From Crisis to Collaboration: Making Water Work Harder
Showing the Basin-wide value of the Klamath Project
Last month, water began moving to Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges at a moment when it was desperately needed.
The immediate benefit was clear: fresh water reached refuge wetlands threatened by avian botulism during one of the most difficult water years the Klamath Basin has experienced. But for Klamath Project irrigators, the significance extends beyond the emergency response for wildlife.
The effort also demonstrated a different way of managing water in the Klamath Basin. This new approach puts existing infrastructure, agricultural water management and collaboration to work to achieve multiple benefits from a limited supply.
That is the idea behind the Tule Lake Flow-Through Pilot that KWUA and Basin partners have continued to advance.
A Difficult Year – and an Opportunity
Project irrigators entered 2026 facing significant shortages, with approximately 50,000 acres idled in response to reduced water supplies. Throughout the season, irrigation districts and producers worked to stretch available supplies through recirculation, groundwater augmentation, reduced-irrigation programs and careful day-to-day management.
Meanwhile, conditions on the national wildlife refuges were deteriorating. By early August, an estimated 10,000 birds had died from botulism at Tule Lake, while habitat conditions at Lower Klamath were also worsening.
As the season progressed, water needs, operations and conditions across the Project continued to evolve, creating an opportunity to make available water work for additional Basin benefits. KWUA, its member districts, the Bureau of Reclamation, Tribal governments, federal fisheries agencies, Ducks Unlimited (DU), California Waterfowl Association (CWA), local counties and other Basin partners worked through a complicated set of operational and regulatory issues to get available water to the refuges.
“This is the kind of adaptive, collaborative water management we have been advocating for,”KWUA President Scott Seus said when the deliveries were announced. “When conditions change and an opportunity emerges to put water to work for the broader Basin, we need to be able to act.”
The significance of the effort was recognized well beyond KWUA.
DU and CWA described the deliveries as helping avert catastrophic losses from avian botulism and reducing the danger to more than 100,000 ducklings and flightless molting waterfowl. The organizations also explicitly connected the effort to Flow-Through, crediting KWUA and Reclamation leadership and the participation of Tribal Nations, irrigation districts, agencies and conservation organizations.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership demonstrated by the farmers and ranchers of the Klamath Project, who, despite receiving just over half of their water supply, chose to make water available for Flow-Through to benefit the Basin,” DU’s Jeff McCreary and CWA’s Jake Messerli said in a joint statement.
That acknowledgment is significant: two leading waterfowl conservation organizations specifically recognized both the reduced water supply facing Project agriculture and the role irrigators played in making the refuge response possible.
Others Take Notice
The Tri-Counties—Klamath County in Oregon and Siskiyou and Modoc counties in California—also praised the response after having called on Basin partners earlier in the summer to prevent another wildlife disaster.
“This is what collaboration looks like, and it is what our Basin needs more of,” Siskiyou County Supervisor Michael Kobseff said. “Now we need to build on this progress and continue working toward long-term solutions for wildlife, agriculture, fisheries, water quality, and our rural communities.”
Federal officials similarly emphasized the breadth of cooperation behind the deliveries.Reclamation reported that water diverted from Upper Klamath Lake began arriving at Lower Klamath on August 17. The agency noted the importance of Tule Lake and Lower Klamath to the roughly 1.8 million birds that migrate through the refuges annually and credited water users, federally recognized Tribes, state and federal agencies and bird advocates with making the deliveries possible.
“Water solutions in the Klamath Basin are sometimes hard to find. Reclamation remains committed to working with all parties in the Klamath Basin to find solutions and produce better outcomes” said Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. Taken together, those responses—from conservation organizations, county governments and federal officials—reflect unusually broad recognition of what the effort accomplished.
That outside recognition matters. For years, Project irrigators have argued that agriculture should not be viewed simply as another demand on the Basin’s water supply. The Klamath Project’s infrastructure—and the people who operate it—can also be part of the solution.
Why Flow-Through Matters to Irrigators
That is where Flow-Through becomes especially important to KWUA. The concept is not simply about delivering more water to refuges. It is about finding ways for water to perform multiple jobs as it moves through the Basin.
