Thanksgiving is the perfect time to share what you're thankful for.

Harvard Medical School finds that "gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships."

The staff at Klamath Irrigation District are thankful to serve our community and neighbors.

We also give thanks to the K.I.D. Board of Directors

(Ty Kliewer, Jerry Enman, Grant Knoll, Dave Hamel, and Ryan Hartman)

for your direction in difficult times

and to the

Klamath Basin Improvement District Directors

(Ry Kliewer, Lane Roelle, Scott Balin, Rodney Cheyne, Tricia Hill, Nick Oldham,

Justin Grant, and to the late George Rajnus)

for addressing the concerns and issues of the people you represent

Please Note: Klamath Irrigation District will be closed 25-28 November to allow our team to gather with friends and family over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Oregon Water Resources Congress Annual Meeting

November 29 – December 2 in Hood River, OR

Draft Agenda

In-Person Registration Still Available!

Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available!

Klamath Water Users Association December Directors Meeting

8 December 2021, 2pm at the KWUA Conference Room in Klamath Falls

Klamath Irrigation District December Board Meeting

9 December 2021, 10am at the K.I.D. HQ Conference Room off of Short Road

Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Water Users Conference

The 2022 Mid Pacific Water Users Conference will be held January 19-21, 2022 at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno, NV. Check back for more details, coming soon!

Click Here for more information

SDAO Annual Conference

Feb 10-13, 2022 Eugene / Virtual

Registration will open in December

Inflows into Upper Klamath Lake since 1 October 2021 is 8,000 acre feet below the 31 year average. Outflows from Upper Klamath Lake have been in compliance with Reclamation's Interim Operations Plan, allowing additional flows above the central tendency to be released from Upper Klamath Lake for power generation by PacifiCorps.

In the chart below, on 1 March 2022, Reclamation anticipates the elevation of Upper Klamath Lake (green 50% line on the chart) will be nearly 7" below the central tendency (red dotted line) and 6" below the level required for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion between 1 April and 30 May for the c'waam and kaptu (sucker/mullet) endangered species.

For near real time updates on inflow and outflows to UKL please see Reclamation's Teacup available here.

GO WITH THE FLOW: Barriers to modernizing irrigation systems and how to overcome them

November 18, 2021

By Sierra Dawn McClain

When Marc Thalacker first walked into Central Oregon’s Three Sisters Irrigation District Office in 1988, he was taken aback.

Many years, according to district records, 50% of the water in the canals and laterals was lost to seepage and evaporation, farmers received only half their allotted water and the local creek was dried, stranding fish.

Read more...

Agriculture could help Oregon meet greenhouse gas reduction goals

November 15, 2021

By Sage Van Wing

About 20% of global emissions come from agriculture and land use. Yet agriculture can also be a vehicle for taking carbon out of the atmosphere. The Oregon Global Warming Commission has developed a proposal that calls for increasing carbon sequestration, some of which would come from agriculture. George Plaven, reporter for the Capitol Press, recently wrote about ways the state is hoping to use agriculture to help reach the state’s climate goals.

Read more...

Fall rains can’t undo pains of drought in Oregon and Washington

November 18, 2021

By Emily Cureton

Withered crops and puny livestock; dead fish and swarming insects; laid-off workers, shriveling economies, and rural homes stranded without running water — these are just some of the calamities unleashed by a historic drought affecting all of Oregon and parts of Washington.

Oregon lawmakers heard grim updates from state experts in water science, wildlife, emergency management, and public health at the legislature’s Water Committee meeting Wednesday. Farmers shared stories of hardship, while a tribal leader navigating bitter water conflicts wondered what happened to his invitation.

This year’s conditions compounded impacts of a prolonged drought cycle said State Climatologist Larry O’Neill.

Read more...

Oregon farmworkers don't get overtime pay. Some want to change that

November 17, 2021

By Dora Totoian

Read more...

Feds pledge $2.7 million in funds for Klamath Basin salmon recovery

November 15, 2021

By The Associated Press

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced $2.7 million in funding for projects aimed at helping coho salmon in the Klamath River basin.

The species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and has seen its numbers dwindle amid rising river temperatures and reduced water flows.

The grant announced Monday will be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with help from federal and state agencies, and will prioritize projects that improve salmon habitat and fish passage in the lower part of the river and its tributaries, according to a Reclamation news release.

Read more...

Oregon's fuel tax rises again, even as drivers buy less gas

Gas prices are up. They're about to get even higher. Read more

Oregon expands historic transportation investment with 3% vehicle fee increase

Oregon Department of Transportation

Oregonians will see fees rise about 3% when they renew their vehicle tags, get a trip permit or apply for a vehicle title next year.

The fee increase will take effect Jan. 1, 2022, and is the third of four scheduled fee changes under Oregon’s historic House Bill 2017 transportation investment package. The final fee increase will start in January 2024.. Learn more...

Thanksgiving dinner cost up 14%, Farm Bureau survey finds

Several factors contributed to the increase in price, including disruptions to the economy and supply chains. Full story

Hay farmers in Central Oregon face challenges from drought, water shortages

Central Oregon hay farmers have faced challenges this year with water shortages, drought conditions and supply chain issues. Read more

How a federal drought relief program left southern Oregon parched—and contributed to the ongoing groundwater crisis in the West

by Jessica Fu

It became apparent that this year’s water woes were more severe than usual, and widespread: As of last Friday, more than 280 homes in Klamath County have seen their wells go dry. For the first time ever this summer, the state was asked to step in and coordinate an emergency response. Read More...