Klamath Falls, OR (December 5, 2025) – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon has released a Final Watershed Plan Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Klamath Drainage District (KDD) Infrastructure Modernization Project.
NRCS Oregon has determined that the project will not cause significant local, regional, or national impacts to the environment. With a Final Watershed Plan EA in place, the project is now eligible for federal funding (pending Plan authorization by NRCS Chief Bettencourt) and may move forward into final design and construction.
The project will install a fish screen at the North Canal Diversion on the Klamath River; extend the North Canal and connect it to the P-1 Lateral; modify the North Canal to increase flow capacity; upgrade two pump stations for operational efficiency and to reduce water discharge to the Klamath River via the Klamath Straits Drain; and install flow monitoring and automated gates throughout the project area to improve water management.
By modernizing infrastructure, the proposed project would enable KDD to improve water management within its conveyance system and benefit fish populations in the Klamath River by preventing fish from getting trapped in KDD’s canals. By reducing water use inefficiencies, the proposed project would improve water quality in the Klamath River. The project would also allow KDD to supply additional water to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, which would increase critically needed habitat for wildlife.
The project is a joint effort among NRCS Oregon and KDD as the project sponsor and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as cooperating agencies, in coordination with other agencies, stakeholders, and the public.
The project may be partially funded through the Watershed and Flood Prevention Program, administered by NRCS and authorized by Public Law 83-566. Through this program, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to local organizations (project sponsors) for planning and implementing projects that help solve natural resource and related economic problems in a specific watershed. These projects can include watershed protection, flood prevention, erosion and sediment control, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, and wetlands creation.
Klamath Falls, OR – Last week, Klamath Drainage District (KDD) staff witnessed large dark masses below the surface of the water in the Ady Canal. Upon further inspection, those dark masses surfaced the water exposing their fins. On Friday, October 17th, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed that the fins were those of Chinook salmon. To date, salmon have been spotted from the head of the Ady Canal all the way down to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge).
Scott White, the General Manager for the district said, “It’s a very exciting time. However, I never want to have to say, ‘I told you so.’ But dang it, I told you so,” he said with frustration. “It’s been nine years since the KPFA was signed and none of the promises made to farmers in that agreement regarding reintroduction of species have been upheld.”
White is referring to the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement (KPFA) which was signed in 2016 by the United States, the State Governments of Oregon and California, and multiple Klamath Basin stakeholders. Specifically, White refers to Section II.B.2a and b that commits the federal and state parties to support funding “entrainment reduction facilities” for Klamath Project contractors (water users). There have been no fish screens installed under the agreement to date.
“We have been warning folks of this day for years and begging for support and very little has been done beyond lip service,” White continued. “Are you paying attention, now? A lot of effort and dollars were put into dam removal and restoration—now let’s see that fish are protected the way the KPFA intended.”
Although there have been no screens installed under the terms of the KPFA, KDD and Family Water Alliance (FWA) are forcing movement on the installation of five screens on turnouts in the Ady Canal. KDD has been working closely with the FWA, the Bureau of Reclamation and the ODFW on a $4.5 million multi-screen project that will assist in keeping these fish from going down turnouts where they don’t belong.
“While it’s exciting for everyone to see salmon in the Upper Basin and even in our district, we need to protect our landowners as well as the fish for this to be successful,” said KDD Board Member and district farmer, Scotty Fenters. “These screens should have been installed already to do just that.”
Since the early days of dam removal, KDD has been working hard with other stakeholders, especially the Yurok Tribe, on salmon restoration projects on its private lands and its private facilities. The screening project complements KDD’s plan to connect the river to the Refuge permanently. The project could provide access to thousands of acres of wetland habitat for the benefit of fish, fowl, and farms. The concept, known as “Replumbing the Klamath” or the “Lower Klamath Lake Reconnection”, includes water security for Klamath Project water users, which results in habitat for fish and birds in the heart of the Pacific Flyway. White said, “These salmon sightings prove the concept and define a secure future of balance and sustainability for all interests in the Klamath Basin.”
KDD owns all the district’s delivery infrastructure and want to remind everyone to respect private property, particularly for safety reasons.
