Klamath irrigation districts will release water to refuges

August 9, 2001
JONATHAN BRINCKMAN

Two Klamath Basin irrigation districts agreed Wednesday to send stored water to federal wildlife refuges on the California-Oregon border, partially defusing the latest crisis in the months-long battle among farmers, federal agencies and conservationists.

The two irrigation districts, which supply water to about 200 farms in the eastern section of the 230,000-acre federal Klamath Project, agreed to begin releasing 2,700 acre-feet of water today from Clear Lake Reservoir in Northern California. The water -- not enough to offset ravages of drought but just enough to halt the death of wildlife -- will go to the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges. The refuges are a major stop for migrating waterfowl and home to the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48 states.

The agreement came a day after a coalition of conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for supplying water to farmers in the region instead of using that water to replenish wetlands in the refuges.

"We are thrilled," said Steve Pedery of WaterWatch, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit. "We didn't want to file the lawsuit in the first place, and we think this is a good-faith effort by the other side."

Pedery said the conservation groups will not immediately withdraw the lawsuit. But he said the groups no longer will seek an immediate, temporary restraining order seeking to halt all water deliveries to farmers.

The federal government cut off all water supplies to farmers from Upper Klamath Lake on April 6, reserving the water instead for a lake fish, the sucker, and for coho salmon in the Klamath River. Both fish are listed under the Endangered Species Act.

When new calculations last month showed that Upper Klamath Lake would end the year a foot higher than projected, Interior Secretary Gale Norton released that surplus water -- about 75,000 acre-feet -- to farms for irrigation. But she said there was not enough to give any to the refuges.

The irrigation districts, Langell Valley Irrigation District and Horsefly Irrigation District, will release the water to the refuges over 13 days from Clear Lake Reservoir. The districts operate two dams owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, one on the Gerber Reservoir and one on Clear Lake Reservoir.

Managers of the two irrigation districts said they were taking the action reluctantly, because it will reduce supplies for next year. But they said the legal action by the conservationists left them no choice.

"We didn't know what the outcome of the lawsuit would be," said Dave McCarley, manager of the Langell Valley Irrigation District. "This buys us a little time."

Bruce McCoy, manager of the Horsefly Irrigation District, called the release a huge sacrifice. "It's water we won't have next year," he said.

Federal biologists had said earlier that the refuges and their bird-filled marshes need 32,255 acre-feet of water to keep nearly 1,000 eagles from dying or suffering from lack of water or food. Refuge officials have since scaled back their request, asking for a bare minimum of 10,000 acre-feet through September. Of that water, 3,600 acre-feet is needed this month.

Pacific Power last week committed to deliver 1,000 acre-feet of water this month from its reservoirs on the Klamath River. Wednesday's agreement by the irrigation districts means 3,700 acre-feet are committed this month, slightly more than the 3,600 acre-feet needed.

Bob Hunter, an attorney with WaterWatch, said the waterfowl and eagles should survive if regular monthly water deliveries are made through early next year"This is a good first step," Hunter said. "If we can get deliveries from August through September, we should be all right."