Klamath Restoration Agreements

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Klamath Agreements Provide Water Assurances for Klamath Wildlife Refuges for the First Time

The Klamath National Wildlife Refuges benefit from the KBRA in many ways, but most importantly, the Agreement ensures that the refuges will receive water each year- an assurance the Refuges currently do not have.

Settlement parties agree to legislatively modify the purpose of the Klamath Irrigation Project to include “fish, wildlife, and National Wildlife Refuges.” This will assure that the refuge water allocation is equal in priority to the irrigator’s allocation.  This provision also allows the Refuge to enter into contracts with irrigation districts and/or the Bureau of Reclamation for the delivery of Refuge water through Project facilities.

Spring_2009_065_smallLower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge will receive between 48,000 and 60,000 acre feet of water depending on water year type.

Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge’s water needs are met within the Project irrigator’s allocation. 

 “Walking Wetlands”, the practice whereby wetlands are inserted into commercial crop rotations, will receive its water from both the Lower Klamath allocation (1 af/acre) and the irrigator’s allocation (2 to 2.5 af/acre).  The refuge gains additional wetland habitat for a relatively minor cost, in terms of water allocation, and the Project irrigators are not penalized for using additional water to provide wetlands on private lands

Management of Refuge lease lands will remain consistent with the current Kuchel Act.  The parties agree to pursue collaborative conservation measures on the lease lands including walking wetlands as well as other practices beneficial to wildlife.  The Refuge lease lands can also function as an experimental area in which innovative farming and wildlife management practices can be developed for potential implementation on private lands

Water rights for the Refuges would be held by the United States.

Spring_2009_067_smallIf, in drought years, additional shortages must be applied to the water deliveries to the Project irrigators and the Refuge, then the refuge has agreed to reduce the Lower Klamath NWR demand further from 48,000 acre feet to 24,000 acre feet.  If additional allocation cuts area needed to address shortages beyond this point, then the refuge and the irrigators will share equal percentage reductions in their respective allocations until the need is met.  It is anticipated that allocation shortages to Refuge and Project water users will occur in approximately 5% of future years. 

 

 



Did You Know?

Water Shut-off Highlights Need for Klamath Agreements

Karuk Tribe

P R E S S  R E L E A S E

For Immediate Release: March 18, 2010

For more information: Craig Tucker, Klamath Coordinator, Karuk Tribe, cell 916-207-8294

 

Drought Highlights Need for Klamath Agreements

Fish and Farms would be better off today if the Klamath Restoration Agreements where already in place

 Orleans, CA – Today Secretary of Interior Salazaar addressed the current drought situation in the Klamath Basin by breaking the hard news to irrigators that water deliveries will be reduced to 30-40% of average. Before agricultural deliveries can be made, the Bureau of Reclamation must first ensure that the water level in Upper Klamath Lake and the flows in the Klamath River meet minimal requirements to allow for the survival of ESA listed suckers and coho salmon.

 “It’s a difficult year for everyone. Even though irrigation deliveries are being dramatically cut, the water fish are getting only meets the minimal amount needed to avoid extinction. It’s barely enough water to keep the fishery on life support,” according to Leaf Hillman, Director of Karuk Natural Resources Department.

 The current situation is due in large part to a lack of precipitation, but if fisheries managers had the flexibility to manage the system in the manner prescribed by the recently signed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, more water would be available for fish in the crucial spring months ahead and more water would be available for agriculture as well.

 The current management plan prescribes winter flows in the river without considering weather events in real time. In a dry winter like this one, the result is that flows are held steady even in the face of deteriorating hydrologic conditions. Under Real Time Management, flows would have been pared back to better reflect the weather conditions in real time. This approach would have allowed resource managers to provide more water to the river in the spring when fish need it most, left more water in Upper Klamath Lake for suckers, and more management flexibility in meeting irrigation needs.

 According to Hillman, “We basically ran up a water deficit this winter gambling that a late season storm would bail us out, but the rains never came. Implementation of the Klamath Restoration Agreement would provide a more sound approach to water management.”

 In addition, the Real Time Management Plan called for by the KBRA would restore some of the Klamath’s natural hydrograph. This means river flows would be greater during storm events and less during dry periods. Current management calls for flat line flows out of Iron Gate Dam which is bad for fish. “Flat line flows contribute to the algae and fish disease problems on the Klamath by creating a stable environment for algae and disease carrying parasites to flourish. If we mimicked the river’s natural flow pattern with normal flow variability, it would help these problems greatly,” according to Karuk Senior Fisheries Biologist Toz Soto.

 Tribes are offering to support disaster relief measures to help farm families through the season. “Hopefully, we can get the Klamath Restoration Agreements enacted by congress this year and avoid a crisis like this in the future. Until then, Tribal and fishing communities will need to support our neighbors in farming and ranching as they brace for a year of economic hardship,” said Hillman.

 

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Technical memo describing how KBRA management would have helped address this year’s drought