Members of REAL Oregon’s Class 8 learned about Klamath Basin water issues from stakeholders from throughout the watershed
On a blustery November evening, Class 8 of REAL Oregon got a firsthand look of the challenges of Klamath Basin water issues.
Following a day of touring the Klamath Basin that included stops at the former J.C. Boyle dam site and Spencer Creek with Klamath Water Users Association’s Director of Water Policy, Moss Driscoll, the bus rolled into the Merrill Civic Center for a panel discussion titled, “Dam! Now What?”
The eight-person panel was filled by representatives for economic, Tribal, agricultural, and governmental interests in the ongoing Klamath Basin water discussions. Sitting on the panel were:
Darren Rutledge, Executive Director, The Klamath Idea
Becky Hyde, Upper Klamath Basin Ag Collaborative
Ken Griggs, Acting Refuge Manager, US Fish & Wildlife Service Klamath Refuge Complex
Willie Ray, Jr., Chairman of the Klamath Tribes
Jonathan Teichert, City Manager, City of Klamath Falls
Dave Hensley, Klamath County Board of Commissioners
Frankie Myers, Vice Chairman, Yurok Tribe
Tracey Liskey, KWUA President and Klamath Drainage District board member
The REAL Oregon panel for “Dam! Now What?” featured stakeholders from up and down the Klamath River watershed.
After audience and panel introductions, discussion moderator Scott White, KDD general manager and member of REAL Oregon’s Pioneer Class, jumped into the conversations.
With the recent completion of Klamath River dam removal, White focused the discourse on the history of the Klamath dams and the panelists’ thoughts about them, what dam removal means to the stakeholders and their groups, and what they foresee with salmon returning to the Upper Klamath Basin.
KDD General Manager and REAL Oregon alumnus, Scott White, hosted the panel discussion.
As expected, the conversation was lively and passionate, though friendly.
Panelists shared their frustrations about the dam removal process, as well as their hopes for their communities now that the structures were out. One point of consensus was the fact that with the dams are out and the salmon are coming, the focus needs to shift rebuilding trust and working together on restoration efforts in the entire Klamath River watershed.
Tracey Liskey, KDD board member and KWUA president, spoke to the audience about the effect of salmon returning to the Upper Klamath Basin on agriculture.
Klamath Tribes’ Chairman, Willie Ray Jr., gave his perspective on what salmon returning to the Klamath Basin represents to the tribe.
At the end of the panelist conversation, the REAL Oregon audience had time for a brief question and answer session. Like the panel discussion, the responses to Class 8’s questions highlighted the complexity of Klamath Basin water issues as well as the need for cooperation.
REAL Oregon’s Class 8 audience asked the panel questions after the main discussion.
What is REAL Oregon?
Standing for Resource Education and Agricultural Leadership, REAL Oregon is a program operated by the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation (OAEF) through the Oregon Farm Bureau.
With a focus on Oregon agriculture, the REAL Oregon program “is a leadership enhancement and development program designed for farming, ranching, forestry, and commercial fishing professionals, producers, affiliated industries, association staff, public agency personnel, and members of resource related boards, commissions, and associations”.
Each Class starts in November and runs through March, with class members attending a monthly session in a different part of the state. While the sessions focus on training Oregon’s future ag leaders about working with government, dealing with the media, and skills that are useful in the boardroom, the program also delves into subjects specific to Oregon agriculture, such as November’s topic, “Klamath Water Project”.
Class 1, also known as the Pioneer Class, graduated in March of 2017. Since then, REAL Oregon has educated over 130 alumni.
“Frankly, it is an honor and a privilege to be an alumnus of the pioneer class and accompanied by such prestigious leaders,” said White. “We still attract the finest talent in the state. I think that says a lot about this program”.
Big changes for irrigation efficiency and modernization – as well as for habitat restoration – are getting underway in the Klamath Basin.
With several of those projects happening in the Klamath Drainage District (KDD), the district held two meetings to gather public comments and to inform KDD landowners and neighboring interests about reconnecting the Klamath River to Lower Klamath Lake.
Public Comment Meeting
KDD recently received confirmation from the Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) that its Modernization Project Draft Watershed Plan has been approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). As part of the process, KDD needed to hold a meeting to educate the public about the projects and gather public comments.
Gary Diridoni, NRCS Oregon Watershed Program Manager, going over the requirements for PL-566 projects.
