Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis Upholding rural Americans

Klamath Lake levels lower than last year, H&N 3/28/08. "...project irrigators may be able to postpone irrigating operations for a while, Hicks said, giving the lake a chance to collect more water."

Lake levels and river flows 3/26/08

Klamath water report, H&N from BOR 3/20/08

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, 3/11/08

Water Report, Bureau of Reclamation by H&N, posted 2/7/08

Water Update, Herald and News from Bureau of Reclamation 1/15/08

Weekly water report, H&N from the Bureau of Reclamation 1/3/08

Klamath water report, H&N 12/26/07

Klamath Basin water report 12/18/07, H&N by the Bureau of Reclamation

Klamath Water Report, Bureau of Reclamation, H&N 12/6/07

11/27/07: Bureau of Reclamation water report from the Herald and News.

Bureau of Reclamation weekly water report, Herald and News 10/24/07.

Weekly water report by Herald and News, data from Bureau of Reclamation, 10/16/07 - REVISED by Bureau.

Weekly water report by Bureau of Reclamation, Herald and News, posted 10/9/07

Herald and News weekly water report, collected by Bureau of Reclamation, posted 9/29/07,

Bureau of Reclamation weekly water update, posted 9/18/07, H&N

Herald and News water update, posted 9/13/07

Water data update, posted to KBC 9/9/07, Bureau of Reclamation

Herald and News weekly water report from Reclamation 8/31/07

Weekly Klamath Project water report, Herald and News from BOR, posted 8/23/07

Water Update by Bureau of Reclamation for 8/15, received from Bureau 8/21/07

8/20/07: Klamath Lake Level mandate information from Cecil Leslie, Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Office:
    "the absolute bottom we can go to in a Critically Dry Year is 4137.0' at the end of September."
    "the Dry Year end of September elevation minimum is 4138.2' "
    "the end of August minimum elevation for a Dry year is 4138.6' "
    "These elevations are from the smoothed curves agreed to by Fish and Wildlife Service and Reclamation"

Bureau of Reclamation weekly water report, Herald and News 8/14/07

Klamath Water Report, H&N for 8/6/07

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows, July 23-30, 2007 Herald and News.
Bureau of Reclamation Water fact sheet, posted to KBC 8/1/07

Weekly Water Report, Bureau of Reclamation for Herald and News, 7/9-7/16/07

Water data update, Bureau of Reclamation, received and posted July 16, 2007.

Weekly water report, 7/2 - 7/9/07 BOR for Herald and News.

Herald and News weekly water report posted 7/6/07

Water Update on Klamath Lake levels and river flows 6/29/07, Bureau of Reclamation

Weekly water report, H&N 6//20-6/27/07

Herald and News weekly water report 6/11-6/18/07

Push the studies on feasibility of Long Lake, H&N posted to KBC 6/18/07.

Weekly water report, 7/2-7/9/07 BOR for Herald and News.

Herald and News water data report for June 5-12, posted to KBC 6/18/07.

Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Lake levels and river flows 6/14/07

Water Data Update, posted May 31, 2007, Bureau of Reclamation

Bureau of Reclamation water data update, posted 5/22/07

Bureau of Reclamation water data update, posted to KBC 5/02/07

Klamath River flows 4/27/07, Research by Lewie Baker

Bureau of Reclamation water data update, posted to KBC 4/21/07

Klamath River flows, and tributaries, research by Lewie Baker 4/17/07

Klamath River Water Flows, research by Lewie Baker 4/10/07

Klamath River water flows, researched by Lewie Baker, 4/4/07

Klamath River Flows, researched by Lewie Baker 4/10/07

Klamath River flows, researched by Lewie Baker, 2/27/07.

Klamath River Flows 12/26/06 - 2/14/07, researched by Lewie Baker

Klamath River water flows, researched by Lewie Baker 1/30/07

Klamath River Flows 1/17/07, researched by Lewie Baker. HERE for lake level and river flow archives.

1/9/07 Klamath River Flows, researched by Lewie Baker. Thank you Lewie.

Klamath River Water Flows, posted 1/4/07, researched by Lewie Baker.

Klamath River water flows, compiled by Lewie Baker, posted 12/27/06

Klamath River water flows, compiled by Lewie Baker 12/19/06.

2/18/06 USGS Flow graphs on Klamath River. HERE for collection of graphs

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update, received 11/13/06

Klamath River water flows, by Lewie Baker 10/31/06

Water Data Update – October 28, 2006

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update, posted to KBC 10/16/06

Klamath River water flows, by Lewie Baker, 9/24 - 10/12/06.

Klamath River flows, by Lewie Baker, posted to KBC 9/26/06

Bureau of Reclamation Klamath River and Klamath Lake water data update, posted to KBC 9/13/06

Lake Levels and River Flows, H&N 8/31/06. HERE for more.

