by Lacey Jarrell, Herald and News 4/9/16


H&N photo by Lacey Jarrell David Murillo, regional director of the Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, announces that the Klamath Project is expected to receive full water deliveries for the 2016 growing season. The announcement was made at the Klamath Water Users Association annual community meeting.

Langell Valley Irrigation District irrigators, who receive deliveries from Gerber Reservoir, are expected to receive 100 percent of historic demand. The reservoir was at 51 percent of capacity as of Friday.

Good news for the Klamath Project: Irrigators are slated to receive full, or nearly full, water deliveries this season. At the annual Klamath Water Users Association meeting Thursday, David Murillo, director of the Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, said based on current levels in Upper Klamath Lake, Klamath Project farmers can expect to receive a full water supply in 2016. The Project’s supply is estimated to be 388,680 acre-feet, according to the BOR 2016 Operations Plan. The maximum volume that can be diverted from Upper Klamath Lake for Klamath Project irrigation is 390,000 acre-feet, according to Tulelake Irrigation District Manager Brad Kirby.

Kirby said the BOR’s announcement wasn’t completely unexpected, but nothing’s locked in until the April forecast comes out.

“It’s very good news. We can take a deep breath,” Kirby said.

East Side

Last year, as the region suffered through its fourth consecutive year of drought, water supplies were nearly cut in half, and many Project irrigators, including those on the East Side, went without water.

“It was very encouraging to hear the possible water supply available out of Gerber and Clear Lake, as well,” Kirby said, referring to Murillo’s announcement.

In 2015, Horsefly Irrigation District irrigators, who draw on water from Clear Lake Reservoir in California, did not receive any water.

Murillo said for the 2016 season, Horsefly irrigators can expect 83 percent of a full supply. According to the operations plan, average historic demand for the district is 35,000 acre-feet.

“We’ll definitely be able to irrigate this year. We’re hoping — fingers crossed — we’ll be able to get through the season,” Horsefly Irrigation District Manager Laramie Brandt said.

Langell Valley Irrigation District irrigators, who receive deliveries from Gerber Reservoir, are expected to receive 100 percent of historic demand, Murillo said. The operations plan said, similar to Horsefly district, average historic demand for the Langell Valley is 35,000 acre-feet.

Shane McDonald, manager of Enterprise Irrigation District in Klamath Falls, said patrons in his district are excited to start farming on their May 1 contract date. The 2,000-acre Enterprise district is made up of entirely “B” contract land, also called Warren Act, which only receives water after “A” contract water deliveries are fulfilled.

McDonald said last year Warren Act contractors received some water, but deliveries started late and they were sporadic. He said it was challenging for irrigators to stretch their water allocations between deliveries.

Refuges

The BOR manages water deliveries to more than 200,000 cropland acres in the Klamath Project and to roughly 92,000 acres of waterfowl habitat in Tule Lake and Lower Klamath national wildlife refuges.

According to the operations plan, Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge land that is located within Tulelake Irrigation District and Klamath Drainage District could receive water as part of a cooperative agreement between the refuge and the districts.

The plan said water deliveries for Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and lands outside the irrigation districts “is undetermined at this time.”

“Reclamation will continue to coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other stakeholders regarding the availability of Project water to meet the water demands of Lower Klamath NWR lands in California,” the plan said.

According to Bureau of Reclamation Hydromet data, on Friday, Upper Klamath Lake was 95 percent full. Gerber Reservoir was 51 percent full and Clear Lake was 31 percent full.