The meeting was held on October 29th at Klamath Community College’s Conference Center. KDD Manager, Scott White, kicked off the meeting at 11 am, sharing details about the drainage district and why they sought PL-566 project funding from the NRCS.
“We have a lot of infrastructure things we want to do on the district,” White said. “We are limited in our financial resources, so we look for opportunities that are out there to help us pursue some of those things we want to do and not put as much of a burden on our landowners.”
Raija Bushnell, FCA Watershed Planning Program Manager, discussing part of KDD’s Draft Watershed Plan.our landowners.”
Following White’s opening comments, Gary Diridoni, NRCS Watershed Program Manager. Diridoni covered PL-566 requirements, emphasizing that all PL-566 projects must have benefits for agriculture and rural communities.
Before wrapping up the presentations, Raija Bushnell, FCA’s Watershed Planning Program Manager spoke about the planning process and dove into details about the projects, how they came about, and the benefits these projects provide. The projects she covered include:
North Canal Extension across State Line to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (which includes upgrades/enlargement)
North Canal Fish Screen at the Klamath River
Straits Drain Pumping Plants E&F Upgrades and transfer of works to KDD
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system throughout the district for improved automation and data acquisition
Overall cost of the projects is $16,878,000 with PL-566 funds covering 75% of the total. Construction for all of the projects is expected to take three years.
After the presentations, attendees talked to representatives from the NRCS, FCA, and KDD’s Manager.
KDD board member, Luther Horsley, thanking Greg Baker of the NRCS for taking time to visit the Klamath Basin and attend the meeting.
KDD landowner, Lynn Long, discussing the projects covered in the meeting with Raija Bushnell, FCA.
KDD Manager, Scott White, talking about KDD’s Infrastructure Modernization Project with meeting attendee.
The following week, on November 4th, KDD held another meeting in Dorris, CA, at the Butte Valley Community Center. Doors opened at 11 am, with guests being greeted with the aroma of lunch catered by Melissa’s Country Kitchen.
Scott White, KDD Manager, discussing the Klamath Reconnection project with meeting guests at the Butte Valley Community Center in Dorris, CA.
Though the Klamath Reconnection project has wide support from a variety of partners and stakeholders, KDD Manager, Scott White, wanted to ensure landowners and stakeholders neighboring the district were informed about reconnection details and that a key component of the project is to identify and secure sustainability for growers in the region.
Along with White, representatives from the Modoc Nation and the Klamath Basin Refuges were in attendance to answer questions about the Klamath Reconnection, its benefits, and potential challenges.
White opened the meeting with a brief history of the Klamath Drainage District and a discussion about KDD and its relationship with the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. He recalled an older grower once telling him, “We need that refuge just as badly as that refuge needs us.”
The district manager went on to explain that when LKNWR goes dry, it causes a variety of problems for the district ranging from birds needing fields for habitat to water security. White also emphasized that the only way the reconnection project could move forward is that growers and landowners receive protection from the Endangered Species Act with salmon and sucker fish potentially swimming in the district’s canals.
The project has received $2 million for feasibility analysis of the concept. To date, there has been update LiDAR and sonar done in the region and the alternatives planning phase is currently underway.
Following White, Ken Sandusky, Homelands Project Manager for the Modoc Nation, discussed the microclimatic implications of the reconnection project as well as how it would benefit the ecosystem on the whole.
Ken Sandusky, Modoc Nation Homelands Project Manager, sharing projects being worked on by his crew.
The Modoc Nation has a 3,200 acre ranch bordering the southern end of LKNWR. According to Sandusky, the Modoc Homelands are the hardest hit when the refuge goes dry. While there’s a lot of focus on habitat on the Upper Basin, Sandusky sees the Modoc Homelands not receiving as much attention.
“You can’t sacrifice a huge landscape within the system and expect other restoration efforts to be successful,” said Sandusky. “Everything is interconnected.”
Sandusky also pointed out the microclimate benefits of getting water back on the Lower Klamath landscape. While the wetlands would suffer evaporation during the summer months, 60% of that water goes back into the local system. He also talked about the need for more management of public lands, with juniper removal being another way to free up water to a historically wet area.
Acting Klamath Basin Refuge Complex manager, Ken Griggs, spoke after Sandusky. Griggs opened his discussion by commenting that 50,000 acres of refuge habitat are “offline” with the exception of only a few units.