The proposed approach would use existing Klamath Project infrastructure to move water through agricultural lands and refuge wetlands before ultimately returning it to the Klamath River. Rather than viewing agricultural use, wildlife habitat and downstream needs as completely separate demands competing for the same acre-foot, Flow-Through explores how coordinated operations can produce benefits at multiple points along the way.
For KWUA members, that distinction is fundamental.
KWUA’s mission is to preserve and enhance the viability of irrigated agriculture for current and future generations. Advancing Flow-Through serves that mission by demonstrating the value of the Klamath Project itself: its irrigation and drainage infrastructure, its return flows, its operational flexibility and, importantly, the knowledge and participation of the farmers, ranchers and irrigation districts who make the system work.
“A functioning agricultural water system can provide more than crop production,” said KWUA President Scott Seus, who farms near Tulelake. “Properly managed, it can help move water where and when it provides additional Basin benefits.”
Flow-Through also offers an opportunity to move away from the assumption that every Basin water decision must produce a winner and a loser. That does not eliminate scarcity or the difficult legal and biological constraints facing the Project. But it can create additional options – and in a Basin with limited water, additional options matter.
Building on What Worked
The August refuge deliveries were not an implementation of the full Flow-Through Pilot. Butthey demonstrated several of the ingredients the concept will require: cooperation, Project infrastructure, operational flexibility and adaptive management.
They also attracted attention beyond the traditional circle of Klamath water organizations. An August 25 Active NorCal story highlighted the role of irrigators and the extraordinary cooperation required during a year when tens of thousands of Project acres went without water.
Active NorCal summed up the episode this way:
“In a basin better known for water wars, moving water saved tens of thousands of birds. That counts as a very good week for the Klamath. For KWUA, the challenge now is to build on that week.”
For KWUA, the challenge now is to build on that week.
The immediate refuge deliveries showed what can happen when Basin partners remain engaged, recognize changing conditions and use the Klamath Project’s infrastructure creatively. The next step is to continue developing and testing Flow-Through so that those benefits do not depend solely on an emergency.
“If the Klamath Basin can make one supply of water work harder for farms, refuges, water quality and fisheries, we are strengthening Klamath Project and the future of farming and ranching” said KWUA Executive Director Elizabeth Nielsen. “That is part of our mission at KWUA, and it is exactly the kind of solution we should be working toward.”
The Quieter Conversations that Connect Us
By Elizabeth Nielsen, KWUA Executive Director
In the Klamath Basin, we often hear about the need to come together.
Usually, we are talking about the big conversations – water, agriculture, wildlife, communities, and the difficult questions that have shaped this Basin for generations. Those conversations matter. They bring people to the same table, even when they arrive with very different perspectives and priorities.
But something else happens around those tables, too.
Between the meetings, negotiations, and larger conversations are quieter ones. We learn about one another’s families. We talk about our communities and the places we call home. Over time, we begin to know one another not simply by the positions we hold, or the interests we represent,but as neighbors and people.
Those relationships don’t mean we will always agree. They don’t make difficult issues less difficult. But they can change the way we relate to one another through those disagreements.
And sometimes, circumstances remind us just how much quieter connections matter.
We saw that recently during the Wrights Spring Fire, as friends and neighbors just to the north of the Klamath Project were forced to evacuate their homes. Families left with precious memories, essential supplies, pets, and whatever else they could gather on short notice.
As the need became clear, people began making calls, some of which reached well beyond the Klamath Basin.
KWUA Board President Scott Seus reached out to Al Montna and Montna Farms in the Sacramento Valley, who donated 5,000 pounds of rice for families affected by the fire. Al has longstanding ties to the Klamath Basin and has supported efforts here for years, including the Agency-Barnes project. When he learned that our neighbors needed help, he stepped forward.
Then there was the question of getting 5,000 pounds of rice from the Sacramento Valley to the Basin. Mike Lowrie Trucking volunteered to transport the entire donation north, turning that offer of help into something that could reach families who needed it.
Others stepped forward as well.
Blakal Packing of Quincy, Washington, and Farm Fresh Direct of America of Monte Vista, Colorado, donated thousands of pounds of potatoes at a time when potato sheds within the Klamath Project had not yet begun running for the season. Food grown and packed in agricultural communities hundreds of miles away was soon headed toward families affected by a fire in the Klamath Basin.
