Bureau of Reclamation announces Klamath water distribution for 2022

KLAMATH FALLS — The Bureau of Reclamation which has managed the Klamath Basin Water project since building infrastructure for the irrigation district in 1902, has announced the amount of water it will distribute to irrigators in the Klamath Basin. Facing longstanding tension between local Tribal interests, groups of farmers advocating for more water, and procedures mandated by other federal agencies, the bureau claims their operating principles are designed for "equitably allocating any surplus inflows for ecosystem and agricultural benefits."

Using data from the National Resource Conservation Service predicting inflows into the Upper Klamath Lake, water-level recommendations from the United States Fish and Wildlife Services, the BOR will allow 50,000 acre-feet to flow through the A canal to Klamath irrigators.

Limited irrigation will begin on April 15th as long as the Upper Klamath Lake elevation doesn't drop below 4,138.15 feet, the agency said. Their goal is to keep the lake level at least that high through July 15th.

“The Klamath Basin is experiencing prolonged and extreme drought conditions that we have not seen since the 1930s,” said Reclamation Acting Commissioner David Palumbo. “We will continue to monitor the hydrology and adaptively manage conditions in close coordination with Project water users, Tribes and state and federal agency partners. Reclamation is dedicated to collaborating with all stakeholders to get through another difficult year and keep working toward long-term solutions for the Basin.”

Originally part of Lake Modoc, Upper Klamath was originally connected to Lower Klamath, and Tule Lake along with other wetlands in the Klamath Basin. As the last remaining part of the water system, the lake is now the only natural environment for Lost River and Shortnose suckerfish, known to the Klamath Tribes as the C'waam and Koptu (respectively).

Both fish are listed as endangered as are the Coho salmon that inhabit the downstream Klamath River, provide sustenance and are of cultural significance to Yurok, Karuk and Hoopa tribes. The Endangered Species Act requires the Bureau of Reclamation to manage the water in such a way that does not negatively impact the endangered species.

A press release from the Klamath Tribes expressed disappointment that the 50,000 acre/feet will be taken from the Upper Klamath Lake at a time when the C'waam and Koptu will be spawning.

"The Klamath Tribes are tired of hearing 'it is another bad water year,' 'we are all suffering,' or 'come to the table and negotiate an end to this conflict.' This disaster is the entirely predictable and inevitable consequence of multigenerational mismanagement and poor judgment," said the release. "Neither the Klamath Tribes nor our downriver brothers and sisters made any of the decisions that brought us here. And we have nothing left with which to 'compromise.'"

The Yurok Vice-Chairman Frankie Myers also sent a statement.

"Although we are gratified that the river is afforded minimal protections under this plan, it is no time for celebration. Salmon runs will continue to suffer under these conditions, and as climate change intensifies, such protections will become increasingly important."

Last year, the Klamath Water Project, which distributes water from the Upper Klamath Lake to farmers and other irrigation users, received no water at all. Farmers who continued operating relied on their own wells, or wells belonging to their irrigation district.

A press release from the Klamath Water Users Association, a group representing irrigators wanting larger allocations from the Upper Klamath Lake, argued that the promised 50,000 acre-feet of water is less than 15% of what irrigators need and will have disastrous impacts on crop yields this year.

“We have 170,000 acres that could be irrigated this year and we’re ready to get to work,” said KWUA President Ben DuVal. “On a single acre, we can produce over 50,000 pounds of potatoes, or six thousand pounds of wheat. This year, most of that land will not produce any food because the government is denying water for irrigation. We’ll just be trying to keep the weeds and dust under control.”

BOR announced $20 million in immediate aid to the Klamath Project through the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency and an additional $5 million in technical assistance to Klamath Basin Tribes for Tribally led projects.

Klamath Basin farmers will also have access to another $20 million through a statewide drought relief package passed in the Oregon legislature in December 2021. The USDA's crop insurance program has also provided added funding and resources to guide farmers through recovering lost income amid drought conditions.

BOR also said they will be conducting a flushing flow this spring, which would supplement base flows into the Klamath River and reduce the annelid worms which release bacteria C. shasta that cause disease in migrating salmon. The agency plans to provide flows to support the culturally and religiously significant boat dance ceremony for the Yurok Tribe.