Low lake levels won't affect fish, farmers

October 15, 2007

Klamath Falls Herald and News

The water level of Upper Klamath Lake is at a 10-year low for this time of year according to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials.

As of Oct. 8, the surface of the lake was at 4,138.31 feet above sea level. The average for this time of year is 4,138.50.

Officials said the current levels are almost two feet higher than historic lows from the early 1990s. Fish species should not be affected and agriculture will be spared because the irrigation season closes today.

The levels are perhaps an indication of a changing climate that could strain the already-delicate water situation in the Klamath Basin . With less snow falling in the mountains on average and spring thaws occurring for shorter periods, water storage will need to become a priority, say agriculture advocates.

“We’ve got to expect at some point that we’re going to experience drier conditions,” said Dan Keppen, executive director of Family Farm Alliance.

Contributing factors 

   Cecil Lesley, chief of water and lands for the Bureau’s Basin office, said several factors contributed to the below-average lake level. It was a below-average water year for the lake, with less water flowing into the system from rivers. The Bureau also must comply with mandated biological opinions for both the lake and the Klamath River . 

   “It was a tough year to get through,” he said. 

   Conversations with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials indicated the low lake level should not negatively affect fish species. Agricultural activity shouldn’t be affected as growers finish up harvests and irrigation canals are drained for the season. 

   But Lesley said that climate is beginning to play a role in decreasing water storage. More of the region’s precipitation is coming as rain, which is more difficult to catch. Less snowpack also means that thaws used to fill rivers and streams into summer are ending earlier each year. 

   Climate change 

   Climate change was the focus of a study released by the Family Farm Alliance in August. The study stresses that current conservation is not enough in the face of climate change issues, and increased water storage is the way to preserve agriculture in the West. 

   The organization’s report has stirred interest in the need for better water management, and those with Family Farm Alliance have spent the past weeks speaking to government and agriculture officials on the study’s highlights. 

   Legislation also is being proposed to address the issue. U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., introduced the SECURE Water Act at the end of September. 

   The bill seeks to improve water use efficiency, inventory the nation’s water resources and further study the effects of climate change. The senator is seeking for bipartisan support for the bill. 

   Until then, Lesley said the Bureau isn’t too worried about lake levels. 

   Weather forecasts from meteorologists at Oregon State University indicate the Klamath Basin should experience average to above-average snowfall this winter.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material  herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed  a  prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and  educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Source:  http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2007/10/15/news_updates/

doc470ed152553bf817218699.txt