KWUA board member and Klamath Project farmer Marc Staunton helped coordinate the effort and delivered the potatoes and rice to The Klamath Tribes’ donation location.
The food quickly made its way to families in need. Klamath Tribal and Family Health Services shared that five-pound bags of rice and potatoes were being made available to fire victims in Chiloquin, Sprague River, and Beatty.
William Ray Jr., Chairman of The Klamath Tribes, put the significance of the effort into words.
“The Klamath Tribes expresses appreciation for all the donations of food to support so many in our community. The donations expanded the resources available to affected communities and reflected strong partner engagement. Thank you to all the agricultural producers.”
The Wrights Spring Fire brought hardship and disruption to our neighbors and friends. Nothing about that should be diminished. But the response also revealed something that can be easy to overlook in the course of our day-to-day work.
Relationships have value beyond the issue that first brought us together.
We may initially sit across from one another because of water, or agriculture, or wildlife. We may come to those conversations with different histories, different interests, and very different ideas about what should happen next.
Agreement is important when we can find it. But agreement is not the only measure of whether those conversations have mattered.
Sometimes their value is found in the relationships built along the way.
If relationships are strong enough that when someone is facing a crisis, the first question is not where they stood on an issue or which side of a debate they represented. Instead, the question is: How can we help?
The response to the Wrights Spring Fire stretched from the Sacramento Valley to Washington and Colorado and back to the Klamath Basin. It included farmers, businesses, board members, Tribal representatives, health services staff, truck drivers, and many others who helped make sure food reached people who needed it.
KWUA is deeply grateful to Al Montna and Montna Farms, Mike Lowrie Trucking, Blakal Packing, Farm Fresh Direct of America, our board members who helped coordinate the effort, and everyone throughout the region who stepped forward to support those affected by the fire.
The big conversations in the Klamath Basin will continue because they need to.
But so will the quieter ones, and we should never underestimate what can grow from them.
Western Water Organizations, Counties Back KWUA in Klamath Project Water Case
A legal dispute over Klamath Project water deliveries is drawing support for Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) from across the West, as three counties and nine major water and agricultural organizations have urged the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a June decision involving the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
On August 3, KWUA petitioned the Ninth Circuit for rehearing en banc, asking a larger panel of judges to reconsider a 2-1 decision issued June 17. Klamath Irrigation District also filed a petition for rehearing.
Ten days later, Klamath County, Oregon, and Siskiyou and Modoc counties in California filed a joint friend-of-the-court brief supporting KWUA. A second brief was filed by nine Western water and agricultural organizations representing interests from Oregon and California to Arizona, Idaho and Washington.
At the heart of the case is a question with potentially broad consequences: When does the ESA require the Bureau of Reclamation to alter water deliveries when Reclamation is also bound by existing contracts?
KWUA argues that many Klamath Project irrigation contracts impose binding water-delivery obligations and do not give Reclamation discretion to modify those obligations for the benefit of ESA-listed species. That distinction matters because Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit decisions have held that ESA Section 7 consultation applies where a federal agency retains relevant discretion to act for protected species.
KWUA contends that the June panel majority did not conduct the contract-specific analysis required by more recent court precedent and instead relied on a 1999 Klamath decision. Judge Ryan Nelson dissented, concluding that the court should examine Reclamation's contractual obligations to determine where the agency actually retains discretion.
Local Stakes
The three counties emphasized that the case is about more than legal doctrine.
The Klamath Project provides irrigation to approximately 200,000 acres in southern Oregon and northern California, according to the counties’ filing. The counties argue that reduced irrigation deliveries can affect not only farms and ranches but local government revenues, groundwater, soils and infrastructure.
“Our counties know too well the harsh impacts of the ESA on rural economies and communities,” said Siskiyou County Supervisor Michael Kobseff. “That’s one reason we act together to ensure that the ESA is at least applied fairly and consistently.”
The counties told the court that past reductions in irrigation supplies have contributed to “dust bowl” conditions, soil compaction, infrastructure damage and declining shallow groundwater levels. They urged the Ninth Circuit to consider both the governing legal precedent and the significant local interests involved.
“The Tri-Counties get engaged and they do their homework,” said KWUA President Scott Seus, a Tulelake-area farmer. “The farm and ranch community in Klamath, Siskiyou, and Modoc Counties notices that, and we’re grateful for it.”
