General Comments:

 

Acreages of marshlands in the Sprague/Williamson watershed pre-development are not provided. Acreages of open water surface and marshlands in the Lower Klamath Lake (LKL) area are not provided. No attempt is made to estimate evaporation or evapotranspiration from any of the area between Link River and Keno dam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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area of 70,000 acres, the inflow from Klamath River could account for over 200,000 acre-feet (AF). While flows to Tule Lake would only be a factor in years of relatively high inflow to UKL this would need to be considered when estimating natural Keno flows over all hydrologic conditions. Elimination of this source of outflow from the watershed by damming off the Lost River Slough in 1890 would have been a significant factor in altering flows at Keno during the high water supply years of 1905-1914 compared to natural conditions.

 

 

 

 

Water use estimates from the Natural Flow report

 

Tables 6, 7, 8, 12, and 13 in Attachment A estimate monthly and total net consumptive use, ET, or evaporation from cropland or marshes and Table 1 in Attachment D and Tables 8 and 9 in Attachment H estimate surface evaporation for UKL. All tables provide gross water use/loss estimates rather than the traditional way on an area unit basis.

To convert total annual losses to the widely used AF/acre parameter for each situation, the surface acreage must be known or estimated. The following estimates were used to convert AF values expressed in the report to a measure of loss on a per acre basis. Following these conversions, 10-year mean values were calculated for each decade from 1949 to 1998. Note: typical precipitation for April through October at Klamath Falls is about 4.5 inches.

 

(Table A-6). Net agricultural consumptive use (CU) for crop lands in the Sprague River Basin. Acreage increased proportionally from 13,000 acres in 1949 to 52,800 acres in 1985 and subsequent years. (Attachment A, page 13). Note: Precipitation during summer months was subtracted from CU.

 

10-Year Period               Mean Net CU

                                            AF/acre

1949-1958                              1.3

1959-1968                             0.9

1969-1978                              1.0

1979-1988                              1.2

1989-1998                              1.6

 

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(Table A-7). ET losses from affected marshlands in the Sprague River Basin. Acreage over the period is not clearly defined in the report. Total acreage for the upper and lower portions of the watershed are listed at 17,040 (Attachment A, page 14) but a vague statement on page 13 suggests they increased from 1949 to 1974. In fact, the acreage probably decreased as some of it was converted to agricultural use. For these calculations an acreage of 17,040 was used through the period. Note: precipitation was subtracted for April through October.

 

10-Year period              ET Losses

                                       AF/acre

1949-1958                                               1.56

1959-1968                                               1.63

1969-1978                                               1.89

1979-1988                                               1.99

1989-1998                                               1.98

 

(Table A-8). Net agricultural consumptive water use for crop lands within the Modoc Irrigation District. Total acreage was constant at 4,200 acre (Attachment A, page 17).

Note: summer precipitation was subtracted from CU.

 

10-Year period                 Net CU

                                        AF/acre

1949-1958                          1.45

1959-1968                          1.30

1969-1978                          1.32

1979-1988                          1.40

1989-1998                          1.44

 

(Table A-12). ET losses from marshes surrounding Upper Klamath Lake. Total acreage used was 65,142 for 55,517 acres of permanently flooded and 9,625 acres of intermittently flooded marshes (Attachment A, pages 19 and 20). Portions of winter precipitation were used to adjust ET losses and water limiting conditions were imposed.

 

10-Year period                  ET Losses

                                          AF/acre

1949-1958                            0.99

1959-1968                            1.05

1969-1978                            0.91

1979-1988                            0.95

1989-1998                            0.89        Total Marsh ET @ 1.0 AF = 65,000 AF

(Table A-13). ET losses from riparian marshes north of UKL. Winter precipitation and water limiting conditions were not adjusted for but summer precipitation was subtracted as indicated on page 21 (Attachment A). This table should be labeled as Total Net Monthly ET rather than Total Monthly ET. That is also the case for Tables A-12 and A-13.

