Tribal artifacts being looted from Crump Lake in Oregon
2/9/2023 12:57:49 AM
CATEGORIES:
Relief, Response & Restrictions
Society & Public Health
Tourism & Recreation
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Lake County, OR
Start Date: 2/8/2023
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The Oregon Land Board was considering permanently closing public access to Crump Lake when water levels dry up because graves and cultural sites become accessible and have been looted during the recent years of drought. The lake and surrounding wetland cover an area of 15,000 acres in a sparsely populated part of Lake County that has been inhabited by indigenous people for more than 10,000 years. With parts of the lakebed dry, more relics and human remains have been exposed to looters.
Oregon enacted temporary emergency closures to stop looting at Crump Lake in 2014, 2021 and again during the 2022 summer. The latest closure restricted all public access until it expired in January 2023. The Department of State Lands aims to devise permanent rules about closing the lake during low water levels, including for recreation.
Klamath Falls Herald and News (Ore.), Feb 8, 2023
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