Spudman January 2023 - 43

wrote in the Klamath Herald and News
on March 19, 2001. They typify his
approach to addressing issues.
Historical data clearly show the Upper
Klamath Basin watershed is not capable
of meeting U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
minimum lake elevations and National
Marine Fisheries Service (Hardy Phase
I) minimum flows at Iron Gate in about
one year in three, even if the Klamath
Irrigation Project and Lower Klamath
and Tulelake national wildlife refuges do
not receive any diversion from Klamath
Lake. Furthermore, in some of those years,
one of the targets will be violated to meet
the other one. This year is almost certain
to fall within the one in three years of
inadequate supplies for these targets.
History has demonstrated that Klamath
Lake suckers have survived lake elevations
of 3 feet below the target elevation
of 4,140.0 in 1992 and 1994. History
has shown a successful recruitment of
Chinook salmon in 1992, when flows at
Iron Gate Dam were about 500 cubic
feet per second (cfs) or less from February
through September, except for 26 days in
April and June, when flows were about
800 cfs. Nearly 400,000 Chinook salmon
returned to the river in 1995 and 1996,
the highest return in 40 years (source -
Pacific Fishery Management Council). The
establishment of operating requirements
that are physically impossible to meet, and
that were not achieved in historical times,
demonstrates an arrogant disregard for
common sense.
Those who follow endangered
species activities will know that the
water crisis in the Klamath Basin is still
unresolved, but there have been several
attempts over time to use a sciencebased,
common sense approach to try
to achieve a solution. Rykbost was a
pioneer in bringing that perspective to
the issue.
Rykbost joined the Potato Association
of America in 1973 at the beginning of
his career working with potatoes. He
authored or co-authored more than
25 journal manuscripts and a similar
number of abstracts. He served the
PAA as a manuscript reviewer, attended
most annual meetings, and was a
member until his retirement in 2005.
His many contributions to the potato
industry, voice of reason and advocacy
of irrigated agriculture in the West are
reasons to celebrate his induction as an
Honorary Life Member to the PAA.
includes more than 26 years at the
University of Idaho as a potato/onion
specialist and professor of plant sciences,
complemented with six years in nonacademic
potato industry, foundational
graduate work in horticulture (M.S.,
Colorado State University) and plant
science (Ph.D., University of Idaho).
His experience, coupled with his family
legacy, have made Thornton a wellrounded,
highly experienced and greatly
appreciated potato researcher.
Thornton has been a member of
Honorary Life Member
Michael Thorton
Michael Thornton has been an
incredible asset to the potato industry.
Thornton's dedicated 40-plus year
career to the potato industry, science
and the Potato Association of America
PAA since 1984. In the past 38 years
with the association, Thornton
has been president (2016-17), pastpresident,
president-elect, vicepresident,
director on the executive
committee, chair of the site selection
committee, member of the finance and
endowment committee, member of the
nominations committee, member of
the HLM committee, member of the
constitution and bylaws committees,
senior editor, member of the editorial
board, member of two symposium
committees, director of the production
and management section, chair of
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Spudman.com 43
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Spudman January 2023

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