 

 

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10-Year period                   ET Losses 

                                             AF/acre

1949-1958                              1.95

1959-1968                              1.80

1969-1978                              1.78

1979-1988                              1.83

1989-1998                              1.98

 

(Table D-1). Net open water surface evaporation for UKL. Total area used for calculations was 67,000 acres (Attachment D, page 3). Winter precipitation was used to adjust evaporation. No explanation is offered on the acreage discrepancy for 67,000 (actually 66,975) here versus 64,000 acres (Chapter 1, page 5) or 65,000 acres (Chapter 2, page 43).

 

10-Year period                  Evaporation Losses

                                                AF/acre

1949-1958                                  2.10

1959-1968                                  2.25

1969-1978                                  2.19

1079-1988                                  1.95

1989-1998                                  2.24  Total Net E @ 2.1 AF/A = 140,700 AF

 

(Table H-8). Estimated Natural Net Evapotranspiration, Upper Klamath Lake. Total area used to calculate Net ET/acre was 65,000 acres. Winter precipitation was used to adjust ET. Water limiting considerations must have also been imposed in this calculation.

 

10-Year period                        Net ET 

                                               AF/acre

1949-1958                                  0.99

1959-1968                                  1.04

1969-1978                                  0.93

1979-1988                                  0.95

1989-1998                                  0.89  Total Net ET @ 0.96 AF/A = 62,400 AF

 

(Table H-9). Estimated Natural Net open water surface water evaporation, UKL. Total area used was 65,000 acres. Winter precipitation was used to adjust ET.

 

10-year period                         Net Evaporation

                                                      AF/acre

1949-1958                                         2.16

1959-1968                                         2.32

1969-1978                                         2.25

1979-1988                                         2.30

1989-1998                                         2.31       Total Net E @ 2.27 AF/A = 147,400 AF

 

Adding ET estimates from Table 8 for marshes and E from Table 9 for UKL results in a total of 209,800 AF or the approximate 210,000 AF loss cited in the executive summary.

 

 

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Additional Considerations

 

Upper Klamath Basin Watershed Yield:

 

Numerous studies have indicated that the Williamson River/Sprague River accounts for nearly 50 percent of the inflow to UKL. In this study it is estimated to account for 54 percent (878,000 AF out of 1,605,000 AF). If major changes in the upper watershed have affected watershed yield, there should be a measurable trend. Using the data provided in Attachment B, Table B-1, mean total annual flows were calculated for 10-year periods starting in 1949. Williamson River mean annual flows are as follows and flows for later periods are calculated as a percent of mean flow for 1949-1958. Mean annual precipitation at Crater Lake for 10-year periods is also shown in inches and as a percent of 1949-1958 precipitation.

 

10-Year period            Annual Flow in AF     % of Flow in ‘49-’58   Crater Lake Precip.

   1949-1958:                     1,052,000                          100                              75.0 inches

   1959-1968:                        780,000                            74                              64.4 (86%)

   1969-1978:                        885,000                            84                              65.5 (87%)

   1979-1988:                        890,000                            85                              67.8 (90%)

   1989-1998:                        756,000                            72                              68.2 (91%)

 

These data indicate a measurable decline in Williamson River flows between the 1980s and the 1990s. Nearby Anne Creek is not subject to major changes in its watershed, most of which is within the boundary of Crater Lake National Park. Mean flows for Anne Creek for 10-year periods from 1949 through 1998 and the percent of mean 1949-1958 flow for later periods are as follows:

 

10-Year period            Annual Flow in AF     % of Flow for ’49-’58   Crater Lake Precip.

   1949-1958                            55,600                         100                              75.0 inches

   1959-1968                            46,300                           83                              64.4 (86%)

   1969-1978                            53,200                           96                              65.5 (87%)

   1979-1988                            52,000                           94                              67.8 (90%)

   1989-1998                            47,000                           85                              68.2 (91%)

 

In each 10-year period following 1949-1951, the Williamson River flows declined by a greater percentage than was the case in Anne Creek. The differences were about 10 percent greater through 1988 and 13 percent greater for 1989 through 1998. This is suggestive of changes in the Williamson/Sprague watershed due to agricultural development but also other factors.

