Long Lake not the only storage possibility

 

Published Dec 21, 2003

Klamath Falls Herald and News Editorial

There's no question that increasing the amount of cold water that can be stored in the upper Klamath Basin could be a big part of settling the Basin's water issues. The Basin is short of deep, cold-water shortage. Thus the concept behind a Long Lake reservoir is a good one.

But, wow, the first estimate from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation of the cost to develop Long Lake is a brain-numbing $500 million.

"It's a huge project, and it's not going to happen in 10 years," reported Dave Sabo, Klamath Reclamation Project manager.

It's also not the only game in town, or in the Basin. There are others, smaller potential projects, and they include the Barnes Ranch proposal on Upper Klamath lake. The Bureau has been exploring purchase of the ranch to convert it to water storage. Estimates on ranch's storage capacity vary from 35,000 to 50,000 acre-feet. That figure should be nailed down, as should the impact that creating wetlands has had on water supply. Large, shallow areas of water lose a lot through evaporation.

When it comes to ways to lessen problems on the lower Klamath, we shouldn't lose sight of the impact that the Trinity River could have. The river joins the Klamath 43.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean and is a far better potential source of cold water than Upper Klamath Lake. But up to 90 percent of the Trinity is diverted south into south and central California before it joins the Klamath.

As for local efforts on the water issue, exploration of the Long Lake's possibility shouldn't end. The $500 million estimated cost is preliminary.

The Bureau's estimates were based on an annual 60-day window for putting water in the reservoir, which also requires a massive pump system. Dan Keppen, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, questions the 60-day estimate. Factoring in more opportunities to store water would reduce the size of the pumps needed. He also thinks that there might be a way to consolidate pumping and power-generating facilities to reduce costs.

But even if it doesn't pencil out, "There's about a dozen potential projects out there," Keppen said, including Barnes Ranch, Swan Lake Valley and areas on the Klamath Reclamation Project and refuges.

"The bottom line is that we support all storage projects," Keppen said.

The Long Lake Valley west of Klamath Falls has attracted interest for years.

Proponents of the storage project have estimated that it could hold 350,000 to 500,000 acre-feet of water in a reservoir 200 to 250 feet deep. Water that deep is cold, and cold water is what salmon crave in the lower Klamath River.

Water temperature was one of the key points in the debate last year over the lower Klamath River fish die-off and whether it would have done any good to send downriver some of the warm upper-Basin water that is normally used for irrigation on the Klamath Project. Warm water, and the disease that it encourages, was believed to be a major cause of the deaths of an estimated 34,000 salmon.

While the question about the value of warm water in such situations remains, there doesn't seem to be any question that cold water would help.

There isn't much cold water storage in the upper Basin because reservoirs are shallow. Upper Klamath Lake, the primary reservoir for the Klamath Reclamation Project, has an average depth is 8 feet.

While more storage could be a big help, it won't solve all water problems. It won't create more rain and snow. It only works when there's something to store, so even if there's a big increase in water storage in the Basin, there could still be drought years.

There is also the need for firm agreements as to how the extra water would be used, and the extent to which the upper Basin and Klamath Project irrigators should be responsible for solving lower Klamath River water problems. That's especially true when there are other sources of water available, such as the Trinity River.

Obviously, the Basin has a vital interest in increasing water storage, and if we're talking about deep pools of cold water with limited evaporation, so much the better. But at $500 million, the Long Lake reservoir plan is probably too expensive. If the Bureau can find a way to bring the figure down significantly, its potential benefits would make it worth keeping under consideration.

Meanwhile, there are other potential projects. The Basin doesn't have all of its eggs in one basket.