“It’s an exciting time on the district for fish and bird watchers. We get it,” said White. “We frequently invite tours on our waterfowl-rich lands,” he said, citing to the popular annual Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour. “We are working on ways that we can be more accommodating to the public, but we have more work to do. Please be patient with us, but more importantly, please respect our landowners’ private property.”
About the Klamath Drainage District:
Klamath Drainage District (KDD) is a 27,000-acre district located in southern Oregon bordering the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in California. KDD proactively works to improve distribution and delivery of its scarce water resources including recycling over 35,000 acre-feet annually through its recently installed recirculation pumping plants. Of this recycled water, most is reused to grow crops, but a percentage is used for growers outside of the district and used for habitat improvement and other refuge purposes. KDD is home to one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in the lower 48 states and prides itself on its restoration activities and the tremendous wildlife viewing opportunities it provides.
The Klamath Drainage District has been working for nine years to get fish screens installed in the district’s canals to protect family farmers and fish populations. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
Klamath Drainage District Prepares for Salmon in Klamath River
KDD has been working with various partners to ensure water security for district family farmers and ranchers while ensuring success for endangered fish populations.
Klamath Falls, OR – On September 26th, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shared a short, 11-second video of a Chinook salmon leaping from the last pool of the Keno Dam fish ladder on its way up the Klamath River.
While social media commentators celebrated and scrutinized the video, the Klamath Drainage District board has been preparing for this moment.
KDD has two diversion points on the Klamath River – the Ady Canal and the North Canal. Both are possible avenues for salmon making their way into the district, with the Ady Canal being one of the first diversion points the Chinook would encounter on the Klamath River in Oregon.
“We have been very aware of this possibility and have been planning with a variety of partners and stakeholders on how we can ensure the success of these fish if they enter the district while providing water security for our landowners,” said KDD Manager, Scott White. “We’ve been working to find a balance to ensure the district’s family farms continue for generations while protecting salmon and sucker fish populations.”
Part of the preparation for salmon in the district can be found in KDD’s Ady Canal Reconnection Project, also known as the Lower Klamath Reconnection Project or colloquially as Replumbing the Klamath. This project focuses on permanently connecting the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (LKNWR) to the Klamath River, providing habitat for birds that use the refuge as well as for potential spawning grounds for C’waam and Koptu populations. By opening up Ady Canal for fish passage to LKNWR, migrating salmon could also access Lower Klamath Lake.
The original plans were to keep fish from accessing the district’s canals and drains by building large fish screens at the North Canal and Ady Canal diversions. However, the plan has evolved to have smaller screens installed at turnouts along the canals where water is allowed on to fields. By installing fish screens at these turnouts, fish will be able to access Lower Klamath Lake.
“Let’s be clear – there are no guarantees that salmon will make it into the district. But if they do, we want to be prepared and our farmers and ranchers to be protected,” said White. “I’m grateful to the partners we have working on this project, and in regards to the fish screens, I would like to especially thank the Family Water Alliance for their guidance on this.”
The installation of the first fish screen is slated for 2026 pending KPFA promised funding from Oregon and the United States.
To learn more about the Lower Klamath Reconnection Project, please visit https://klamathdrainagedistrict.org/replumbing-the-klamath/. From there, you can also find a list of the organizations that are partnering with KDD on this project.
About the Klamath Drainage District:
Klamath Drainage District (KDD) is a 27,000-acre district located in southern Oregon bordering the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in California. KDD proactively works to improve distribution and delivery of its scarce water resources including recycling over 35,000 acre-feet annually through its recently installed recirculation pumping plants. Of this recycled water, most is reused to grow crops, but a percentage is used for growers outside of the district and used for habitat improvement and other refuge purposes. KDD is home to one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in the lower 48 states and prides itself on its restoration activities and the tremendous wildlife viewing opportunities it provides.
