Klamath Water Users Association
2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3
Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603
Phone (541) 883-6100
FAX   (541) 883-8893  
kwua@cvcwireless.net 

Continued on page 2

USDA Releases Report on Environmental Compliance in U.S. Agricultural Policy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a report assessing past performance and future potential of environmental compliance in U.S. agricultural policy. Since 1985, U.S. agricultural producers have been required to practice soil conservation on highly erodible cropland and conserve wetlands as a condition of farm program eligibility. The USDA report discusses the general characteristics of compliance incentives, evaluates their effectiveness in reducing erosion in the program’s current form, and explores the potential for expanding the compliance approach to address nutrient runoff from crop production. Copies of the report (AER-832) can \be ordered by calling 1-800-999-6779.

Klamath Experiment Station Annual Field Day Planned for Next Thursday

The Klamath Experiment Station Field Day will be held at 6941 Washburn Way in Klamath Falls on August 5. Registration will begin and refreshments will be served starting at 8:30 a.m. A field tour will begin at 9:15 a.m. and will include discussions of forage research projects, including orchard grass varieties, grassy-alfalfa variety combinations, alfalfa varieties for irrigated and dryland production, and a new-to-the-area warm season grass species for unique field situations and markets. Potato research project discussions will include nematode control with Vydate, skin color enhancement for red-skinned varieties, and variety development programs. A hosted luncheon will be followed by brief presentations. During the remainder of the afternoon, additional tours and discussions will be available for interested parties.
 

Klamath Water Users Association
2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3
Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603
Phone (541) 883-6100
FAX   (541) 883-8893  
kwua@cvcwireless.net 

Historical Potluck Picnic Reveals Dedication of the American Farmer

Klamath Basin farmers survived a difficult beginning, coped with change, and have left an improved environment for future generations. This was the general message conveyed last Tuesday in Keno when history buffs, irrigators, and local residents reminisced about building the local farming foundation in the Upper Klamath Basin.

The Klamath River Watershed Working Group organized the event, held at the Pacific Power and Light (PP&L) Keno Recreation Area Park, to share historical perspectives, practices, anecdotes, and reminiscences of farming along the Klamath River. Pacific Power representative Sally Labriere presented a history of nearby Keno Dam, generating facilities, and the irrigation project. Old timers and newcomers alike provided testimony about the pains and pleasures they and their families experienced as agricultural lands were developed around Klamath Falls.

Martin Kerns, who now farms his parents’ farm on the banks of the Klamath River east of Keno, spoke of the importance of passing information down from generation to generation.

“There has been a lot of changes in the last 50 years,” he said. “When people first came here, they just did it – they farmed. There were no records of proof. There were many man-hours of sweat put into building the dikes and changing the land. We can see the changes.”

Luther Horsely, a board member of the Klamath Drainage District and farmer in the Midland and Lower Lake areas, discussed the environmental improvements he has seen over the past 40 years.
 

Historical Potluck Picnic Reveals Dedication of the Farmer (Continued)

"The air quality is better now, then it was in my childhood, when dust storms crossed South Highway 97 and caused accidents," he said. "Water management is also better and continues to improve."

The information gathered at Tuesday’s event was recorded by staff from the Oregon State University Extension office in Klamath Falls and OIT film crews for possible incorporation into a watershed assessment collection to show how historical uses along the river have changed over time.

Klamath Water Users Association
2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3
Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603
Phone (541) 883-6100
FAX   (541) 883-8893  
kwua@cvcwireless.net 

TNC Releases Technical Reports on Williamson River Delta Restoration

The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in partnership with federal agencies, PacifiCorp, the Klamath Tribes and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has released a compendium of technical reports on the Williamson River Delta Preserve. TNC and its partners have been working to restore wetland and riparian habitats at the 7,500-acre Preserve to benefit sucker fish in the Lower Williamson River and Upper Klamath Lake. In conjunction with ongoing research and monitoring at the site, TNC and its partners have developed a series of technical assessments that evaluate the potential impacts and benefits associated with various aspects of this restoration project at the Williamson River Delta.

