In the Flow

October 2025

2025 Irrigation Season Comes to a Successful Conclusion
Planning for the 2026 Irrigation Season

The Klamath Irrigation District (KID) Board of Directors has set the end of the 2025 Irrigation Season for October 15, 2025. This decision, consistent with legal, contractual, and historical practices, was finalized during the Board's monthly meeting on October 9, 2025.

For the first time since 2019, the District was able to deliver sufficient water for beneficial use to our farmers and the districts we serve, aligning with Reclamation's 2025 Operations Plan and a very wet year.

We acknowledge the significant anxiety caused earlier in the season by the failed Endangered Species Act (ESA) action implemented at the end of the Biden Administration. We are grateful that the current administration exercised its authority for adaptive management, as outlined in the Environmental Compliance Review, preventing widespread economic issues for our patrons.

We must pause, and give thanks to those who made 2025 a success; without these Blessings, 2025 could have been a complete disaster if the following had not occured:

• To our good Lord for providing for us and answering our prayers for relief
• To mother nature for an above-average water year, given poor federal policy
• To Senator Wyden, Congressman Bentz and their staffs for indtroducing and getting Public Law 118-246 passed in December of 2024 (needed since 2016)
• To Senator Merkley for investing time and resources into Klamath
• To Congressman LaMalfa for championing our cause
• To the Yurok Tribe leadership for influencing NMFS and allowing the "Flexible Flow Account" volumes to be released early to mitigate the damage of lost flood waters to the farmers
• To Secretary Doug Burgam and DOI staff for guidance and direction to federal employees allowing the federal government to meet its legal obligations
• To USFWS leadership and technical experts for reading, understanding, and implementing the best available science.
• To The Klamath Tribes for accepting the analysis and opinion of USFWS
• To many appointees across the new federal administration for listening and understanding our position on the damaging Biden era policies
• To Paul Simmons and KWUA for negotiating and signing to the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement (KPFA)
• To federal career employees who have endured years of political swinging of a bureaucratic stick from D.C. and are still working to make Klamath better
• To those numerous individuals we didn't mention for not putting roadblocks in our path by moving to greener pastures in the private sector, accepting early retirement, or otherwise performing their federal or state duties without political activism.

2025 Klamath Water Year Summary: Upper Klamath Lake

The following information is based on preliminary data for the 2025 Water Year, as of September 30, 2025.

1. What is so important about Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) elevations?

Upper Klamath Lake (UKL), known as "ewahs" in the Modoc language, is a natural lake whose water level has been managed since 1922 by the Link River Dam. It serves as the primary storage reservoir for farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Reclamation Project. Also, the a small cohort of endangered Lost River Sucker (C'waam) spawn in springs on the east side of UKL; successful spawning requires at least 6-8" of water over the spawning gravel in the spring (typical observations from late March to early May).

The water stored in UKL comes from sources that would never reach below Keno on the Klamath River.

Water saved from evaporation: By reclaiming the former wetlands of Lower Klamath Lake into farmland, the project prevents water from evaporating there—water that would otherwise be lost before Keno.

Added water from the Lost River: The Lost River never naturally connected to the Klamath River, the efforts of the Klamath Reclamation Project to modify the water flow can now divert extra water, for flood control purposes, into the Klamath River system, boosting the Klamath River's flow allowing for storage in UKL without impacting natural flows.

The stored water in UKL is vital for local farming, the environment, and cultural history—but the majority of the water used by Klamath Reclamation Project farmers was never part of the natural flow available downstream of Keno.

Below is the Oregon Water Resources Department tracking of UKL elevations in Water Year 2025. The brown line is 2001 water shut-off for comparison. The dotted red line is 2010 when a noted decline in C'waam spawning at the springs was detected in March. Upper Klamath Lake provided a controlled 35,000 acre-feet of flushing flow to the Klamath River and at least two additional flood control releases to the Klamath River with the early snow melt.
Click here to review the full Oregon Water Resources Department 29 September Report

C'waam (endangered Lost River Suckers) have been observed spawning at the four springs on the east side of Upper Klamath Lake between March and early May.

The graph below shows how much spawning habitat exists in square meters at each C'waam spawning ground in UKL when inundated with 1' of water. These fish have been observed spawning in 6-8" of water; biologists consider 1' of water 'sufficient' for viable reproduction of the species towards recovery.