The Klamath Drainage District’s Ady Canal diversion point before entering the district, located across from the district’s F/FF pumping stations along Highway 97, just north of Worden, OR. Photo: Darcy Hill, Klamath Drainage District.The Ady Canal diversion point from the Klamath River before it enters into the Klamath Drainage District, located just north of Worden, OR, on Highway 97. Photo: Darcy Hill, Klamath Drainage District.Klamath Drainage District’s North Canal diversion from the Klamath River just south of Midland, OR. Photo: Darcy Hill, Klamath Drainage District.The North Canal diversion from the Klamath River before it enters the Klamath Drainage District. This diversion point is located just south of Midland, OR, off Highway 97. Photo: Darcy Hill, Klamath Drainage District.
Klamath Falls, OR – On August 28th, 2025, the Klamath Drainage District held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the North Canal autogate to celebrate the groundbreaking and installation of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) equipment on the district.
$5 million in funding was secured by Senator Jeff Merkley in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bill with assistance from the Klamath Water Users Association and the Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) to help push it across the finish line. The district’s SCADA project is part of a greater network of sites located throughout the Klamath Reclamation Project. Installation of the system is being coordinated by the FCA, the group that has been instrumental in getting many district Watershed Plans drafted.
“This has been a long time coming,” said KDD Manager, Scott White. “Sometimes it feels like we spend too much time analyzing, but I’m not complaining today. Today, we’re celebrating.”
The SCADA system will allow KDD to gather data to monitor the water levels in the district’s canals and drains, and as needed, automatically open and close gates as well as turn on pumps to maintain water levels. “This will add another layer of efficiency for the district, which is already able to recycle more than 75% of water used by our growers,” added White.
White also recognized the turn out by the Bureau of Reclamation who are overwhelmingly supporting this work. “It was great to see so many folks from Reclamation here for this event. There were folks from Sacramento who came up to celebrate with us.” said White.
Gene Souza with the Klamath Irrigation District (KID) also gave praise to all the good work that has recently gone into getting this equipment installed. “It’s a great opportunity to be part of a new era in water management.” Souza said. KID is slated to install five SCADA sites with this first phase of installations.
For KDD family farmers and ranchers, the eight sites and the system’s real-time data collection abilities will help make water delivery smoother, allow for automated adjustments, and in the long-run, help with drought planning and flood conditions. By making water deliveries more efficient, opportunities for creating more water available for Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and the district’s other habitat restoration efforts arise as well.
“The completion of this SCADA project marks an important step forward in supporting districts with more efficient, timely, and reliable water delivery,” said KWUA Executive Director, Elizabeth Nielsen. “Congratulations to KDD and the partners that worked together on this effort, including Reclamation and the Farmer’s Conservation Alliance.”
“First off, I’d like to thank Senator Merkley for securing the funds for this project,” said KDD board president, Bill Walker. “And I’d also like to thank the folks at the Bureau of Reclamation and at FCA for getting this project on the ground. It’s going to be incredibly helpful for our landowners, not to mention efforts like the Lower Klamath Lake Reconnection project. It’s a classic win-win.”
In attendance at the ceremony were the KDD Board of Directors, Bill Walker and Josh McPhearson; representatives from Senator Merkley’s office, the Bureau of Reclamation, Farmers Conservation Alliance, Klamath Water Users Association, Klamath Irrigation District, the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce and the general public.
About the Klamath Drainage District:
Klamath Drainage District (KDD) is a 27,000-acre district located in southern Oregon bordering the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in California. KDD proactively works to improve distribution and delivery of its scarce water resources including recycling over 35,000 acre-feet annually through its recently installed recirculation pumping plants. Of this recycled water, most is reused to grow crops, but a percentage is used for growers outside of the district and used for habitat improvement and other refuge purposes. KDD is home to one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in the lower 48 states and prides itself on its restoration activities and the tremendous wildlife viewing opportunities it provides.
