• Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) has requested immediate action from the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to prevent potential disasters in the Klamath Basin.
• KWUA’s concerns include the high potential for disease outbreaks in waterfowl, unnecessary irrigation curtailments, and stressors to aquatic species.
• KWUA emphasizes the need for collaboration and a new paradigm based on cooperation among all stakeholders.

August 2, 2024—In mid-July, the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) sent an urgent letter to Camille Calimim Touton, Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation, highlighting the immediate threats to the Klamath Basin and requesting immediate action to prevent unnecessary disasters.

As a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) has represented family farms and ranches in the Klamath Reclamation Project for over seven decades. KWUA members, including irrigation districts and public agencies in Oregon and California, provide water to about 180,000 acres of highly productive agricultural land. These lands produce a variety of crops and have recently seen growth in dairy and organic farming.

High Potential for Disease Outbreaks and Mass Waterfowl Mortality.

KWUA’s primary concern is the high potential for disease outbreaks and mass waterfowl mortality in Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges due to restrictions on water diversion. The situation is dire, with symptoms already appearing in the waterfowl. In 2020, similar conditions led to an outbreak of avian botulism that killed an estimated 60,000 ducks. KWUA urges Reclamation to confer with Refuge managers immediately and implement viable operations to avert this impending catastrophe.

Unnecessary Irrigation Curtailments.

KWUA also raises the issue of unnecessary irrigation curtailments, which have already severely impacted agricultural communities in the Klamath Project. Over 50,000 acres have received minimal water allocations, and the current water supply will likely be exhausted in September. KWUA stresses avoiding disaster for agricultural communities and ensuring full crop production and harvest.

Stressors to Aquatic Species.

Additionally, KWUA expresses concerns about the high water temperatures in the Klamath River and Upper Klamath Lake, which are stressful and even lethal for salmon and other fish. The elevated temperatures are a known driver of fish disease, and KWUA emphasizes the need for a new paradigm based on cooperation to address these challenges. KWUA also raises concerns about the apparent decline in the populations of Lost River and shortnose sucker in Upper Klamath Lake.

Call for Immediate Action and Collaboration.

KWUA concludes its letter by calling for immediate action from Reclamation and emphasizing the need for collaboration among all stakeholders to address the challenges in the Klamath Basin. KWUA states:

“Farmers and ranchers within the Project have always been and continue to be willing to assist in the recovery of species and to work with other stakeholders to address their interests. We expect equal respect for the interests of agricultural communities. KWUA has invited Klamath Basin tribes to work with KWUA and its members to address these challenges, both immediate and long-term, in a new spirit of cooperation, rather than resorting to positional bargaining over water. That attitude is reflected in KWUA’s participation in the memorandum of understanding for ecosystem recovery in the Klamath Basin. That spirit must become the norm in water management.”

KWUA urges leadership within Reclamation and the Departments of Interior and Commerce to embrace this attitude and encourage all stakeholders to work together to address all interests and needs in the Klamath Basin.

Read the full letter here and KWUA’s news release.

Image:

Map of the Klamath River basin in California and Oregon, United States. Klamath watershed shown in gray. The intermittently connected Lost River and Butte Creek watersheds are shown in yellow. Made using public domain USGS National Map data.  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.

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