All five of the reports describe the current conditions, and estimate the potential positive and negative effects of the project. Two address biological effects of the restoration project on fish and vegetation. Three reports address physical conditions of the restoration project, including effects on water quality, hydrology and water storage. One of those latter studies combines experimental and monitoring data to determine how reconnection of the former agricultural fields to Upper Klamath Lake would affect water quality. In another study, modeling was performed to assess the potential of restoring the hydraulic connection among the river, lake and wetlands using different levee breaching scenarios. In the third, researchers examined potential changes in water availability that wetland restoration at the Williamson Delta would impart.

KWUA is currently reviewing the reports, with an eye towards wetlands water consumption, relationship between nutrients and the wetlands, and water availability.

 

Nominations Sought for
Nathaniel Bingham Memorial Award

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is calling for nominations or applications for the seventh annual Nathaniel Bingham Memorial Award for significant contributions to restoration of salmon and steelhead populations or habitats of the Klamath River Basin. Since 1991, the Klamath River Fisheries Task Force has worked to implement a Long Range Plan to restore healthy salmon and steelhead fisheries to the Klamath River.

Progress of the program has been in large part due to citizen organizations and individuals who have made contributions to improvements in fisheries habitat and protection within the Klamath watershed. USFWS will annually recognize these efforts with an Outstanding Achievement Award to an organization or individual in the private sector.

Nominations or applications should include a summary of the achievements supporting the nomination, the name and phone number of the private nominee, and a contact name and phone number for organizations nominated.

Applications or nominations for the 2004 awards should be provided to the following address no later than September 1, 2004: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yreka Fish and Wildlife Office, 1829 South Oregon Street, Yreka, CA 96097.

For more information, please contact Laurie Simons, Ecosystem Restoration Team Leader, or Phil Detrich, Field Supervisor, at (530)-842-5763.

- Source: USFWS News Release -
 

Klamath Water Users Association
2455 Patterson Street, Suite 3
Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603
Phone (541) 883-6100
FAX   (541) 883-8893  
kwua@cvcwireless.net 

Scott River Valley Rancher Touts Voluntary Conservation Efforts at Rally

Bill Krum, who operates a cattle and horse ranch near Etna in Scott Valley, California, was the first of eight speakers who addressed a crowd of 1,000 at a rally held before the House Resources Committee field hearing in Klamath Falls nearly two weeks ago. Krum, who is also co-chairman of the Resources Committee of Save Our Shasta and Scott Valleys (SOSS) and a director of the Siskiyou Resource Conservation District (RCD), focused his comments on the need to promote voluntary, incentive-based restoration, rather than imposing regulations on landowners, to recover imperiled fish and wildlife.

“Virtually all the endangered species issues relating to fish in Scott and Shasta Valleys are on privately owned land,” he told the crowd. “We have shown conclusively that we can deal with these issues utilizing locally based efforts with voluntary landowner participation without destroying agriculture. The current Endangered Species Act regulatory enforcement regimen delivers a chilling effect to these locally based efforts.”

Krum has the evidence to demonstrate the willingness of Scott River Valley landowners to take action. For more than twenty years, through such locally based entities as the Shasta Valley RCD and Shasta River Coordinated Resource Management and Planning in the Shasta Valley, and the Siskiyou RCD and Scott River Watershed Council in Scott Valley, a wide range of fisheries, water quality, water supply, riparian improvements, planning and information gathering activities have been undertaken.

The Siskiyou RCD has worked closely since 1949 with local landowners and various local, state and
 

federal government entities on projects related to stream bank protection and erosion control, and in more recent years specifically on issues relating to the protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife. In the past 12 years, some of these accomplishments include:

• Installation of 12 stock watering systems with 11 cfs flow returned to the river;

• Installation of 38 sets of moisture sensors for 20 landowners to improve irrigation efficiency;

• Design and installation of efficient water delivery systems to increase flows in Sugar Creek;

• Completion of 17,150 feet of fish friendly stream channel enhancements, bank stabilization, and installation of 313 instream structures on private lands; and

• Fencing of 95% of privately owned portions of the Scott River mainstem, and 40% of the tributaries.

"All of this has taken a tremendous effort on the part of locally based individuals and organizations along with considerable technical and financial support from California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, NOAA Fisheries and NRCS," Krum said at the rally. "Virtually all these projects were carried out on privately owned land. None of the projects could have been undertaken without the volunteer participation and support of our agricultural landowners."

Thursday, August 5, 2004 – Klamath Experiment Station Field Day. 8:30 a.m. 6941 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, Oregon.