Ken Griggs, Acting Klamath Basin Refuge Complex Manager, told attendees how the Klamath Reconnection project will impact Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
“In our current state of affairs, we are not meeting our purpose or mission as America’s first waterfowl refuge,” stated the manager.
Griggs says now, the refuge is working with anyone they can to get water back on the landscape, reversing the management of previous refuge managers. They’re also looking at a more holistic approach to benefit the ecosystem and the greater good, versus the previous philosophy of single-species focused.
The last presentation was from John Vradenbug, supervisory biologist for the Klamath Basin Refuge Complex.
Vradenburg said the wetlands are telling us something has changed dramatically. Birds that once stopped in the Klamath Basin are now passing the region by, and the Klamath Reconnection project will get the landscape inline with how it’s been historically.
Though Vradenburg is optimistic about the benefits of the project, he discussed some of the unintended consequences, such as its effects on infrastructure, the need to ensure the water budget isn’t compromised, and asserted that KDD growers are protected.
John Vradenbug, Supervisory Biologist for the Klamath Basin Refuge Complex, talking with KDD landowner, Sam Henzel, about the Klamath Reconnection project.
“We tried to be really thoughtful in making sure we didn’t compromise the water budget – because that’s a stress. We wanted to make sure that we were always meeting this larger flow-through desire of nutrients and filtration,” said Vradenburg. “And we always wanted to keep with what Scott’s been hammering on – we cannot do any of this without protections on KDD because we are inviting endangered species onto our landscape.”
When Vradenburg’s discussion about the intricacies and effects of the Klamath Reconnection project finished, the panel took questions from the audience. Conversations following the presentation and Q&A were positive.
After the presentations, meeting attendees took advantage of being able to ask questions and have discussions about LKNWR and the Klamath Reconnection project.
The project has garnered support from Oregon and California as well as federal agencies, conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl Association, and Trout Unlimited; agricultural groups such as Family Water Alliance and Klamath Water Users Association; the Klamath Watershed Partnership, and Klamath Basin Tribes.
Other projects in the Klamath Project and around the Klamath Basin
Though these two meetings were about projects happening in KDD, there are several other habitat restoration projects happening in the Klamath Basin and on the Klamath Reclamation Project:
Agency-Barnes Wetlands Project – In a collaboration between the Klamath Tribes, Ducks Unlimited, and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, over 14,000 acres of wetland for waterfowl and C’waam and Koptu habitat.
Sprague River Collaborative Restoration Project – Running through 2025, this Upper Basin Collaborative project’s goals are to restore 26 miles of tributary streams and rivers in the Upper Sprague River watershed; develop plans for instream and floodplain restoration on the mainstem Sprague River to improve the shallow groundwater table, enhance water quality and habitat for future watershed restoration; and lastly, create and implement an Agricultural Resiliency Toolbox (ART) that directly benefits participating landowners to emphasize a commitment to voluntary, incentive-based approaches to advance agricultural and environmental resiliency.
Tule Lake Flow Through Infrastructure Improvement – The flow-through project is aimed at increasing water availability for Klamath ag and also cleaning water before it goes to the Klamath River by pushing it through wetlands.
Lake Ewauna Restoration for the Benefit of People, Fish and Wildlife – On the shoreline of Lake Ewauna in downtown Klamath Falls, this project will restore and develop the wetlands in the area along with instream improvements to the Link River to benefit native fish populations as well as waterfowl.
Upper Williamson River Restoration – This is the second phase of a project to improve fish passage to over 26 miles of the upper Williamson River and reconnect wetlands and riparian areas in the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
(Note: This article was written by the Klamath Drainage District’s PR administrator on behalf of the Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour. This article also appears on Basin Ag News and on the Klamath Water Users Association’s website.)
Known as in the Klamath Basin winter for decades. The workshops brought birders and tourists to our community, while the chance to see a variety of raptors and birds migrating on the Pacific Flyway drew in photographers from all over the world. In recent years, Winter Wings also gave Klamath ag a chance to share how farms provide much needed habitat for area wildlife and the Pacific Flyway, especially with the historic dewatering of two national wildlife refuges.
the nation’s oldest birding festival, Winter Wings provided a bright spot
When word passed through the birdwatching, conservation, and agricultural circles the Winter Wings Festival was canceled, phones started ringing. A conversation regarding the impacts of canceling the Winter Wings Festival between Klamath Drainage District manager, Scott White, and Board Chair of the South Suburban Sanitary District (SSSD), Joe Spendolini, ended the call with the two agreeing for the organizations to arrange a tour similar to one White had organized for the festival in previous years.
The Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour team’s goal was to highlight the importance of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (LKNWR) to the Basin and the collaboration needed to create water security for the nation’s first waterfowl refuge. Invitations were sent to guests at federal agencies, conservation organizations, local leaders, and Klamath Basin Tribes. On March 7th, the week’s expeditiously organized tour left the Running Y Resort to see and discuss what could happen.
Dr. Karl Wenner, owner of Lakeside Farms, discussing the importance of the Tule Smoke Hunting Club and Lower Klamath region to the first people of the Klamath Basin and the ecosystem.
From the Klamath Drainage District’s F/FF pumping station through the district, down to where the Ady Canal meets Stateline and on to Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, the tour centered on projects and plans that KDD, Ducks Unlimited, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Modoc Nation were working on to help improve conditions on the refuge and increase its access to water.
The discussions about the history of Lower Klamath Lake, the people who lived there from time immemorial, the formation of the Klamath Irrigation Project, the creation of KDD and LKNWR, and the projects provided context for the conversations that would take place throughout the day.
A lot of those conversations, both between individuals and in the larger groups, focused on collaboration. There was a quiet acknowledgement that everyone was tied together, and regardless if the guests were there on behalf of farmers, fish, waterfowl, or clean water, no one would be able to succeed in their goal without the other partners succeeding in theirs.
Ken Sandusky, Resource and Development Director, talked about the Shapa’sh Landscape Restoration Project with Modoc Nation Chief Robert Burkeybile, Council Member Braxton Graham , and Homelands Manager Brian Herbert.
“Today provided lines of communication to open up once again. It was a safe space for interested parties to speak, share ideas and share our struggles,” wrote Normajean Cummings, enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes. “It was also an opportunity to see some changes Agriculture is doing to make a difference. Learning more about the difference wetlands can make is eye awakening.”
Ms. Cummings added, “I’m afraid that drought is the new normal, and I think all our communities need to be able to come together to collaborate and find new practices. We have seen what hasn’t worked in the past, but there are some new models out there that bring me hope. I hope to remain involved in seeking solutions and community building. I also hope for more opportunities like today where we can all gather, talk, offer thoughts and ideas and find a path forward that will benefit us all. Opportunities to learn from one another.”
Karuk Tribe Council Member Troy Hockaday’s takeaway of the discussions, “Today was amazing to hear from the farmers and the government and the fisheries people about the problems in the basin. I came out of the day that we all have the same mindset to make the Basin better for everybody and a quality of water for the fish and habitat, I hope some of discussions that we talked about will help with further future programs and projects in the basin, to help water control for the Klamath river base.”
At the Ady Canal, the Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour guests listened to representatives Greg Austin and John Vradenburg discuss getting more water to LKNWR.
“Five to six years ago, we couldn’t get a meeting with anyone from the Tribes, and today we had folks from the Modoc Nation, Karuk, and the Klamath Tribes come to this meeting,” said Bill Walker, board president of the Klamath Drainage District. “I feel strongly that we can fix the problems we’re all facing because we’re all working together. I can’t thank everyone enough for coming and getting the doors open. We need to get together again and keep this momentum moving.”
The day was successful from the point of view of bringing together partners from a variety of backgrounds, interests, and needs, and to get them talking. However, the Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour serves as a starting point for bringing water security to the Lower Klamath refuge and other initiatives for the Klamath Basin. Whether it’s KDD’s Replumbing the Klamath plan, SSSD’s wastewater treatment facility to provide water to the refuge, Ducks Unlimited’s highline canal and pumping station for LKNWR, or the Modoc Nation and Modoc National Forest’s Shapa’sh Landscape Restoration Project, more hard conversations and collaboration will be needed.
And hopefully, the spirit of collaboration we saw on March 7th will continue to push the momentum forward on these projects and more for the future of all creatures that are dependent on the Klamath watershed.
KDD Manager, Scott White, discussing the district’s plans for adding solar panels during lunch at Liskey Farms.
The Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour stopped at KDD’s F/FF Pumping Station along Hwy 97 to talk about the importance of this station to get water to LKNWR .