Why Western Water Users Are Watching
The second friend-of-the-court brief argues that the issue reaches well beyond the Klamath Basin.
The participating organizations represent irrigation districts, farmers, ranchers, public water agencies and other water users throughout the West. They argue that federal water projects need a consistent legal standard for determining when ESA consultation requirements apply to Reclamation operations.
Citing Bureau of Reclamation figures, the organizations noted that Reclamation supplies irrigation water to one in five Western farmers and serves 10 million acres producing 60 percent of the nation’s vegetables and 25 percent of its fruits and nuts.
“Water users throughout the West understand that what happens in Klamath can affect us all,” said April Snell, executive director of the Oregon Water Resources Congress, which helped organize the joint filing. “Our support for KWUA’s filing emphasizes the critical importance of these issues and impacts to irrigated agriculture.”
The Western organizations argue that allowing different legal standards to develop for individual federal projects could create uncertainty for water users, states, tribes and federal agencies throughout the West. Their brief asks the Ninth Circuit to establish a clear and consistent framework for determining when Reclamation has discretion that triggers ESA consultation requirements.
What Happens Next
The Ninth Circuit will decide whether to rehear the case under its internal en banc process. Rehearing is discretionary, and there is no set timetable for the court to act.
One possible next step would be an order asking the other parties to respond to the rehearing petitions. Until the court requests responses, the parties cannot submit additional briefs on the petitions.
If rehearing is granted, a larger Ninth Circuit panel would reconsider the case and could clarify how the ESA applies when Reclamation operates federal water projects subject to long-standingcontractual obligations.
The Ferguson Group Report
While the House of Representatives has been on Summer Recess for all of August, the Senate was in session for the first part of the month and took action on several key measures. Both chambers left much pending for the brief September session before they head out to campaign for the November elections, such as permit reform, Farm Bill, crypto reform, and other items of interest. The executive branch remained active as well.
While the House of Representatives passed a traditional “straight line” short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) through December 4 to keep the government funded (the federal fiscal year ends September 30), the Senate passed its version of a CR through December 11. In addition to the date difference, the Senate bill differs from the House version in several key ways: it blocks a White House plan to let political appointees control grant approvals and stops Border Patrol and ICE from gaining new funding through loopholes, both Democratic priorities necessary to get the bill passed. The House is expected to take up the Senate version when they return from summer break in early September (The House is due back August 31; the Senate is back September 12). The likelihood of passage of an agreed-upon version between the two chambers by the end of the fiscal year remains uncertain, but it appears there is no appetite for a government shutdown on either side of the Capitol.
Regarding permitting reform legislation, there are signs of progress. Senators negotiating a bipartisan permitting overhaul have indicated they’re closing in on a deal, though it won’t go public until after the August recess. Lead negotiators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mike Lee (R UT), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) met just before the House Recess began, and reportedly left the meeting optimistic, though Whitehouse acknowledged a number of issues remain, especially streamlining Clean Water Act (CWA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) reviews, which Heinrich called some of the toughest sticking points. Even with a deal, quick passage is uncertain given limited legislative days before the midterms and likely contentious House negotiations.
Meanwhile, in the executive branch, some of the usual issues of interest remain at the forefront. Challenges over rulemaking on implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) continue. The Administration’s overhaul of endangered species protections under the ESA is drawing fire on two fronts. First, Earthjustice, representing groups including the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife, has sued the Interior Department over the final rule that requires regulators to consider excluding areas from critical habitat designations whenever “credible information” suggests meaningful financial impacts. The groups argue the rule hands industry an effective veto over habitat protections by presuming economic-cost claims valid unless the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) can affirmatively rebut them, a reversal of the agency’s past practice of dismissing unsupported cost claims. They also allege the rule strips FWS of discretion over whether to conduct exclusion analyses at all and that Interior skipped required environmental review under NEPA. Interior has defended the rule as adding clarity and transparency; a nearly identical version was finalized in 2020 and then rescinded in the Biden Administration in 2022 amid litigation, with FWS at the time calling it &”problematic” for undermining the agency’s expert judgment.
