Watershed Restoration Overview for the Klamath Basin

1
Watershed Restoration Overviewfor theKlamath
Basin
2
Restoration for Healthy Farms and Fish

• Ranchers and Farmers have taken a pro-active
  approach to restoration since the early 1990s
• These activities have been implemented to improve
  water quality/quantity and improve habitat for
  fish and wildlife species
• Thousands of volunteer hours and millions of
  dollars have been spent to improve conditions in
  the Basin and throughout the watershed

3
Impressive Actions Undertaken for Environmental
Restoration

• Local efforts to assist National Wildlife Refuges
• Ecosystem Enhancement and Sucker Recovery Efforts
  in the Upper Basin
• Fish Passage Improvement Projects
• Wildlife Enhancement and Wetland Restoration
  Efforts Undertaken by Upper Basis Agricultural
  Interests
• Local Efforts to improve Water Quality
• Power Resource Development
• Efforts to Improve Klamath Project Water Supply
  Reliability and Water Use Efficiency

4

• On the ground activities have included
• Riparian fencing
• Fish screens
• Irrigation efficiency
• Irrigation tail water wetlands
• Culvert replacement for fish passage

5
Off Stream Water Troughs
6
Irrigation Efficiency Practices
7
Wetland Restoration
8
Total Land Changed to Wetland

• Approximately 98,000 acres of production
  agricultural land has been converted to wetlands
  in Klamath County
• Ag land uses approximately 2 to 2 ½ acre/feet
  whereas wetlands uses 4 to 4 ½ acre/feet of water
  
• There is a cost to water quality efforts
  produced from wetland restoration in total water
  consumption

9
Walking Wetlands

• Benefits for both agriculture and wildlife
• Fields are flooded for 1 year
• Bureau of Reclamation mandates 600/acres year
• US Fish and Wildlife mandates 400/acres year
• Reduced pesticide use when returned to ag corps
• Focus is to improve water quality for fish both
  in the basin and down stream to the mouth of the
  Klamath

10
Nature Conservancys Wetland Restoration

• Located at the mouth of the Williamson River
• This project has been identified as one of the
  most important projects for restoration
• Coupled with Chiloquin Dam removal, this project
  has the potential to greatly improve Sucker
  survival and habitat and assist with improving
  water quality

11
Improving Sucker Habitat

• Currently, many Suckers are spawning from the
  mouth of the Williamson to the Chiloquin Dam
• Introduced predatory fish species consume
  millions of Sucker fish larval within this
  stretch
• Removing dam would allow Suckers access to 75
  miles spawning and rearing habitat

12
Recognition

• KWUA was awarded the 2003 Leadership in
  Conservation award by the Oregon Department of
  Agriculture
• KWUA in 2004 was honored on the steps of the
  capitol for exemplifying the spirit of the
  Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds
• Tulelake Irrigation District in January 2004
  received the F. Gordon Johnston award for its
  innovative canal lining project completed near
  Newell
• U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman and
  NRCS chief Bruce Knight in 2004 recognized local
  rancher Mike Byrne for his leadership in
  conservation.

13
Farmer/Fishermen Coalition

• The farmer vs. fishermen issue has been
  manipulated by certain environmental groups who
  place the blame for fishery restrictions on
  irrigation
• To dispel these myths farmers and fishermen have
  been meeting and working together to resolve
  water quality/quantity issues in the Klamath
• Farmers and Fishermen have proposed the following
• 1)Modernize and expand hatchery
  operations
• 2)Control predation at the mouth of the
  River
• 3)Improve real-time ocean management
• 4) Development of new offstream storage
• Farmers and Fishermen are producers who want to
  work cooperatively towards real solution

14
Long Lake

• Initial analysis of Long Lake has identified it
  as a potential offstream storage site near Upper
  Klamath Lake
• The facility could capture surplus flows in the
  Klamath River system and store between 350,000
  acre 550,000 acre feet water
• The stored water could then be used for meeting
  Klamath River instream flow objectives, thus
  increasing Klamath Project water supply
  reliability while providing benefits to
  downstream fishing interests

15
Klamath County Natural Resource Advisory Council

• The Klamath County Commissioners formed this
  council January 2006 to make recommendations to
  the Board on issues related to natural resources
  that have an impact on Klamath County and its
  citizens
• The Council is comprised of a diverse cross
  section of citizens from the County

16
Restoring the Watershed

• Klamath farmers and ranchers are committed to
  supporting conservation to ensure a viable and
  sustainable agricultural lifestyle.
• They are also committed to implementing practices
  to assist with improving conditions downriver for
  fishing interests.
• Project by project we will continue to institute
  practices that will help preserve our way of life
  and that of those downstream.