15 August 2025

Image by Solid Rock Photography / Sarah Ramsey - Reflection on Miller Island

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• 2025 Irrigation Season Update
• Public Notice: 2025 Election Update - District Zones 1 & 5
• Upcoming Events

Net inflow to Upper Klamath Lake has increased with the cooler weather and rain events at the end of July and early August. For Water Year 2025, total inflow into Upper Klamath Lake since 1 October 2024 has exceeded 1,268,000 acre-feet (an acre-foot covers one acre of land with one foot of water). 980,000 acre-feet is around the median net-inflow to Upper Klamath Lake for the years between 1991 and 2022.

Reclamation's water managers in Water Year 2025 allowed for the early release of 35,000 acre-feet of additional scouring flows in the Klamath River below Keno in March before going into multiple days/weeks of flood control releases, which also increased the movement of sediment in the Klamath River below Keno. Project irrigators were able to refill the national wildlife refuges with water from the Lost River system while also contributing water to the Klamath River, building at one time over 72,000 acre-feet of additional storage (unfortunately, much of this additional storage was lost during flood control releases from Upper Klamath Lake in April and May). As of 15 August 2025, the Klamath Reclamation Project has returned approximately 230,000 acre-feet of water to the former lakes and wetlands (combined, these areas naturally evaporated over 513,000 acre-feet each year before the lakebeds were reclaimed for farmland or preserved for national wildlife refuges). In early March, with the early wet conditions, K.I.D. anticipated the full irrigation demand from Upper Klamath Lake storage would be slightly over 335,000 acre-feet...This number still appears accurate to ensure all crops can be harvested.

Irrigation for grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, other cereals) and garlic is complete.

Irrigation demand for potato and onion crops will continue through mid-September.

Irrigation for alfalfa, grass hay, and pasture continues at a steady rate.

Irrigation for other market fresh vegetables, berry roots, and new seeding is anticipated in mid-September.

Irrigation for fall garlic is anticipated for October.

Operations continue under Reclamation's 2025 Operations Plan.

TheIrrO

Other Water Year 2025 water management facts as of 14 August 2025

*K.I.D. Internal Tracking - Preliminary Numbers, not yet validated by official sources.

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• *Over 1,268,000 acre-feet of water (after evaporation losses) has entered the Upper Klamath Lake since 1 October 2024 (Water Year 2025).
• *Over 333,700 acre-feet of water remains in active storage in Upper Klamath Lake
• *Over 963,500 acre-feet of water has gone over the Keno Dam to the Klamath River.

2024-2029 action prescribed in the 2024 NMFS Biological Opinion: minimum flow over Keno in drought years is 427,725 acre feet

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• Interesting Fact:
• USGS Data: Total annual inflow to Upper Klamath Lake in the drought period of 1931 was 420,000 acre-feet (this does not account for evaporation losses exceeding 267,000 acre-feet that would have naturally occurred if Lower Klamath Lake were not modified) If we were to experience another dust bowl (or 1931 like year), more water would be required to go over Keno than actually exists during the water year. And water that would have evaporated maintaining the regional climate would need to be removed from the landscape, like occurred in 2021, turning wetlands into deserts - thus humans creating regional climate change.
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• Question to ponder: Why do scientific opinions of NOAA fisheries experts since 2001 prescribe more water is needed in a system than what was naturally available in drought conditions? Have you read Fortune (1966) evaluation of salmon runs in 1931?
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• Queston to ponder: If the Klamath Project did not store the water that evaporated off of Lower Klamath Lake before the project was developed, what would the flows in the Klamath River look like in 1931? Question we have an answer for in Fortune (1966):
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• What were the Chinook salmon run numbers in the 1931 cohort (and during the dust bowl drought period)?

Note: K.I.D. Estimates from reviewing historical records: Over 267,000 acre-feet of water would have naturally evaporated off of any UKL volume in the system from being held or replacing evaporation losses in Lower Klamath Lake (meaning this volume would not be available to the Klamath River below Keno). Our estimates are based upon numerous early 1900's reports to include Quinton (1908) estimates of 3 feet per acre loss, not on the likely more realistic Hall (1908) report. 1908 was a drought year with noted low flows in Link River. Hall (1908) concluded that the Lower Klamath Lake's annual evaporation rate was 5 feet of water per acre. Source: Weddell, B.J. 28 November 2000. Relationship Between Flows in the Klamath River and Lower Klamath Lake Prior to 1910. P.1

2024-2029 action prescribed in the USFWS BiOP: Flows to the National Wildlife Refuges

Between April and September, if needed, 43,000 acre-feet of water are available to the Tulelake and Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife refuges. Based upon a daily rate, any water not called for by the USFWS can be made available for agricultural purposes. Interesting Fact:

Irrigation Districts have been attempting to recover the dry refuges (created by federal water management decisions) in Water Year 2025 (which started 1 October 2024)

• *46,180 acre-feet has been delivered to Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge since 1 October
• *24,007 acre-feet of water went directly to Tule Lake Sump 1A since 1 October
• *An additional 37,884 acre-feet was pumped from Sump 1A to LKNWR since 1 October
• *Klamath Drainage District has returned 24,310 acre-feet to the Klamath River
• *The Lost River has added 103,485 acre-feet to meet refuge needs since 1 October
• *K.I.D. estimates that the Lost River also added over 43,000 acre-feet of water to winter flows in the Klamath River below Keno.
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Klamath Irrigation District has sent 16 curtailment letters as the lands have reached their water right or max contract volume.

During the 14 August 2025 Board of Directors meeting, the board authorized the 2025 elections of new directors to be conducted by mail. Zones 1 and 5 of the District are open for election this year to a 3-year term. 27 August is the earliest opportunity to submit a nomination (contact our election officer for further details) 7 October is the last day the District will receive nomination packets. 21 October is the last day to change land ownership / voter registration information with the District.

To vote in District elections, you must be a landowner who is registered to vote. See full details and information at the link. KID_ElectionProcedures.pdf The election process for irrigation districts differs from most other districts and the general election procedures in several significant ways, described in ORS 545.135 to ORS 545.171. The process provided in Chapter 545, however, is not complete, and ORS 545.041 and other provisions of that chapter provide that elections be conducted as nearly as practical in accordance with the general election laws.

The vote-by-mail option provides several advantages and cost savings for the District. It allows full opportunity for all registered voters, including individuals who may be out of town or busy landowners who are unable to find time on election day to cast their ballot. In-person elections are resource-intensive: the District Board of Directors must appoint 4x volunteers to observe the election for 9 hours while the polls are open and have District staff dedicated to voter validation. In both types of authorized elections, the signature of the registered voter is validated with the voter registration card during the process and is open to public observation.