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Guests visiting before KDD’s SCADA ribbon-cutting ceremony on the North Canal off of Lower Klamath Lake Road. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
KDD President Bill Walker had the honor of cutting the ribbon to kick-off the Klamath Drainage District’s SCADA system installation. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s Deputy Regional Director Adam Nichols addressing KDD’s guests. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
Gene Souza, Klamath Irrigation District Manager, addressing KDD’s guests. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
KDD Board President Bill Walker cutting the ribbon for the district’s SCADA system project. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
Klamath Drainage District’s guests celebrating the ribbon-cutting on KDD’s SCADA system project. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
Klamath Drainage District Manager Scott White visiting with representatives from Senator Jeff Merkley’s office. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
KDD’s SCADA ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by representatives from Senator Merkley’s office, the Bureau of Reclamation, Farmers Conservation Alliance, Klamath Water Users Association, Klamath Irrigation District, the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce and the general public. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
KDD President Bill Walker visiting with Alan Heck and Heather Casillas of the Bureau of Reclamation after the ceremony. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
Klamath Water Users Association’s Executive Director Elizabeth Nielsen visiting with Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Regional Directors Adam Nichols and Kristin White. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
After Klamath Drainage District’s SCADA project ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests visited about other projects. Photo by Darcy Hill, KDD.
Fall and winter flooding benefit Klamath Ag and wildlife
The flooded fields in the Klamath Drainage District not only the success of the district’s family farmers and ranchers, it also echoes the ecosystem of Lower Klamath for area wildlife.
After the last potato has been dug, the last lush hayfield swathed and baled, and the last kernel of grain harvested and stored in a granary, farming and ranching in the Klamath Drainage District takes on a distinctly different tone.
Cows that lazed about pastures now eagerly await the feed wagon for hay. Fields once green with thriving crops and then brown from those same crops harvested give way to a flooded landscape reminding us that the 27,000 acres of rich cropland was once a part of Lower Klamath Lake.
This field flooded by Ron McGill benefits from natural pest control (including weeds) while the soil is replenished.
KDD is unique from other districts in the Klamath Project in part because of its unique soils, which make fall and winter flooding advantageous for growing conditions the following spring and summer.
In recognition of this historical practice, the district’s water rights specifically provide for fall/winter flooding. At times these water rights have been criticized despite the benefits managing water this way provides for KDD family farmers and ranchers, the Klamath Project, wildlife in the district, and the greater Klamath Basin ecosystem.
Winter in the district
KDD farmers and ranchers operate much like other operations in the Klamath Basin in the winter.
For ranchers, cows and other livestock need to be fed. Grain, hay, and row crop growers are reaching out to buyers and moving commodities as needed.
However, KDD’s fall and winter water diversions add another element producers in other Klamath Project districts don’t have to worry about – irrigation.
Benefits for Klamath Ag
For KDD farmers and ranchers, fall/winter flooding provides several advantages that support sustainable agriculture in the district.
A wheel line sits in a flooded field farmed by Ron McGill.
One primary benefit for KDD producers, as well as other farmers in Klamath Project irrigation districts, is fall and winter flooding pre-irrigates the pastures and fields in the district. When the Bureau of Reclamation allows for water to be diverted from Upper Klamath Lake for Klamath Basin agriculture, the demand from KDD is less in those early months.
With less demand from KDD growers, elevation levels in Upper Klamath Lake are impacted less, and in those early months of the irrigation season other districts are able to divert more water to their patrons.
There’s also the benefit of chemical-free pest control and fertilization.
After crops are harvested, some producers burn their fields to rid them of stubble and weeds. Burning fields helps stop invasive weeds from getting a foothold in the fields while also putting nutrients back into the soil.
Flooding those same fields helps break down the torched organic matter further and keep the seeds of pest plants from growing. And for fields that weren’t touched by fire, soil health is enhanced at the microbial level, recreating the rich earth that encouraged early settlers to establish farms in the area.
As a result, KDD farmers and ranchers require less fertilizer and pesticides when the growing season rolls around. For this reason, KDD alone accounts for nearly 10 percent of all of Oregon’s organic farming acres.
Fall and winter flooding helps break down plant matter and return important nutrients back to the soil.
Benefits for the Lower Klamath ecosystem
Aside from the need for fewer pesticides and fertilizers, winter irrigation benefits the greater Klamath Basin ecosystem in several ways.
By cutting down on the amount of fertilizer needed to grow a crop, fall and winter flooding helps cut down on the amount of phosphorus needed to grow a crop. Not only does that help prevent excessive phosphorus from potentially being sent down the Klamath River, it helps prevent excess phosphorus from leaching into groundwater.