On Colorado River developments, the Bureau of Reclamation has released its Final Environmental Impact Statement, setting a framework for managing Lake Powell and Lake Mead through 2036. Instead of fixed long-term rules, Interior will issue operating guidelines roughly every two years within set thresholds, with annual Powell releases between 5.0 and 12.0 million acre-feet, Lower Basin shortages up to 3.0 million acre-feet, and voluntary Upper Basin conservation up to 200,000 acre-feet, giving officials room to adapt as conditions change.
The move comes as combined Powell-Mead storage sits at its lowest since before Glen Canyon Dam began filling in 1963. Still ahead is the harder fight: a detailed two-year operating plan due within a few weeks specifying which states absorb cuts. Arizona, California and Nevada have proposed jointly conserving 3.2 million acre-feet over two years, but Arizona would take the largest mandatory reductions given its junior water rights, a plan AZ Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has called “draconian” California’s negotiator wants the Upper Basin states to share in cuts too, but Interior’s authority to compel them is unclear. Litigation over the plan remains an option the states are considering.
Sponsor Spotlight
Tri-State Livestock Credit Corporation (Tri-State) is nearing its 100-year anniversary, having been formed in 1931 during the Great Depression, a time when credit was largely unavailable to livestock producers. The name Tri-State reflects our original service territory of California, Arizona, and Nevada, along with a small portion of Southern Oregon. Today we offer financing in 7 Western States, including Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, with primary focus in Oregon, California, and Arizona.
We are an agricultural lender based in Klamath Falls and currently finance cattle and dairy operations plus production of row crops, hay, grain, cotton, seed crops, nursery, sheep, and mint. We offer lines of credit in support of operations, plus a range of term loans for the purchase of real estate and ag equipment. Our overall goal is to build lasting relationships with those we serve and provide flexible financial solutions that aid in growing their operations.
Tri-State’s lenders have practical experience in the agricultural industry, with all either being raised on a farm or ranch or currently working on / owning their own operations. Each also has significant experience in agricultural lending. As such, we understand that every farm and ranch operation is different, and that agricultural producers face new opportunities and challenges throughout the current season and over the years.
We are proud to support the Klamath Water Users Association in its effort to bring more clarity and balance to the Klamath Basin’s ongoing water challenges. We are honored to be a part of the hardworking local agricultural community and sincerely look forward to our future here with you.
Henley FFA Casino Night- September 26!
Join the Henley FFA Alumni & Supporters for their Annual Casino Night on Saturday, September 26, at Linman Hall at the Klamath County Fairgrounds!
Every dollar raised goes directly back to the Henley FFA Chapter, helping provide opportunities for local FFA students and supporting the future of agriculture in the Klamath Basin.
Enjoy Vegas-style casino games, raffle prizes, a delicious tri-tip or chicken dinner, and a full-service bar—all while supporting the Henley FFA Chapter and agricultural education in our
community. — all in support of a great cause. Every dollar raised goes directly back into agricultural education at the Henley FFA Chapter.
Several ticket options and sponsorship opportunities are available.
Get your tickets and sponsorship information at HenleyCasinoNight.com.
Come enjoy a great night out while supporting Henley FFA and the future of agriculture in our
community!
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Life in the Basin
At One with the Beauty of the Farm
KWUA is excited to congratulate Jordan Johnson, winner of our August Agriculture Photo Contest!
Thank you to everyone who submitted photos, voted, and helped us celebrate agriculture in theKlamath Basin. Each photo offers a unique glimpse into the people, animals, landscapes, and everyday moments that make Basin agriculture special.
Jordan will receive a $75 Diamond S Meats gift certificate and KWUA merchandise. Congratulations, Jordan!
And keep an eye out—you may see photos submitted through our contests featured in future KWUA newsletters, annual reports, social media, and other publications.
There’s another chance to share your view of Klamath Basin agriculture! Throughout September, KWUA invites you to participate in our “Life in the Basin” Agriculture Photo Contest.
We’re looking for photos that capture the people, places, and traditions that define agriculture in our Basin—from sunrises over the fields and livestock on the ranch to irrigation in action, hardworking farm families, harvest season, and generations working side by side.
Participants may submit one photo by posting it in the comments of the official contest post on the KWUA Facebook page or by emailing it to chelsea@kwua.org. Emailed photos will be
added to the official Facebook contest thread by KWUA.
The photo receiving the most Facebook “likes” will win a $75 Diamond S Meats gift certificate and KWUA merchandise.
