Stepping onto the back deck to feed the feral cats in the neighborhood, I can feel the light morning rain. After all the rain we had this fall, it’s difficult to imagine the drought experienced by the western states. Once called the Everglades ot the West, the Klamath River Basin traversing Oregon and California is drying up.
The wetlands were drained into a series of channels to provide water for a growing region. As a result, the water levels in the lake are so low that there is no water for farmers, fish, and the Native American tribes that had relied on the now extinct marshlands.
This area is important as a stop for western bird migration and the Chinook salmon, both of which are endangered as a result of over engineering in disregard of the old natural habitat. Restoring habitats will not be easy but this story is a warning to how we in the East are destroying our wetlands and marshes through overdevelopment.
Prayer for the Day
Enlighten us, O Lord, opening our minds to new directions,
And liberating us from old ways of looking at the world;
Guide us in our search, O God, as we strive to adjust our lives
To new realties that often seem so confusing and troubling.
Bring us from our past into a future open with possibilities and beauty
So we may discern how best to be your disciples.
In the name of the One who calls us to discipleship,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thoughts for the Day
For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet, and we think little about it beyond the point of contact. We have lot a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports.
Sandra Postel, Global Water Project
There were any unexpected environmental disadvantages [of dams], including the extinction of fish and bird species. Half the world’s wetlands have been lost because of dams.
Paul Brown, Director Climate News Network
For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
And from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
Saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6: 13-14