For groundwater, flooding fields in the off season helps recharge the aquifer. Over the last few years, wells have gone dry due to the Bureau of Reclamation cutting off water to the Klamath Project. Getting moisture into the ground helps replenish these sources of water, and during hot, dry summer months, can affect the local climate when that moisture is evaporated and then released during thunderstorms.
Flooded fields provide habitat for birds migrating the Pacific Flyway, such as these Canada geese.
Flooding KDD’s fields during the fall and winter months also helps this region of the Klamath Basin function more closely to how it did before the Klamath Project was developed. Before white settlers came to the area, this marshy triangle on the north end of Lower Klamath Lake provided the Modocs with food and fiber to sustain their way of life.
Though the plant life has changed, getting water onto the landscape annually remains essential to honor the traditional ecosystem function of the area.
Helping wildlife in the Lower Klamath
Swans and honkers taking advantage of a flooded field north of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
The Klamath Basin is a major migration corridor for birds traveling the Pacific Flyway. With KDD’s proximity to Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the district is a hotspot for birdwatchers and hunters alike.
Since water to Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges has been scarce for water the last few years, fields and pastures have become the principal refuge for wildlife.
From Tulelake to Worden and up to Midland, farms and ranches have provided much needed habitat and food sources for wildlife. In the fall, these seasonal wetlands provide food for shore birds, migrating Sandhill cranes, and local herons and egrets.
Come winter, with the increased migration of ducks, geese, and swans on the Pacific Flyway, the flooded fields become open water that welcome the travelers to stop and rest before continuing their journey south.
For raptors, such as this bald eagle, winter flooding provides hunting opportunities.
For coyotes and raptors, the advancing and receding waters drive small prey from the ground for them to hunt. The abundant waterfowl near the fields’ shorelines and in the canals provide another source of food for predators.
In the spring, as the flooded fields are drained for farming, deer and antelope can be found eating the soft green growth as it emerges.
From soil health to providing habitat, KDD’s fall and winter flooding is as important to the success to the growers in the district as it is the Klamath Basin ecosystem and ultimately the entire Pacific Flyway. And as time goes on, sustainable practices such as this will be more recognized for the wide-ranging advantages they provide agriculture and the environment.
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.
Recently, the Oregonian published a letter from Mary Hayden of Oregon City about the conditions of the Tule Lake Wildlife Refuge and the potential avian botulism outbreak on the scale of 2020. In her letter, Ms. Hayden offered her thoughts on a solution – “cash out the farmers” and “give the water to the birds.”
Unfortunately, when it comes to Klamath Basin water issues, this is a popular, short-sighted reaction by those whose communities are not dependent upon Klamath ag.
Water flowing from KDD patrons to Unit 2 in the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in May, 2024.
This way of thinking also doesn’t take into account the work and advocacy Klamath Basin family farmers and ranchers do on behalf of the birds of the Pacific Flyway or area wildlife. Nor does it appreciate the tangled political web of the power of the Federal government, the Endangered Species Act, or water rights that put these refuges last in line and create “paper droughts” affecting farmers and waterfowl alike.
The notion that Klamath ag is “watering the desert” while advocating for sending water to area refuges shows there’s a misunderstanding about the hydrology of the Klamath Basin. Before settlers came to the area, water flowed throughout the Klamath Basin and settled in low-lying areas creating a vast network of shallow lakes and marshlands between Tule Lake and Lower Klamath Lake. The first people of this area, the Modocs, hunted, fished, and gathered food in these marshlands and lakes.
When the Klamath Project was created, many of those areas were converted to rich farmland.
In our district, the Klamath Drainage District (KDD), 27,000 acres of marshland was converted to farmland, leaving over 80,000 acres of the original Lower Klamath Lake as the nation’s first waterfowl refuge. During spring and fall migration, our district provides habitat and food for birds traveling the Pacific Flyway.
The water sent to Unit 2 and Unit 3 on the Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge encouraged species variation not seen in decades.
KDD has also been a partner with Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, sending much-needed water from the district to the refuge when other stakeholders and the Bureau of Reclamation refused to send water to these wetlands. KDD has worked with conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited and California Waterfowl on habitat restoration efforts as well as getting water to Lower Klamath.