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – August 31, 2006

Klamath Lake levels river flows, posted to KBC 8/25/06

Klamath Lake Levels River Flows, H&N 8/17/06

Klamath River Water Flows, by Lewie Baker, posted 8/16/06

Bureau of Reclamation: Water Data Update – August 15, 2006

Klamath River water flows, by Lewie Baker 8/3/06

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update 7/31/06

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N, posted to KBC 7/31/06

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N, posted to KBC 7/22/06

Klamath lake levels and river flows, posted to KBC 7/20/06 for July 10, H&N

BOR water data update 6/27/06

Klamath River water flows by Lewie Baker for 6/13 and 6/25/06

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – June 14, 2006

Klamath lake levels and river flows, posted to KBC 7/20/06 for July 10, H&N

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 6/26/06

Klamath River flows and tributaries, submitted by Lewie Baker, posted to KBC 6/5/06

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update 6/7/06.

Klamath Lake levels and river flows from June 5, 2006

Klamath River flows and tributaries, submitted by Lewie Baker, posted to KBC 6/5/06

Lake Levels River Flows, H&N 6/2/06.

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update, posted to KBC 6/1/06 Snow Pack Basin-wide percent of Average: 167%

Klamath Lake Level, River Flows 5/26/06.

Klamath River and Tributary flows, provided by Lewie Baker 5/22/06

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – May 16, 2006 "Snow Pack Basin-wide percent of Average: 138%, UKL April – September 30th Stream Flow Forecast: 820,000 acre-feet @ 50% exceedance, Klamath River Flow Forecast: 793,000 acre-feet @ 70% exceedance. (However, regardless of the huge surplus of water, Klamath irrigators must send 100,000 acre feet of irrigation water down the river because the biological opinion demands it in the form of a Bureau of Reclamation mandatory 'water bank'. KBC)

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N, posted to KBC 5/6/06.

Bureau of Reclamation, Water Data Update – May 2, 2006.
Upper Klamath Lake: Above Average (this is the highest flow classification for the lake)
Klamath River: Wet (this is the highest flow classification for the river)
Snow pack=174% of average
Klamath River forecast 50% exceedence
Trinity River Basin – Extremely Wet Water Year (this is the highest flow classification)
(KBC comment: Whether it is a record drought year, or a record high water year, the Klamath irrigators are still forced to idle farmland or pump their aquifer, forgoing 1/4 of their irrigation water, 100,000 acre feet, to send down the recently-flooding river. This is downsizing agriculture in the basin by 1/4th regardless of floods and conservation efforts and historic river flows. The author of the science behind the biological opinions demanding Project water is Dr Hardy. This science was deemed flawed by the National Research Council (NRC). However the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Dept of Congress, and Bureau of Reclamation are presently funding Hardy to do more studies which were not completed on schedule, so the NRC had to postpone their Klamath Tours today and the Undepleted Flow Study will be delayed. HERE for BIA/Hardy Page.)

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows, H&N, posted to KBC 5/1/06

Klamath River Flows on April 29, 2006. Thank you Lewie Baker, Tulelake.

USGS Klamath Flow Graphs, April 22-24, 2006, KBB. Weekly graphs go HERE.

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N, posted to KBC 5/6/06.

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows, H&N, posted to KBC 5/1/06

Klamath River Flows on April 29, 2006. Thank you Lewie Baker, Tulelake.

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – April 20, 2006 "Water Year Type: Upper Klamath Lake: Above Average (this is the highest classification), Klamath River: Wet (this is the highest classification)...Klamath River Flow Forecast: 793,000 acre-feet @ 70% exceedance"

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows 4/20/06

BB: 4/17/06 - "The USGS Flow Gauge graphs showing today's water flow out of the Upper Klamath Basin at Keno is sitting at 6,050 cfs and Iron Gate Dam is releasing 7,560 cfs. Both flows are more than triple the historical median daily discharge is for this time of year. All the graphs show higher than historical flows - the Klamath River at the mouth is flowing at 43,200 cfs with its historic average at only 25,000 cfs." For weekly USGS flow graphs go to KBB website.

Weather report and flows and letter from Christine Karas, Acting Manager of the Klamath Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation, 4/10/06. Thank you Barb Hall, KBB.

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows posted to KBC 2/9/06

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N 1/19/06

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N posted to KBC 1/13/06

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows, H&N, posted to KBC 1/7/05

Klamath Lake levels and river flows 12/29/05 H&N.

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows, H&N posted to KBC 12/27/05

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N 10/27/05

Lake Levels, River Flows posted to KBC 10/23/05

Lake Levels/river flows posted to KBC 10/16/05

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows 10/6/05 H&N

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows 9/09/05

Bureau of Reclamation Water Update Fact Sheet, received from Bureau 9/28/05. "Water Bank Used to Date: 102,835 acre-feet"

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N 9/22/05

Bureau of Reclamation water data update, KBC received from the Bureau 9/14/05. "Iron Gate Dam Releases: 1,180 cfs, Biological Opinion Requirement: 1,168 cfs, Water Bank Used to Date: 102,835 acre-feet." (Water Bank water demanded by the Biological Opinion in 2005 regardless of water year type: 100,000 acre-feet.

Bureau of Reclamation water data update received by KBC 8/18/05

Klamath Lake levels river flows 8/4/05 Water storage in Klamath Lake is up 63,785 acre feet from a year ago. However the mandatory water bank from the irrigators is 100,000 acre feet of our stored water and aquifer. See waterbank page.