The Lost River Sucker typically lives about 30 years, and the last known recruitment (surviving from spawning to a reproductive age at about 9 years old) occurred in 1992...making the fish that were observed spawning in UKl at 33 years old...geriatric by human standards. With unknown genetic viability in the observation of elderly human reproduction is relevant, then the genetics of these 1992 brood may be compromised.

The chart below shows detections of the C'waam from 2010 through 2025 spring spawning cycles; lake elevations above 4,140.5' do not appear to be a factor in spawning activity; water temperature appears to be the trigger to start and stop spanwning; age seems to be the dominating factor in the number of spawners as this species typically enters adulthood (breeding) at age 9 with about a 30 year lifespan.

2. How much water was available in Water Year 2025?

The 2025 Water Year had an above-average amount of water flowing into UKL.

*The preliminary numbers below for WY2025 are from K.I.D. internal tracking and are not yet confirmed by USGS or Reclamation.

UKL 2025 Total Water Availability
Total WY 2025 Inflow Volume to Upper Klamath Lake / ewahs: 1,326,566 acre-feet

• Average inflow ~1,000,000 acre-feet
• Max inflow recorded 2,100,000 acre-feet (1907)
• Min inflow recorded 639,000 acre-feet (1931)

UKL 2025 Daily Water Availability Analysis

• Minimum inflow to UKL in 2025: (neg) * -864 cfs (cubic feet per second)

-864cfs occured on 2 June 2025, -600cfs days occured in July, -300cfs days occured in August, a few -90 days occured in September.

• Days of negative inflow to UKL: 28 days
• *NOTE: Evapotranspiration losses greater than UKL inflow occurred on 28 days.
• Days of UKL inflow below 650cfs (NMFS BiOp min below Keno): 99 days
• Days of UKL flood control releases:19 days
• Downstream water right claims to stored water from UKL: None submitted**
• **NOTE: The McCarren Amendment requires all claims (including federal and state claims) to be included in stream adjudications, as upheld by the 9th US Circuit Court. No claims for live flow or stored water were submitted by the US nor by downriver stakeholders in the Klamath River Adjudication.
• ***NOTE: On at least 99 days in 2025, in an above-average water year, stored water (stored legally only for agricultural purposes) had to be released from UKL to meet NMFS BiOp minimum demands.

Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges WY 2025

Over 91,385 acre-feet of water farmers returned/delivered to the lower refuges:

In Context: Ewahs (UKL) ended the Water Year: 4,139.19' (USBR datum)

• Higher than the 1987-2009 average.
• Approximately 1 foot higher than it was on the same date in 1921 (pre-dam era). The remaining natural reef (riffle) seen in the 1921 photograph below was not visible at any time in the fall of 2025, indicating the lake was higher than natural conditions following a similar water year type.

30 September 2025 OBSERVATIONS

UKL is 3.62 inches higher than the 1987-2009 average.

UKL is ~1 foot higher than the pre-dam photograph taken on 30 September 1921

UKL is 1.52 feet higher than the unmodified natural reef at Link River (4,137.8)

UKL is 3.03 feet higher than known evidence of indigenous habitation (4,136.29 - Howe)

UKL is 3.32 feet higher than the Klamath Project stored water right claim KA-1000

UKL is 3.77 feet higher than the USGS lowest recorded elevation (30 Oct 1944)

Also:

UKL is 2.4 inches below the Klamath Tribe water right claim KA-622

ESA biological opinion for the lowest UKL elevation without jeopardy: None noted

So What???

KLAMATH RECLAMATION PROJECT NET GAIN TO UKL ELEVATION 2025:

UKL is ~1 foot higher than the pre-dam photograph taken on 30 September 1921 (a similar water year)

Total precipitation at Klamath Falls 2025: 15.01 inches

• Percentage of average (11.5 inches 1887-2025): 130%

Upper Klamath Basin Maximum Snow Water Equivalent 2025: 23 inches

• Percent of mean (16 inches): 144%

Klamath County 2025 Wetness Index -

"W2" from Mar-May for about 5% of Klamath County,

Most of Klamath County in a "W0" or "W1" since Dec '24

Klamath County Conditions | Drought.gov

The lawfare against Klamath farmers, as evidenced by the development of Dr. Thomas Hardy's Klamath River flow models, cherry-pick the years 1904–1912, which include several wet "W4" years but exclude most dry "D4" years before dams were built; and completely ignored the extended drought periods such as the "dust bowl" between 1918 and 1939, the 8 year drought in the mid-1800s, and the 21 year drought in the mid-1600s; this data was available to Dr. Hardy.