 

Precipitation in the upper watershed is the main factor determining watershed yield. An analysis of the hydrology of the Klamath Watershed was assembled using available data from numerous sources by Rykbost and Todd, 2003. Data compiled included precipitation and flows for several locations in the watershed over the available period of record. Annual precipitation for Crater Lake, Klamath Falls, and Keno, Oregon and Yreka, and Klamath, California was summarized for 13-year periods from 1951 through 1989 and for the 11-year period from 1989-2000 (Figure 1). Flows in the Williamson River at Modoc Point were summarized over multi-year periods from 1938 through 2000 (Figure 2). Further calculations were performed to determine the relationship between

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watershed yield and precipitation for Klamath Falls and Crater Lake (Figure 3). Clearly, a trend exists for declining yield in the Williamson River watershed over the past 50 years. While some of this is undoubtedly due to increased agricultural activity, the trend continued through the decade of the 1990s when agricultural development was stable. This suggests that factors such as juniper encroachment, forest canopy interception of precipitation, or changes in management of wetlands in Upper Klamath Marsh and/or the Sycan Marsh may have altered water yield in the major source of inflow to Upper Klamath Lake.

 

Questions and Observations

 

1. The Executive Summary indicates net loss between Link River and Keno is 179,000 AF in Table 1. Figure S-1 indicates a net loss of 89,000 AF between Link River and Keno. How are these two estimates reconciled?

 

2. The USFWS estimated water use in the Lower Klamath Refuge for 1998-2000 at approximately 3 AF/A (Rykbost and Todd, 2002). Prior to changes in LKL, the area of open water and marshes would have been much greater than the current refuge area and possibly as large as 75,000 A or more. At 3AF/A, losses would have been in the order of 200,000 AF or more. Are there acreage estimates of the extent of open water and marshes before changes at the Keno reef? Was the extent of Lower Klamath Lake changed significantly when the Lost River Slough was dammed off in 1890?

 

3. With the Keno reef at elevation 4084, the Lost River Slough access at 4085, and an estimation that LKL levels might have reached 4086 for extended periods of time (Chapter 2, page 46-47), flows through the Lost River Slough would have been substantial in years with high flows. The figure of cumulative deviation from mean annual inflow to UKL used in the Balance Hydrologics, Inc (Hecht and Kamman, 1996) report, obtained from the Bureau of Reclamation (see attached Figure), indicates high inflows to UKL through the period from 1905 to 1914. For this period, inflows were about 400,000AF/year above long term means through the early 1990s. During this period, significant flows would have been diverted through the Lost River Slough if it had not been dammed off in 1890. It is likely that the extent of open water and marshes increased in LKL in this era as a result of eliminating outflow to Tulelake, thus increasing the surface area for evaporation and evapotranspiration above historical levels. The report further indicates concerns about the Link River gauging records during 1909-1911 (Attachment F, page 16). Given these facts, how is the use of Link River and Keno flows from 1905 through 1918 an appropriate basis for modeling inflow to and outflow from the Lower Klamath Lake?

 

4. The Lost River Diversion Channel was constructed in 1911 to allow drainage from the Lost River system to be diverted out of the Lost River Sub-basin to the Klamath River to assist in draining Tulelake. Was there a diversion from the Lost River through the diversion channel during 1911 through 1918? If so this could have accounted for higher flows at Keno. Considering that UKL inflow was well above normal through 1914, this seems a possible source of additional inflow to the Klamath River. At about the same time, the railroad dike was closed off to prevent spill out of Klamath River to the LKL. These factors favor increased Keno flows over historical conditions. An accounting of them is clearly needed and the simple ratio of Link River to Keno flows from 1905 to 1918 does not provide an accurate assessment of the unaltered hydrology of this region.

 

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5. The report states that yield from the Williamson River watershed in relation to precipitation at Crater Lake does not indicate a shift with time (Chapter 2, page 27). Using the data in Tables B-1 and B-2 (Attachment B) and Crater Lake precipitation from 1949 through 1998 to calculate yield relationships, shows a declining yield for the Williamson River compared to Anne Creek. The relative yields for 1989-1998 show a 28 percent reduction from 1949-1958 for the Williamson River verses a 15 percent reduction for Anne Creek, while rainfall at Crater Lake was 9 percent lower for 1989-1998 than for 1949-1958. Another way to evaluate this data is to calculate the yield per inch of precipitation. In this case, yield declined by 20 percent for the Williamson River but only 8 percent in Anne Creek for a 9 percent reduction in precipitation for 1989-1998 verses 1949-1958. This relationship was also demonstrated for Crater Lake and Klamath Falls precipitation in Figure 3 (Rykbost and Todd, 2002) attached to this report. While there are probably several factors contributing to this change, the data clearly indicate a decline has occurred in the watershed yield.