KDD and the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) have been vocal supporters of the Klamath Basin Refuges, with KWUA sending a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation urging the Bureau to send water to the refuges to head off the impending avian botulism outbreak.
Even today, Tulelake Irrigation District and the Klamath Drainage District are working on plans that not only provide water to these historic refuges, but also send cleaner, cooler water down the Klamath River for salmon.
Potato harvest in Klamath Drainage District. Every dollar generated by Klamath Basin Ag is passed through the community nine times.
Regardless if Klamath Basin ag were cashed out at a fair price, this one-time payout would devastate our communities and the very people working diligently to preserve the refuges that includes a sustainable supply of water. Every dollar created by Klamath ag is passed through the community nine times, more than any other industry in our region. Thousands of workers would be unemployed, and businesses tangentially connected to agriculture would fold.
We haven’t even touched on the nation’s challenges surrounding the loss of farmland and farmers and its effects on national food security.
KDD and Klamath Basin family farmers and ranchers are allies to our refuges, not enemies. While it’s easier to demonize Klamath ag than to appreciate it, we recognize our future is directly tied to the Klamath Basin ecosystem. If Ms. Hayden is interested, we’d love for her to pay a visit to our district to learn more about the incredible work we and our partners are doing on behalf of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
Though Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge still has some water, the hot, dry summer is quickly drying it out.
Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge looks different this summer than it has for the last several years.
Thanks to the efforts from the Klamath Drainage District (KDD) and Tulelake Irrigation District (TID), reeds and tules are growing throughout the refuge. And with the greenery, wildlife and waterfowl have returned to the wetlands.
But for how long remains in question.
On July 12th, 2024, the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) sent a letter to the Commissioner of the US Bureau of Reclamation, Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton, urging Reclamation to not cut off water to Klamath Basin refuges and farmers late in the season.
Klamath Basin family farmers and ranchers are depending on late season irrigation to finish growing row crops and to get another cutting of hay to sustain their herds through the winter and to sell to other farms throughout the region.
The birds, on the other hand, need water in the refuges to stave off an epidemic of botulism.
Ducks swimming in Unit 2 of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
With the return of water to Unit 3 of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, so have a variety of birds. Pictured here are pelicans, egrets, and ducks.
However, as this hot, dry summer continues to drag on, the fear is that the diminishing wetlands will become a breeding ground for disease instead of waterfowl. In 2020, Lower Klamath saw 40,000 birds killed by avian botulism, and while steps have been taken to prevent another massive infection that will impact waterfowl and other Klamath Basin wildlife, at this time there’s still more work to be done.
With the 2020 avian botulism outbreak, Unit 3 of LKNWR was hit especially hard. Refuge managers were left with two options – flush it with cool water to stop the bacteria from multiplying or drain it. The unit was drained, and a field hospital operated by Bird Ally X was set up to treat the birds pulled from the drying, fetid water.
While the much celebrated flow from TID to Unit 3 via D Plant is starting to recede, there’s still a lot of water and waterfowl out on Lower Klamath. In this unit of LKNWR, massive pelicans to the much smaller and more delicate avocet, the wetland is finally looking like the “Gem of the Pacific Flyway” again. In Unit 2, the wetland fed by KDD’s flows, egrets and herons stand guard in the tall reeds while ducks, herons, coots, and grebes swim and feed in the water.
A lot has been gained this year on behalf of the Lower Klamath refuge. However, there’s also that much more at risk if the refuge is allowed to go dry again.
With waters in the Lower Klamath refuge receding, the risk of avian botulism puts migrating birds and waterfowl broods at risk.
In a recent press release from Ducks Unlimited, they’re reporting a 25% decline in duck breeding numbers in the Pacific Flyway. Add a drying refuge to the equation, this could be devastating to West Coast duck populations.
However, while the projects that KDD and its partners talked about are going through the process of becoming a reality, Lower Klamath still needs water to ensure there’s not another avian botulism outbreak on the scale of 2020. There are already reports of botulism coming from Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
At this time, KDD’s board is working with the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Fish & Wildlife Service to find a way to get much needed water to Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
There are also a few things the public can do to help LKNWR.