In contrast, Water Year (WY) 2025 had "wetter than average" precipitation—not the extreme claimed "biblical" levels, nor W4 conditions observed in 1904, 1907, 1912, 1964, or in the 1980s. WY 2025 was more like 1903 (when the Link River went dry in July), 1909, and 1916, as shown in the chart below.

For an unbiased model, Dr. Hardy should have used all pre-dam data and adjusted for:

• Added water from Lost River after 1911
• Diking the Lost River Slough in 1890 which prevented excess flow from escaping the Klamath system upstream of Keno—water never available downstream.
• Water saved from evaporation: Reclaiming Lower Klamath Lake wetlands for farms prevented water loss there—water that would have evaporated before reaching below Keno.
• Extending the scope of the years modeled to include extended D4 conditions known by Dr. Hardy to have occurred.

Today, this stored water (from ET that would have occured on Lower Klamath Lake, from additions of Lost River water, from our pumped return flows, from preventing losses to the Lost River Slough) supports farmers, refuges, and is used to unnaturally increase summer flows in the Klamath River; most of the water returned to the former lakes and wetlands in 2025 wasn't part of the natural river flow past Keno (it was naturally here), having NO "taking" of water from fish species from farming, but rather the farmers effect was creating higher-than-natural flows in the Klamath River during the summer of 2025.

Learn more about the historical drought conditions for Klamath County at Klamath County Conditions | Drought.gov Note that Dr. Hardy cherry picked the very wet (W4) years 1904 to 1912 to facilitate the needs of the Chinook salmon in the Klamath River, ignoring years like 1903 and the remaining 10 years preceding the completion of the Link River Dam.

3.Key Management and Policy Observations

This section focuses on how water was managed and who was making demands on the system.

• Project Water Supply Success: The Bureau of Reclamation legally stored enough water in UKL during 2025 to meet the maximum claims of the Klamath Reclamation Project farmers (540,778 acre-feet).

• The Need for Stored Water beyond legal claims: Despite the high inflow, stored water (stored legally only for agricultural use) still had to be released from the lake on no less than 99 days to meet the minimum flow requirements set by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Biological Opinion (BiOp) below the Keno Dam to protect the 33 inbred Southern Resident Killer Whales that have just recently entered the waters fed by the Klamath River in mid-September.

• Evaporation Impact: On 28 days, UKL experienced negative inflow, meaning that losses due to evaporation and plant use (evapotranspiration) were greater than all the available water and precipitation flowing into UKL.

• No claims for stored water from UKL were submitted by the federal government or other downstream entities during the Klamath River Adjudication. This is significant because, by law, all claims for water rights must be included in the adjudication process as required by federal law under the McCarren Amendment.

Reclamation has still not provided K.I.D. with a Memorandum of Understanding, required by regulation, for our June 2021 Title Transfer request, specifically fulfilling federal obligations included in Article 35 of its contract with K.I.D. K.I.D. believes the transfer of title and water rights are non-discretionary actions required by the federal government under contract.

4.Klamath River Flows Under Keno Dam Analysis WY 2025

Total flow released to the Klamath River below Keno Dam: 1,032,289 acre-feet

• Minimum flow allowed: 534,012 Acre-Feet (650 cfs in July & Aug) for 33 inbred whales when flows to UKL are negative, and Link River would be naturally dry for extended periods.

**NOTE: No less than 267,000 acre-feet would evaporate from Lower Klamath Lake. Additionally, 2025 was a wet year, with rapid snowmelt...K.I.D. estimates that an additional 12,000 acre-feet, above the 267,000 ET) would likely have been naturally denied to Keno from losses into the Lost River Slough in the spring of 2025 during the rapid snow melt. K.I.D. estimates that there was zero sum loss / gain to the Klamath River below Keno in 2025 with full irrigation deliveries occurring.

Total Klamath Basin watershed outflow to the Pacific Ocean: 16,676,440 acre-feet

Downstream of Keno water right claims to volumes from UKL: None submitted

Percentage of total watershed to the ocean from above Keno: 6.19%

Percentage of the total watershed returned to former lakes and marshlands: 1.67%

Percentage of water that would have naturally evaporated, lost above Keno: 1:67%

(yes, the amount returned to the former lakes is equal to the amount naturally affected)

Percentage of water added to the Klamath River from the Klamath Project: 1.01%

So What???

KLAMATH RECLAMATION PROJECT NET GAIN TO THE KLAMATH RIVER 2025:

1.01% more water from the Klamath farmers' infrastructure entered the Klamath River below Keno than would have under naturally occurring conditions.