 

6. Perhaps the most significant source of concern is in the estimation of water loss to evaporation from open water and evapotranspiration from marshes and wetlands. Table A-1 on page 6 of Attachment A compares crop coefficients (kc) for use in Blaney-Criddle estimation of consumptive use for several crops and a Tules and Cattails marsh. Over the 7-month period, the Tules and Cattails marsh kc averages 20 percent greater than the kc for alfalfa. These values are in line with literature from other regions. Progressing from this relationship to the estimates in Attachment A, Table 12 suggesting an ET loss from marshes adjacent to UKL of about 1.0 AF/acre is not comprehensible. The adjustment for “water limiting conditions” cannot be justified for 55,517 acres of marshes adjacent to UKL that were permanently inundated in their natural state (page 19). The adjustment for winter precipitation is also questionable. Hubbard and Miller and Tash include precipitation in the lake water budget in the groundwater flux component of inflows. To include winter precipitation as an offset to ET is, in my opinion, double accounting. The soil profile in these marshes remains full at all times, thus there is no need for recharge as in cropped soils where soil moisture is depleted.

 

7. Burt and Freeman estimate ET for LKL at 2.4 to 2.7 AF/A (Attachment A, page 12). This is for an area with a relatively low percentage of open water surface. Even at a mean of 2.55, evaporation from the UKL/marsh complex of 130,000 acres would be over 330,000 AF. A more reasonable, but conservative estimate of loss from open water and inundated marsh of 3.0 AF would result in the loss of 390,000 AF, nearly twice the estimate of 210,000 AF offered in this report. A clear example of the questionable nature of the adjustments made in the report is seen in Table A-5. In this table the adjusted total net ET for salt grass at Fort Klamath is reported to be minus 1.37 inches. Does this indicate that we would gain water if salt grass was the dominant vegetation in the watershed?

 

Summary

 

The Bureau of Reclamation’s study, “Natural Flow of the Upper Klamath River” appears to have underestimated historical evaporation/evapotranspiration losses from the unaltered 350,000 acres of free water and wetland surfaces existing in the upper basin before any changes in land use in the region. As a result, Klamath River flows past the Keno Dam appear to be exaggerated.

 

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The study has not accounted for the effects of damming off the Lost River Slough which served as a closed basin sink for upper basin flows in periods of high outflow from Upper Klamath Lake such as experienced during the wet period from 1905 through 1914.

 

The study has not attempted to account for non-agricultural changes in the watershed above Upper Klamath Lake which appear to have reduced yield in the Williamson/Sycan/Sprague River system above and beyond conversion of a small portion of this watershed to agricultural production.

 

The net effect of these limitations are an overestimation of historical natural flows before alterations to the watershed in the case of evaporation/evapotranspiration and Lost River Slough diversions, and an overestimation of current watershed yields from the Williamson River watershed.

 

Citations

 

Rykbost, Kenneth A. and Rodney Todd. 2002. An Overview of the Klamath Reclamation

   Project and Related Upper Basin Hydrology. Pp 45-73 In: Water Allocation in the

   Klamath Reclamation Project, 2001. Special report 1037, Oregon State University and

   University of California. 401 numb. leaves.

 

Rykbost, Kenneth A. and Rodney Todd. 2003. Klamath Watershed in Perspective: A

   review of historical hydrology of major features of the Klamath River watershed and

   evaluation of Hardy Iron Gate flow requirements. (Power Point Presentation)

 

Hecht, Barry and Gregory R. Kamman. 1996. Initial assessment of pre- and post-Klamath

   Project hydrology on Klamath River and impacts of the project on instream flows and

   fisheries habitat. Balance Hydrologics, Inc.