforcement (TMDL). The public is encouraged to comment on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on KHP relicensing by December 1 , 2006.

The Work Group was formed in 2003 and created its website the next year. Since that time the Tribes have tackled several complex scientific investigations concerning the Klamath River impaired water quality. This website captures what has been learned. Areas of discovery include the role of Klamath Hydroelectric Project (KHP) reservoirs in Klamath River water pollution, how nutrient cycling (or spiraling) in various river reaches affects water quality, and the toxic blue-green algae species Microcystis aeruginosa (see New Documents).

The Work Group is comprised of the heads of environmental departments of the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, and Karuk Tribes, the Quartz Valley Indian Community, and the Resighini Rancheria. The group was formed in 2003, following a massive adult salmon kill in September 2002. The Work Group's stated purpose is "to prevent future disasters through sound scientific research, data analysis, and thorough planning." While the Work Group collaborates on research and shares information, it takes no collective positions, but defers to individual Tribes to offer policy statements. Each Tribe exercises authority over Reservation waters (see Tribal WQ Authority). Some Tribes also acquire designated authority as co-managers of water quality from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.