This return of water also resulted in the observation of the return of mid-summer, later afternoon thunderstorms and rain events across the Klamath Project area and in our upper watershed of Clear Lake and Sprague River. A step towards healing the micro-climate, water cycle, and our ecosystem.

These numbers directly correlate with and support the data in Reclamation's 1958 study, which shows that the ET effect and farming have a net zero effect to volumes on the Klamath River below Keno. WY 2025 provided more than average (as calculated in 1958) to the Klamath River; this chart also shows that the mouth of the Klamath River, the 1958 average outflow was 10,500,000 acre-feet. (WY 2025 provided 6,176,000 acre-feet of water more than the average calculated in 1958).

2025 Spring / Summer Irrigation / Agricultural Analysis 1 Mar through 31 Oct

Max volume of water stored in UKL under the law for the single purpose of agricultural use during 2025 irrigation season: 634,146 acre-feet (to 4,136.0 USBR datum)

As of 30 September

Water from UKL returned to agriculture and refuges: 279,820 acre-feet

• with Lost River contributions & return flow credits: 299,510 acre-feet

Volume through the A Canal: 188,810 acre-feet

• Historic average at A Canal: 213,760 acre-feet
• Percentage of average: 88.3%

Volume added to the Klamath River from Project Infrastructure through the Lost River Diversion Channel in WY 2025: 88,295 acre-feet

Volume added to the Klamath River from return flow pumping in 2025: 80,152 acre-feet

A wet spring, combined with mid-summer thunder clouds with precipitation and a wet September, heavily reduced historic demand across the Klamath Reclamation Project. In April, we estimated that 335,000 acre-feet of water from UKL was needed; we anticipate that by 31 October, we will have returned about 310,000 acre-feet to the former lakes and marshlands for beneficial use.

Review our brief on the historic micro-climate provided to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) here.

Watch our briefing about the microclimate to the ODA here.

Watch our briefing about the microclimate (a bit outdated)

Read the Oregon State University Study on the Economic Impact of Klamath here.

Read the ODA Oregon Board of Agriculture 2025 Report here.

Read the ODA Oregon Agricultural Statistics here.

#foodsecurity is #nationalsecurity

Klamath Irrigation District will transition from delivery operations to maintenance beginning 15 October.  Our ditch riders will transition to our maintenance team over the remainder of the month as dewatering occurs, fall inspection reports are compiled, and operations align with our pest management policy to mitigate damage caused by burrowing animals in the earthen canals during the fall and winter.

Dewatered Structure Inspections and Reports

•A Canal from Headwork to the Tunnel in the Deep Cut (Emergency Repair anticipated)

•110x Bridge Inspections (3x Bridges anticipated Emergency Repair)

•Olene Flume Liner (Emergency Repair anticipated)

•5-year inspection of C-Siphon

•Routine Standard Operating Procedures Inspections of turnouts, wiers, checks, banks, etc

•E Siphon (under Hwy 140)

Known Emergency Repairs

•A Canal Tunnel Exit E.Repair – ShotCrete ($450,000)

•A Canal Liner (Hope St. Seep)

•A Canal Headgate positioning solution

•A Canal Gate Seal Replacement

•A Canal Fish Screen Position Sensor Repair / Replace

•A Canal Trashrack Hydraulic Overhaul

•C Canal, immediately post C Siphon, concrete liner ~200’

•D Canal E.Repair – ShotCrete at seep (D SIP)

•Miller Hill Pump Pipes E.Repair

•Melhase Crossing E.Repair

•Melhase Trash Rack Repair

Routine Maintenance Tasks

•Harpold Pit Rock Contract

•Update Confined Space entry procedures

•A Canal Deep Cut Cleaning

•Apply Pre-Emergent in Canals early

•A Canal HW / SCADA System Evaluation – Prep for Spring Recalibration

•Fish Salvage

•Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP)

•Langeman G-D Drop Finalize installation

•Langeman Gate Recalibration

•Grigsby Check Improvement

• Kirkpatrick Check Improvement

•#8 & #9 Spill Improvement

•Replace & Repair Turnouts

•Seasonal Pump Maintenance

•Replace C-Hydro Batteries

•C-Hydro Logic Upgrade Evaluation

•A Canal HW Logic Upgrade Evaluation

Klamath Irrigation District Regular Board Meeting 

October 09, 2025 • 109 mins •  

ACTION ITEMS ✨ 

1. Prepare Oct newsletter w/ water situation facts. Include UKL levels, project supply, drought conditions.

 2. Anticipate Water Users' budget request. Factor in increased work for reconsultation. 

3. Review/update KID-specific action plan for DEQ TMDLs. Dust off old files, assess current relevance.

4. Call to arrange roundtable talk w/ Sec Interior Brooke Rollins in Fallon, NV. Secure KID seat if possible. 

5. Draft white paper on OSU investments in Klamath Basin. Highlight importance of continued investment.

MEETING SUMMARY ✨ 

Meeting Purpose

October board meeting for Klamath Irrigation District to discuss operations, finances, and key issues affecting the district. 

