'Disappointed'
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Jeff Payne, Deputy Regional Director of the US Bureau of Reclamation announces 2023 water deliveries in the Klamath Project at 47.7% of full at 215,000 acre-feet at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Klamath Water Users Association (Image: Brian Gailey)
US Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-California) was the honored guest at the 2023 KWUA Annual Meeting. LaMalfa provided updates from Washington D.C. (Image: Brian Gailey)
215,000 acre-feet of irrigation to be delivered to Project
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - With over 180% snowpack currently sitting in the mountains of the Klamath River Watershed, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced water deliveries for the Klamath Project last Thursday at a mere 215,000 acre-feet. Just 47.7% of what would be full deliveries (450,000 acre-feet) for the project.
The announcement came during the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Klamath Water Users Association held on April 13 at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.
In just one word, Klamath County Commissioner and water user, Dave Henslee summed up the feelings in the entire room, “disappointed.”
According to the KWUA, Reclamation expects to release more than 590,000 acre-feet of water from Upper Klamath Lake downstream to the Pacific Ocean. This will likely cause 60,000 acres of farmable production land along with the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuges to remain dry this year.
“This is the first time ever that we have had this much snow and not have one hundred percent deliveries,” said Paul Simmons, executive director KWUA. “It is very disappointing to see those kinds of numbers. We have to have a fundamental change in how the project is operated but there is going to be uncertainty for people going forward. We heard questions from the audience such as ‘What am I supposed to do?’ and right now those questions go unanswered.”
“This year [full water delivery] would be in the neighborhood of 400,000 acre-foot,” said Simmons. “If you wanted to provide full water to the refuges it would be 450,000.”
The KWUA reports, “The Klamath Project provides water to roughly 230,000 acres of farms and refuges in northern California and southern Oregon. Farming in the Klamath Project produces half a billion dollars in regional economic activity.”
“The Klamath River system is important to more than just the irrigators,” stated Jeff Boyd, Tulelake Farmer, and Vice President KWUA. “It is important to environmentalists, its important to tribes, its important to hunters - even if just want to take a drive to the refuge it’s important. We need collaboration with all groups - we as water users have extended our hand. We want collaborative solutions that involve everybody. I think right now, that sometimes other people, don’t want to talk.”
Boyd added, “I don’t want to look at the past. I don’t want to look at past issues. Everyone’s past is extremely important to them and mine is to me too. But if we want solutions that all of our kids, all of them to the future.”
In addition to the supply, Reclamation announced $9.85 million in available funding through the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency for irrigators with reduced water allocation.
“[215,000 acre-feet of irrigation] is a lot better than last year. Its a lot better than zero,” said Boyd. “But we need more for the entire project. I might be ok where I am at but some of my neighbors may not be. We want everybody whole.”
Irrigation water is expected to begin flowing on May 1.