The land that makes up the Klamath Drainage District didn’t become the food production powerhouse we know it as today until the California Northeastern Railway Company with the Southern Pacific Railway built a dyke and railroad in 1907, creating a division between Lower Klamath Lake and the Klamath River.
With the construction of the railroad, the water that made up the marshlands of Lower Klamath Lake ceased to naturally flow down the Klamath River during times when water levels were high, with While a portion of the original lake now makes up the Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the 27,000 acres of land on the Oregon side of the border provide rich farmland where family farmers and ranchers grow cereal grains, a variety of row crops, hay, and run cattle for beef and for dairy. KDD landowners’ ground also provides habitat for the waterfowl traveling the Pacific Flyway and Klamath Basin wildlife that make their homes in the district year-round.
KDD and its landowners have employed sustainable agricultural practices for decades that help keep the rich soils productive, decrease demands on water from Upper Klamath Lake during the growing season, and benefit area wildlife, including sending much-needed water to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge after the Federal government’s historic dewatering of two Klamath Basin refuges.
Now, KDD is looking at other resilient agriculture projects to complement the district’s sustainable ag practices, improve wetland resilience, and provide benefits to the Klamath Basin ecosystem as a whole.
Klamath Drainage District resources remain vitally important for the birds of the Pacific Flyway
The Klamath Drainage District has joined with several stakeholders and governmental agencies in a restoration plan that will accomplish many of these goals. Officially called “Replumbing the Klamath for People, Fish, and Wildlife: A Nature-Based Solution for Drought and Desertification in Lower Klamath Lake” and more colloquially as the “KDD Plan”, the restoration effort will reconnect Lower Klamath Lake with the Klamath River, provide access for fish to the Lower Klamath refuge, and provide incentives and protections for KDD landowners.
While the KDD Plan is going through a phase to check its feasibility, many are optimistic about its acceptance and its outcomes.
“As manager of KDD, I’m excited to see how this will benefit not only landowners but the Klamath Basin on the whole,” said Scott White, manager of the Klamath Drainage District. “The farmers in the district have always had an eye on sustainable ag and a genuine interest in taking care of wildlife. I feel the Replumbing the Klamath project accomplishes this and more.”
About the KDD Plan
The Replumbing the Klamath project has several goals aimed at agricultural resilience and sustainability, restoring the health of wetlands of Lower Klamath Lake, and creating habitat for C’waam and Koptu as well as reintroduced salmon.
Items in the plan include reestablishing oxbows around Miller Island, connecting the Lower Klamath Refuge to the Klamath River, creating fish passage from Upper Klamath Lake to the Lower Klamath Refuge, ensuring a reliable source of water for Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, and creating protections for farmers and ranchers in KDD.
Water flowing from KDD canal across the California border to Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
The KDD Plan has two tracks. Track One will run from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025 and work on the feasibility aspects of Replumbing the Klamath. Track Two will kick off on October 1, 2025 and go through September 30, 2027. In Track Two we will see work begin to create fish passage and water deliveries to Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, the creation of perennial wetlands and connecting Lower Klamath Lake to the Klamath River.
As the restoration plan moves forwards, all of the components will compliment one another. Reestablishing the oxbows through the Miller Island slough and creating fish passage to Lower Klamath Lake will help provide water for the refuge and perhaps aid in creating habitat for returning salmon and Klamath Basin waterfowl. Connecting the Lower Klamath Refuge to the river could help provide cleaner, cooler water to be sent downriver. KDD and its landowners working with various stakeholders on the Lower Klamath Restoration Plan helps build relationships with these groups while ensuring the sustainability of farming within the district.
“This is a great opportunity for KDD to work with a variety of stakeholders to help the Klamath Basin’s ecosystem and to ensure my grandkids and their kids have a chance to farm down here,” said KDD board president, Bill Walker. “This is a win-win for everybody – farmers, fish and fowl.”
The stakeholders include tribal interests such as the Modoc Nation, The Klamath Tribes, and the Yurok Tribe as well as conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited, the Klamath Watershed Partnership, the Willamette Partnership, and several state and federal agencies.
Beyond Replumbing the Klamath, KDD is looking at another project which will add renewable energy to our portfolio while cooling water, preventing evaporation, controlling algae growth in the canals and drains, and ridding the ditches of invasive species, such as yellow-flag irises. As more information for that project comes available, we will provide announcements and updates for it as well.