Klamath water data update, Bureau of Reclamation posted to KBC 8/3/05 Word Document.

Lake Levels River Flows posted to KBC 7/31/05 Storage in Upper Klamath Lake is 63,280 acre feet higher than last year, and above average.

Bureau of Reclamation water data update received by KBC 8/18/05

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – July 6, 2005

Klamath Lake Levels River Flows 6/23/06. Klamath Lake storage is up 78,146 acre feet from a year ago and way above average. However due to a flawed biological opinion, the mandatory 'waterbank' demands 100,000 acre feet of irrigator's stored water from land fallowing and our aquifer to make artificially high lake levels and river flows. See waterbank page.

Klamath Lake Levels River Flows H&N 6/23/06

Lake Levels River Flows, H&N 6/15/05. Klamath Lake level is up 71,221 acre feet from one year ago.

Wet weather prompts water year type change, H&N 6/10/05

Lake Levels River Flows, H&N posted to KBC 6/10/05

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – June 7, 2005

Lake levels river flows, H&N 6/1/05. Klamath Lake storage was up 54,992 acre-feet from one year ago.

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows posted 5/28/05 Klamath Lake is up 53,347 acre feet from a year ago.

Lake levels river flows, 5/18/05. Klamath Lake is up 53,442 acre feet from a year ago.

Tribal deputy swept to sea (by the roaring waters of the Klamath River), Times Standard 5/17/05

Rainfall swells Basin streamflow forecasts, H&N 5/17/05

Recent rains have doused talks of severe water shortages, Oregonian 5/8/05

PRESS RELEASE: Potential for localized flooding around Upper Klamath Lake, PacifiCorp 5/5/05 "PacifiCorp announced today that there is a potential for localized flooding in and around the Upper Klamath Lake area. Upper Klamath Lake is nearly full, and wet weather is expected to continue into next week, bringing more precipitation to the Klamath Basin over the next several days."

Lake Levels River Flows 5/4/05.The storage in Upper Klamath Lake is up 45,708 acre feet from a year ago, H&N

Lake levels/river flows. Klamath Lake storage is up 29,443 acre feet from a year ago. Posted to KBC 4/28/05.

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – posted to KBC April 26, 2005

Lake Levels and River Flows, including chart 4/20/05

Lake Levels River Flows 4/15/05

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update – posted to KBC April 12, 2005

Lake Levels River Flows go HERE 4/6/05

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 3/30/05.

Water Data Update from Bureau of Reclamation – posted March 25, 2005

Lake levels river flows H&N posted to KBC 3/17/05

Lake levels, river flows 3/9/05.

Lake Levels River Flows 2/24/05

Lake Levels River Flows posted 2/19/05.

Lake level river flows 2/11/05.

Lake Level River Flows 2/3/05 H&N.

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 1/26/05

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 1/17/05

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 1/12/05

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 12/15/04

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 11/12/04

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 11/3/04

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 10/6/04.

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 9/1/04

Lake Levels River Flows H&N 8/25/04.

Lake level river flows H&N 7/28/04

Lake level river flows H&N 7/21/04.

Lake level river flows, posted to KBC 6/13/04

Lake Levels/River Flows, H&N 5/26/04.

Bureau to boost river flows, but downstream tribes still worried, 5/12/04, H&N.

Tule Lake, around 1900, a deep lake later rerouted and stored in Klamath Lake for irrigation

Our nation's 'best available science, The National Academy of Science, found no link between lake levels, river flows and fish health. And they found no connection between the Klamath Project water and the 2002 die-off of Trinity river fish, 200 miles away. . For facts of the 2002 fish die-off, go to SCIENCE page section III.

July 18, 1918 Link River Dry before the Klamath Project was built. The Project raised water levels in the lake and river

River flows will be cut, H&N 5/11/04.

Lake levels and river flows for 5/5/04, H&N, with graphs.

Lakes, rivers, and snow, H&N 4/28/04. Includes graph.

Lake level tied to new formula, 4/23/04 H&N.

Lake Levels/River Flows posted 4/23/04, includes graph

Bureau: Inflow will be light, but we'll get by, H&N 4/7/04.

March comes in dry this year, H&N 4/1/04. "Total precipitation for the first three months of the year in Klamath Falls totaled 4.14 inches, slightly above the long-term average." (It is above-average precipitation this year, yet 75,000 Acre Feet of water is being taken from our aquifer and our fields to go down the river, regardless of moisture. KBC-jdk)

For H&N Upper Klamath Lake Level, river flow, 3/31 story and chart, go HERE

Let the water flow, H&N 3/31/04. 'This year, some 4,000 acres of project land will remain idle under the provisions of the Bureau's Water Bank program. Plus, about 8,000 acres will rely totally on ground water from wells.'We are concerned about overdrafting ground water supplies,' Baker said." (And regardless of year type of moisture, the irrigators must forgo 75,000 acre feet of water this year--a mandatory project downsize.KBC-jdk)

Lake Levels/river flows posted to KBC 3/25/04, H&N

Lake level low, river flows cut, 2/4/04 H&N