KDD has a page about how the public can support the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. Writing to leaders expressing concern for the refuge and waterfowl populations can help them understand the importance of Lower Klamath to the region and the Klamath Basin ecosystem. This understanding can lead to influencing Reclamation to providing much needed water to LKNWR.
We also recommend visiting KDD lands and LKNWR. The district and the refuge have an abundance of waterfowl and wildlife that make this an extraordinary place in the Klamath Basin. Then share those experiences either in-person or on social media to help others understand the importance of Lower Klamath to the Pacific Flyway and the Klamath River ecosystem.
Finally, if you, the public, have ideas on how we can get more water to Lower Klamath, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line and let us know your thoughts.
Klamath ag, and especially KDD patrons, have a distinct connection with the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. With community support, we hope the Bureau of Reclamation will provide the water the refuge needs to make it through fall migration and beyond.
If you’ve driven Stateline Road with the windows down lately, you’ve heard the trilling of blackbirds, honking of Canada geese, and the squawking of herons coming from the Lower Klamath refuge.
It’s as if they’re celebrating the return of the wetlands to the refuge.
Since mid-April, the Klamath Drainage District has been sending water to Unit 2 of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (LKNWR).
KDD has been sending recycled water from the district to Unit 2 of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
Using recycled water from within the district, KDD has been able to send almost 120 acre-feet of water a day to Lower Klamath via the Ady Canal. At the time of this writing (approximately three weeks), that amounts to almost 2,500 acre-feet.
By employing KDD’s recirculation pumping stations, the district is able to recycle up to 35,000 acre-feet of water a year. This enables the district to reuse or recycle more than 75% of the water used by its patrons.
This benefits KDD family farmers and ranchers by ensuring they have water during the growing season. It also creates ecological opportunities, such as providing water to LKNWR.
KDD landowners have long been ardent supporters of the Lower Klamath refuge. Over the last four years, the district has sent water across the border to LKNWR to help allay the water allocation shortcomings. One instance, between December of 2021 and August, 2022, KDD sent approximately 3,100 acre-feet of much needed water to the Lower Klamath wetlands.
After the historic droughting of Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge by the Bureau of Reclamation, the storied wetlands are having a banner year after going dry for several years.
On March 7th, KDD along with Modoc Nation, South Suburban Sanitary District, Ducks Unlimited, Friends of Klamath Basin Birding, the Klamath Audubon Society, and the Klamath Water Users Association hosted the Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour to bring attention to the Lower Klamath refuge and discuss projects that could bring long-term water to its wetlands.
Not long after the Lower Klamath Renaissance Tour, on March 25th, with much fanfare and press coverage, Tulelake Irrigation District fired up its historic D-Plant station to pump water from Sump 1A in Tule Lake through Sheepy Ridge to the desiccated beds of Lower Klamath Lake. However, due to the Bureau of Reclamation’s restricted water allocation for the Klamath Project 2024 irrigation season, pumping ceased on April 15th.
In the three weeks that TID pumped water to Lower Klamath, water flowed throughout the refuge, bringing much needed moisture to units that haven’t received water in over three years. And with the water, the wetlands returned.
The combination of the districts’ efforts has been a boon to the birds of the Pacific Flyway as well as for Klamath Basin wildlife. An abandoned rookery along the canal between Unit 2 and Unit 3 is showing signs of life again as herons and egrets reclaim the trees for nesting. Ducks and geese are taking advantage of the rejuvenated wetlands while raptors once again patrol the skies over LKNWR.
Even coyotes, deer, and antelope appear to be more abundant in Lower Klamath now than they have been in the past four years.
The water TID sent through D Plant to the Lower Lake Refuge from Tule Lake revitalized the wetlands.
This year has started off with a strong showing of support for LKNWR, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure its water security.
While KDD and its patrons will continue to find ways to provide water for Lower Klamath, the collaboration and support shown on March 7th will need to come to fruition if we’re going to prevent the nation’s first waterfowl refuge from going dry again.
Hopefully, with the refuge’s recovery on full display, the public and Klamath Basin stakeholders see the value of keeping the basin’s wetlands wet.
(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 .