As a part of the June 14th-15th Opportunities Tour, Strickler visited the Klamath Drainage District and met with district manager, Scott White, and district supervisors Tracey Liskey and Luther Horsley. In their discussion with Deputy Assistant Secretary Strickler, they talked about the work being done and the partnerships developed with Ducks Unlimited, Klamath Watershed Partnership, Trout Unlimited, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Waterfowl, and many other stakeholders to benefit the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and the Klamath Basin wildlife that call it home.
Below is a excerpt from the article “Deputy Assistant Secretary Strickler’s “Opportunities Tour”” that appeared in the June edition of Basin Ag News, provided by the Herald and News. The excerpt focuses on Strickler’s stop in KDD, but you can read the article in its entirety at Basin Ag News.
It is not every day that you get to interact with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior.
But Matt Strickler quickly makes one forget his official title, with his unassuming, down-to-earth demeanor.
Strickler, a long-time congressional staffer and former official in Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s administration, is a seemingly good fit for the Klamath Basin, where stakeholders are still getting to know the Secretary of the Interior’s lead representative on water issues in the Basin.
On June 14 and 15, Strickler visited the Klamath Basin to meet directly with agricultural and tribal leaders, prior to a broader meeting of stakeholders on June 16. The Klamath Water Users Association took the opportunity to organize a tour of the Klamath Project, to look at and discuss concepts that could possibly benefit multiple stakeholders, including fish and wildlife.
The objective of this so-called “opportunities tour” was to demonstrate the capacity and willingness of agricultural producers within the Klamath Project to help solve some of the intractable problems related to water management in the Basin.
The first stop was Midland Hill, which offers a bird’seye view of Miller Island, the Tule Smoke Club, the Southern Pacific railroad embankment, and expanse of Klamath Drainage District and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. There, Klamath Drainage District’s manager Scott White, along with district supervisors Tracey Liskey and Luther Horsley, spoke briefly about the concepts being discussed among the district and other stakeholders based around the basic concept of reestablishing functioning wetlands within the Tule Smoke Club, Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, and possibly beyond. Wetlands that could potentially be habitat for endangered Lost River and shortnose sucker (C’waam and Koptu).
Klamath Watershed Partnership, Trout Unlimited, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are involved in this planning effort, among other stakeholders.
Strickler indicated he is hoping to identify a handful of large-scale projects towards which federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (BIL) can be targeted. The goal, Strickler said, is to get away from the perception of “random actions of restoration” that have traditionally characterized federal activities in the Basin.
Following Midland Hill, the group proceeded to the Ady Canal headworks and the terminus of the Klamath Straits Drain.
There, one can see the complicated nature of water management in Lower Klamath Lake, as the Klamath Straits Drain goes both over and under the headworks of the Ady Canal, and the remnants of the original Klamath Straits are still visible just north of the existing channel. The discussion there continued around river flows and potential for the district’s ideas to potentially benefit the Klamath River.
The group then drove to the district’s recirculating plant on Township Road, which is responsible for a large portion of the water that made it to Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge this past winter and spring. After a brief explanation of the pump’s workings, a quick drive down to the lower end of the Ady Canal led to the site where Ducks Unlimited (DU) plans to build a similar unit with a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A trickle was then flowing through the Ady Canal into Unit 2 on the south side of Stateline Road (commonly known as Stateline Drain). These deliveries are being attributed to a complicated water right transfer from the Wood River Valley, when similar quality water in the adjacent drain is often available if the pump only existed to lift it.
Juvenile suckers have recently been transplanted into Unit 2, making the need for a secure water supply all the greater. Meanwhile the rest of Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is bone-dry, with great clouds of dust blowing off the former wetlands.
After breaking off from Scott White and Klamath Drainage District, the tour continued down Stateline Road, looking at DU’s other planned pumping site on the west end of Stateline Drain.
You can read the rest of this article and more at Basin Ag News.
In the still of twilight, on a cool, calm, crisp morning; the sound of Canada Geese coming off their roost to go feed in a nearby field echoes across the landscape. Within minutes, as the day begins to make its mark, whistling wings are heard with the accompanying cry of mallard hens, calling for company. As the sun finally pushes over the crest of the Klamath Hills, the valley erupts with countless songs sung by the hundreds of species of migratory birds resting in the area managed by Klamath Drainage District (KDD).
