Lake levels lower than last year

Winter weather, ice have prevented lake from filling to normal levels  

By DD BIXBY
H&N Staff Writer

March 28, 2008

    Upper Klamath Lake levels are nearly a foot lower than they were at this time last year, but officials say colder weather may be to blame. 

   The lake still needs 1.3 feet to be considered full. Its water level is down .92 feet, according to a Bureau of Reclamation weekly water report. 

   A colder, longer winter and ice on the lake have prevented melt off from filling the lake to usual levels, said Jon Hicks, planning division chief at the Bureau of Reclamation. 

   In addition, flow levels dictated by the biological opinion of the National Marine Fisheries Service downstream of Iron Gate Dam are keeping water levels low, Hicks said. 

    Upper Klamath Lake inflow levels are at 2,817 cubic-feet per second. The NMFS requires 1450 cfs at Iron Gate Dam until April 1, when the in-stream requirement is 2,800 cfs. 

   “We had to meet those levels downriver even though there wasn’t sufficient f low into the lake,” he said. 

   Last year’s inflow 

   At this time last year, inflow was 3,392 cfs in the lake. 

   Because of water and snow still on the ground and wet soil, project irrigators may be able to postpone irrigating operations for a while, Hicks said, giving the lake a chance to collect more water. 

   The current average snow-water equivalent is 122 percent of normal, he said, and the BOR has started to see a rise in levels over the last few weeks. 

   “It’s been a very slow climb,” he said. “It’s nice to see the lake climb … it’s looking better and better.

Side Bar

Upper Klamath Lake levels

   As of March 24, is up 27,437 acre-feet Upper Klamath Lake from last week. was 4,141.98 feet Levels are down above sea level and nearly a foot from last had 400,936 acre-feet year, and storage is of water stored. 72,365 acre-feet down 

   The lake level is from 2007. up .34 feet from last — Source: U.S. Bureau of week, but is still 1.3 Reclamation feet below full. Storage Klamath Project

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