Key Takeaways

• KID plans to end irrigation season on Oct 15, with flexibility to continue D-canal deliveries through Oct 31 as water allows 

• 2026 draft budget presented with no planned assessment increase; board to review and provide input before November approval 

• Reclamation initiated reconsultation, viewed as a positive step  

• Recent court ruling allows DEQ to designate irrigation districts as "responsible parties"

Topics

Public Comment

• Anthropology students from the University of Copenhagen present, requesting opportunities to study farmers' perspectives on water issues 

• Garlic grower requests consideration of extending the irrigation season by ~2 weeks on both ends to better align with crop needs 

Financial Report & 2026 Budget

• Draft 2026 budget presented, anticipating $35M D-System Improvement Plan funding 

• Assumes 3.5% inflation, increased legal fees, stable fuel/energy costs 

• Planning for 350,000 acre-feet water supply and full deliveries in 2026 

• Manager recommends no assessment increase for 2026; board to review and provide input 

Water Management & Operations

• 2025 water year ended with ~280,000 acre-feet delivered from Upper Klamath Lake 

• Lake levels slightly below tribal claim but higher than historical averages 

• Plan to end main irrigation season Oct 15, with flexibility to continue D-canal deliveries through Oct 31 as water allows 

Reconsultation & Regulatory Updates

• Reclamation initiated reconsultation  

• Court ruling allows DEQ to designate irrigation districts as "responsible parties".

• KID may need to revisit developing action plan to address TMDL requirements 

Government Relations

• Productive 2.5 hour meeting with Congressman Bentz on Oct 2 to discuss operations, legislation, and funding 

• Ongoing engagement with congressional offices and agencies on Klamath issues 

• Potential opportunity for a roundtable with USDA Secretary in Nevada 

Infrastructure & Maintenance

• Emergency repairs needed on A-Canal tunnel exit, Hope Street seep, C-Siphon end, and D-Canal at Adams Point 

• Long list of maintenance tasks to complete in next 6 months 

Next Steps

• Board to review draft 2026 budget and provide input before November approval 

• Manager to prepare October newsletter with facts on water year outcomes 

• Continue engagement on reconsultation process and proposed legislation 

• Revisit developing action plan for DEQ/TMDL compliance 

• Complete planned maintenance and emergency repair projects 

It is now time for Reclamation to begin fulfilling its legal obligations (KA 922, PL 118-246), and contractual obligations (14-06-200-3784) to the over federal 119 contracts K.I.D. has assumed for water from the A Canal to serve over 122,000 acres of the nation's most fertile soils.

Our discussions with officials across the federal government prior to the shutdown indicated that Reclamation should begin storage operations in UKL as soon as possible to ensure that its legal and contractual obligations will be fulfilled again in 2026.

We are also anxiously awaiting an opportunity to participate in a new ESA Section 7 consultation process, where K.I.D. is an applicant as described under ESA Section 7(a)(3), under the law as updated in PL118-246, and with the updated guidance provided by the Secretary of the Interior. Future newsletters should be informative about how this process is moving towards compliance with the laws enacted by Congress, and further requiring compliance with state water law.

K.I.D.'s November Board Meeting is scheduled for 13 November at 1pm in the K.I.D. Board Room at 6640 KID Lane.

The Board of Directors must approve the 2026 budget and assessment rate to facilitate our 1 December Billing as required by contract and law.

Elements is a film series celebrating The Klamath Tribes’ leadership in environmental and cultural resilience through connection to the elements—fire, water, air and land. For millennia, the Klamath River Basin in Southern Oregon and its rich wetlands, rivers and forests have been the homelands of The Klamath Tribes—comprised of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin-Paiute people.

"Water" features Charlie Wright, fisheries technician and MMA fighter, reflecting on loss and hope as she fights to protect the Klamath watershed for people and endangered C’waam and Koptu fish.