Waterfowl and shorebirds migrating along the Pacific Flyway don’t recognize borders. For them, the term “wetland” is viewed in the literal sense. Land with water on it, particularly when it contains food resources, is potentially suitable habitat, whether it’s a privately-owned field, a drainage ditch, or a national wildlife refuge.
For the last decade, the Bureau of Reclamation’s operation of the Klamath Project has largely been governed by a hydrological model directing how much water must remain in Upper Klamath Lake for endangered shortnose and Lost River suckers and how much has to be released for threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River. The model also dictates how much and at what times water can go to Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges. There are separate formulas and rules in the model for water going to farms and agriculture. In accordance with the model, over the last three years, just like farms and agriculture, both refuges received little or no water.
In the absence of adequate habitat conditions in Tule Lake and Lower Klamath, migrating waterfowl and shorebirds have been forced to find it elsewhere. Nowhere is the concentration of wildlife more apparent than in Klamath Drainage District (KDD), which comprises the reclaimed portion of Lower Klamath Lake in Oregon.
Over the last three years, the water used by KDD in the fall and winter, which occurs separate from the Klamath Project under district-owned water rights, has provided the majority of waterfowl and shorebirds habitat in the Klamath Basin. As a result, birders and other wildlife enthusiasts have quickly learned that KDD provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the Klamath Basin.
According to Scott White, the general manager of KDD, “landowners in the district recognize the importance of wildlife on their lands and take great pride in the close connection between their farming operations and the habitat it provides.”
“While most of the lands within the district are privately owned, we have gotten accustomed to having the public driving around, stopping, and viewing wildlife. So long as people don’t trespass, stay on public roads, are mindful not to block driveways and maintenance roads, and are generally respectful, we are happy to have them visit the district.”
According to White, some of the best places to view wildlife in the district are conveniently located along public roads. “Township Road takes you right through the heart of the district,” according to White, including a portion of the refuge within KDD known as Area K. The dirt roads along the Klamath Straits Drain are also public land, though White cautioned Reclamation is still irrigating these lands and roads may be blocked because irrigation lines are across the public roadways.
Running along the Oregon-California border, Stateline Road also provides ample wildlife view opportunities both in KDD and the refuge. Along Stateline Road one can also see the only water being delivered to the refuge, through Ady Canal, which KDD owns and operates. These deliveries are helping maintain Unit 2, which is the only area of the refuge presently containing water.
Klamath Drainage District landowners have practiced fall and winter flooding since the inception of the district. Despite the number of years it’s been used to the benefit of not only KDD family farmers and ranchers, there are benefits to the Klamath Basin as a whole.
An important fact that should be discussed more is that KDD returns or reuses more than 75% of the water that is used in the district. Other than ensuring the landowners of KDD can produce a crop, that fall and winter irrigation water is also used to benefit:
Klamath Basin refuges
Augment flows in the Klamath River
Get reused in KDD
Offer support for other districts in the Klamath Irrigation Project
Lessen demand on Upper Klamath Lake at a critical time for C’waam and koptu spawning
Rehydrate the aquifer that produces cold, clean spring water to the Klamath River
KDD’s winter flooding offers hunting opportunities to threatened species, such as the bald eagle.
KDD, Klamath Basin Wildlife & The Refuges
With the refuges of the Klamath Basin getting last in line priority, KDD fields are essentially “the only restaurant in town” for the birds of the Pacific Flyway. Fall harvest has provided much needed food and habitat for songbirds, ducks, geese and cranes. Flooding the fields brings out mice and other prey for for bald eagles and other area raptors to feast on while also decreasing the need for pesticide use. In effect, KDD is the default habitat for migrating birds and other wildlife.
Speaking of the refuges, from December of 2021 through August, 2022, KDD sent approximately 3,100 acre feet of much needed water to the Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge. While we can hope that much needed precipitation will help salvage our wetlands, right now, KDD has been the only source of water for the refuge. And without winter flooding, the chances of KDD being able to make water available for the refuge becomes incredibly slim simply from the fact there is no water for KDD to reuse for it.
