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Source: Kingsley Weather Station Klamath water
levels in good shape
June rains, snowpack are
helping area farmers
By RYAN PFEIL
H&N Staff Writer
Officials at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
say Upper Klamath Lake is about two feet
above levels required by government
biological opinions, at 4,142.06 feet. They
predict these levels will hold steady
through October.
“We have quantities we believe are
sufficient to continue normal deliveries
throughout the irrigation season,” said
Kevin Moore, public affairs specialist for
the Bureau of Reclamation. “We do have a bit
of a buffer right now.”
This buffer resulted partly from a very wet
June.
Officials said total precipitation is 6.38
inches from Jan. 1 to now. A typical amount
for the region is 6.35 inches.
“As of Jan. 1 to June 30, we’re just above
the game,” said Dale Onsen, Kingsley Weather
Station chief.
The unusual amount of rain and thunderstorms
happened because of an upper level low, a
weather system that pushes southern moisture
farther north. Weaker winds also kept the
storm systems in the Klamath Basin for a
longer period of time, officials said.
“It allowed the storms to not move in a
quick manner, and that’s how we got some
minor flooding and heavy rain reports,” said
Kelly Sugden, meteorologist for the National
Weather Service in Medford.
Currently, Klamath County is at 94 percent
of normal precipitation levels, according to
documents from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Klamath’s May precipitation
levels were at 149 percent of average, the
highest in Oregon that month.
Decreased demand
The above average water levels in area lakes
drove down demand for irrigation, officials
said. Fewer local farmers were using
irrigation water for their crops in June
because of the already supplied rain.
“We had a few days where we were just barely
keeping our system alive,” said Dave Solem,
manager of the Klamath Irrigation District.
“There was really not much irrigation going
on.”
Solem said he expects irrigation needs to
rise again in July and August.
Predictions
Officials predict water levels should hold
steady for the remainder of the summer.
While meteorologists do not have a detailed
forecast, they predicted normal rainfall
through July and August, the typical peak
months for Basin thunderstorms.
Hydrologists at the National Water and
Climate Center estimated area lake inflow
from rivers and streams at the beginning of
June in a recently released report.
In the report, officials predicted an inflow
of about 5,000 acre-feet to Clear Lake
Reservoir, or 69 percent of average inflow,
with a 1,400 acre-feet inflow to Gerber
Reservoir, or 77 percent of average.
Estimates for Upper Klamath Lake inflow are
about 8,900 acre-feet, or 81 percent of
average.
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