Klamath Drainage District

Good for Wildlife. Good For Klamath Basin Communities.

Established in 1915, the Klamath Drainage District (KDD) has been an important region for Klamath Basin agriculture. Rich, lake-bottom soil makes it an ideal to grow pasture for beef and dairy cattle as well as grain, alfalfa, potatoes, and organic crops.

While the landowners in KDD are proud of their farms and ranches, what also makes this area special is the access wildlife has to the fields and pastures. One of the largest populations of bald eagles in the continental United States hunts these lands, as well as other raptors and coyotes. Muskrats, frogs, Western pond turtles and the occasional otter make their home in our ditches and drains. And during migrations geese, ducks, and swans stop to rest before continuing on their travels. Being across from Lower Lake National Wildlife Refuge has made the fields and ditches in the Klamath Drainage District a saving grace for birds during dry years.

When KDD is successful, so is wildlife and our surrounding communities. The animals and birds, folks who in live in the Klamath Basin benefit from the abundance in the fields and pastures, as well as the water in the canals and ditches. Between the jobs provided by the farms and ranches, the tourists who make their way though our drainage district to view the wildlife, and our ability to help out nearby irrigation districts when needed, KDD is able to be a positive force in our communities.

About the Klamath Drainage District

Established in 1915, the Klamath Drainage District plays an integral role to the Klamath Irrigation Project as well as our the communities and the surrounding wildlife.

The area that makes up the Klamath Drainage Project was a natural low spot in the Klamath Basin where after water from area watersheds and Lost River filled and crawled through the landscape settled into Lower Klamath Lake. Marshy with low water levels, this area wouldn’t become the district it is today without acts of Congress, railroads, and enterprising landowners.

Learn more about the Klamath Drainage District.

The Wildlife of Klamath Drainage District

From the birds to the Pacific Flyway to the raptors and other animals that make KDD their home, landowners take as much pride in the wildlife in their fields as they do the fields themselves.

KDD’s unique ecosystem lends itself to having a variety of fauna, and when our fields and ditches have access to water, aside from waterfowl, you can find small creatures such as snails, frogs, turtles and the occasional fish that’s managed to find its way into our systems. The smaller amphibians and mollusks provide food for everything from sandhill cranes and ducks as well as the numerous muskrats and occasional otter found swimming in the canals.

Learn more about the Wildlife in the Klamath Drainage District.

News, Updates and Information from the Klamath Drainage District

Looking for the latest word from the Klamath Drainage District? Check out our posts, press releases and other bits of information from KDD.