Entries and voting close at 11:59 p.m. on September 14.
By submitting a photo, participants certify that they own the image or have permission to share it and grant KWUA permission to use the photograph in future publications, on our website, social media, and promotional materials. Photo credit will be provided.
Make a Difference in Western Water
KWUA is looking for a motivated, dedicated problem-solver ready to take on meaningful projects involving water, agriculture, infrastructure, and natural resources in the Klamath Basin.
You do not need to arrive as an expert in Klamath Basin water issues. We’re looking for someone with the ability and desire to learn and the motivation to take on challenging, meaningful work. For the right person, this position offers a rare opportunity to learn quickly, take on real responsibility, help move important projects forward, and work alongside experienced leaders in Western water and agriculture.
If you’re motivated, capable, eager to learn, and looking for work that matters, we encourage you to apply!
Learn more & apply: www.kwua.org
KWUA announces the 2026 Fall Harvest Tour
The Klamath Water Users Association would like to welcome you to our 19th Annual Fall Harvest Tour!
KWUA will host the 19th Annual Fall Harvest Tour on October 2, 2026. This tour offers a unique window into the region’s vibrant agricultural community and the many harvest activities
occurring during this time of year. This immersive day-long event takes participants into the heart of the Klamath Basin, where local farmers, water managers, agribusiness representatives, and educators come together to demonstrate the intersection of agriculture and environmental
stewardship.
The tour bus is open to all—we welcome community members, students, elected officials, and anyone with an interest in learning more about irrigated agriculture.
Space is limited, so reserve your spot today. This tour provides first-hand exposure to the people, processes, and places that make agriculture possible in our Basin.
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, there is no cost to attend the tour or enjoy lunch. Seating is limited, so don’t wait—sign up now to secure your seat!
Reserve your seat on the bus today at:
www.kwua.org
Klamath Project Operations Update
By: Gene Souza, KID Executive Director
The 2026 water year in context
Peak snowpack this water year reached 4% of median, Water-year precipitation is 78% of the median with rain anticipated. Net inflow to Upper Klamath Lake is on the dry conditions at 755,694 acre-feet to date, about 78% of the period-of-record median.
Storage for irrigation purposes peaked at 573,848 acre-feet on April 5. 565,775 acre-feet has passed over Keno Dam
Project ag diversions over the last week of August averaged about 1,255 acre-feet per day (≈633 cfs). At that pace, the remaining water will carry deliveries through the end of September. Water available beyond that date is a blessing, not a promise.
- Where the irrigation supply stands as of September 1:
- 221,000 acre-feet — of the 573,848 acre-feet stored is deemed available for farmers by Reclamation for 2026
- ~180,513 acre-feet — delivered Project-wide to date (81.7%)
- 40,487 acre-feet — remaining (18.3%)
What is Driving Operations
- Low water availability remains the root cause of every operational problem in the Project
this year. Everything else follows from it.
Because the supply is short, canals must be run at low flow with little or no spill, and at those flows a canal behaves like a pond — a condition moss grows fastest in. The moss then makes delivering water at those same low flows very difficult, clogging turnouts and slowing water to the field. This is a basin-wide condition; Reclamation has contended with the same growth at Keno Dam, where it has made the release target harder to hold.
Refuge deliveries and the botulism response
In August, available water, not impacting Project supply, moved through the irrigation districts to the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath Refuges. The results were immediate. Reported botulism mortality at Tule Lake fell from roughly 500 birds a day at the peak to about 35–40 a day. Unit 2 reached its ESA required elevation, and refuge crews banded more than 3,000 juvenile and flightless adult birds over two nights — birds that would very likely have been lost without water under them. Return flows from operations are being moved to Unit 3 through D plant to raise its elevation ahead of winter, and early fall waterfowl migrants already feeding in KDD and on leased fields.
The Yurok Tribe Boat Dance flow – Earth Renewal Celebration
Reclamation will release approximately 7,000 acre-feet below Keno between August 28 and September 9th for the Yurok Tribe’s biennial World Renewal ceremony — the first since dam removal. That volume was reserved earlier in the year under the 2024 Biological Opinions and the 2026 Annual Operations Plan, held separately from Project Supply, and did not come out of the 221,000 acre-feet.
Klamath River flows are ramping back down toward a 750 cfs base flow by September 9–10.