KDD Winter Flooding and Its Impact on Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River
The beauty of maximizing KDD’s winter deliveries is that it has no impact on the fishery. KDD’s allocation is only 2% of the forecasted fall and winter inflows to Upper Klamath Lake. In reality, that is less than 1/10 of a foot on Upper Klamath Lake and 5% of the rate in the Klamath River. On top of that, the Klamath Drainage District has already limited its diversions by 60% to help fill Upper Klamath Lake, and the Klamath River is projected to get 58% of fall/winter inflows.
Fall and winter flooding allows KDD to return that water to the system in the spring when it’s desperately needed for salmon spawning. Plus, in March and April when the demand for Klamath Project irrigators is ramping up, KDD has little to no demand at that time when the district receives its full allocation.
How is this possible? The marshlands reclaimed for farmland from Lower Klamath Lake has acted like a “sponge” for millenia, taking in and holding moisture that would be released later in the spring and summer. As the warmer months of the spring roll, the ground is already charged and ready for the growing season ahead. On the other hand, if these fields weren’t flooded during the fall and winter, KDD patrons’ needs from Upper Klamath Lake would add to the stress on Upper Klamath Lake when other districts are making demands on the lake, and there would be no water to send down the Klamath River to help augment spring spawning flows.
But there is a challenge KDD is facing at the moment – the Bureau of Reclamation’s has taken over 900 acre feet in Area K. With the Bureau taking this water, they’ve left no water in our drains for us to utilize for our patrons, which in turn requires us to take more of our winter allocation in order to meet our landowners’ demand.
KDD’s fall harvest leaves winter feed and habitat for a variety of birds
Winter flooding provides a number of benefits to the Klamath Basin and the Klamath Irrigation Project
The winter fields of KDD offer hunting opportunities for a variety of predators, such as this coyote
KDD Patrons Pay the Bureau of Reclamation for Operating Costs
Klamath Drainage District patrons pay 20% of the operation and maintenance (O&M) on the Link River Dam and Upper Klamath Lake. However, in the past these very patrons have not been eligible for any of the Bureau of Reclamation’s drought programs.
Without any drought assistance funding, KDD patrons become more reliant on irrigating in order to survive year to year. In the past, many KDD patrons have volunteered to set aside thousands of acres in order to help send water down the Klamath River. However, despite that offer, the Bureau of Reclamation still wouldn’t allow these patrons to participate in any drought response agency programs.
KDD continues to do the right thing to the best of its ability and within its legal authority to the benefit of the fish, wildlife, ecosystems, and other basin stakeholders and have made some tremendous partners over the years that share this same vision. If you’re interested in learning more, or interested in partnering with the district on any of the multiple sustainable projects the district is pursuing, the district is always looking for great partnerships.
Geese traveling the Pacific Flyway appreciate the “only restaurant in town”, the Klamath Drainage District
Imagine a fire on a hillside starting and it’s in your backyard. In the dry summer heat, the flames quickly grow and multiply, consuming the dying cheat grass, sagebrush and everything else on the hill. Fire doesn’t give a damn for fences, public land versus private, homes versus open ground. It just consumes.
A helicopter with a bucket drop arrives, and makes a pass over the water. But it’s a long trip back to another water source, likely Upper Klamath Lake, and only God knows how much more the fire will consume.
This is where Klamath Drainage District, and the Klamath Project for that matter, make a difference.
On July 2nd, that scenario took place. Had it been 2021 instead of 2022, the dry canal wouldn’t have done any good and perhaps some homes would have been in immediate danger. But this year, even with the scant Klamath Project, there was enough water in the KDD canal next to the fire to allow the helicopter to quickly drop water on the fire.
While federal scientists, environmental advocates and Tribal interests point at the Klamath Project and KDD as “irrigating the desert”, they fail to see the actual good agriculture in the Klamath Basin provides.
The hundreds of miles of canals, ditches and drains provide a replacement for the wetlands that were drained to allow the Klamath Basin to contribute to feeding a hungry nation and world. When the Feds at the urging of the NMFS decide to drought the Project, human health and safety are greatly impacted, as we’ve seen over the last two years.
If not for KDD’s canal, we can only speculate on the damage that fire could have caused and who it could have harmed. Luckily, it was there, full of water and able to aid the firefighters who were able to get the fire under control and protect a threatened neighborhood.
This is why when we say, “good for wildlife, good for Klamath Basin communities” we’re earnest in that statement.
What’s good for the Klamath Drainage District IS good for basin wildlife – and people.
