FARMERS APPEAL TO U.S. SUPREME COURT TO SAFEGUARD WESTERN WATER RIGHTS
The petition to the Supreme Court signals a crucial juncture in the long-running dispute between farmers and the federal government over water rights in Oregon’s Upper Klamath Lake. Over the past fifty years, the State of Oregon has remained dedicated to finalizing a comprehensive stream adjudication process to accurately determine ALL state and federal water rights in the Upper Klamath Basin. Throughout this process, the federal government and tribes have consistently contested Oregon’s authority to adjudicate their rights. However, over thirty years ago, the Ninth Circuit dismissed these challenges in United States v. State of Or., 44 F3d 758, 762 (9th Cir 1994), ruling that the McCarran Amendment (43 U.S.C. §666) waives the United States’ sovereign immunity, allowing the State of Oregon to adjudicate all state and federal water rights, including those of tribes, in Oregon’s Klamath Basin.
The Klamath Project Drought Response Agency (KPDRA) is currently accepting applications to the 2023 Assistance Program – No Irrigation.
In a year of average precipitation, and snow pack near 200% of average, the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency announces a no-irrigation program for 2023 in response to the minimum water supply announcement by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation which is 299,000 acre feet below the adjudicated water right, 112,000 acre feet less than Reclamation’s maximum allowed, 70,000 acre-feet less than Reclamation’s model and plan, and about 115,000 less than the amount estimated needed to put every acre into production for 2023.
Program policy and application documents can be downloaded on the right side of this webpage under the “File Downloads” tab. Applications may also be picked up in-person at any of the following locations:
(1) Klamath Irrigation District Office; (2) Tulelake Irrigation District Office; (3) Park and Ratliff (Downtown Klamath Falls); (4) Klamath Water Users Association (2312 South Sixth Street, Klamath Falls)
KPDRA staff will be hosting two public workshops to provide assistance in completing applications to the 2023 Assistance Program, the workshops will be help in person at the following dates/locations:
(1) May 23rd, 8AM – 2PM; Merrill Civic Center (Walt Wilson Hall); 365 W Front Street, Merrill
(2) May 24th, 8AM – 3PM; Klamath Water Users Association Office; 2312 South Sixth Street, Klamath Falls
Please continue to check this website for further updates and feel free to contact us at (541) 630-0752 or info@klamathwaterbank.com to resolve any questions or concerns.
Updates to this information are provide at www.klamathwaterbank.com
Orders for irrigation water can now be placed with your ditch rider.
Please refer to the District policy for water management available at this link: KID Patron Water Management Policy_2019
Ditch rider schedules are uploaded to our Irrigation page.
Klamath Irrigation District is currently operating the irrigation infrastructure in accordance with Oregon State Water Law and our numerous contracts.
NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT ELECTION
Klamath Irrigation District will hold a special election for its patrons on 7 August 2023 to gain voter approval or denial to accept the conditions of accepting an loan offer from the federal government.
As per Oregon Revised Statue 545.511, an election shall be held to determine the right to enter into an obligation or contract with the United States shall be authorized.
On 5 April 2023, the Department of the Interior announced that Klamath Irrigation District would receive $8.75 Million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation funding to address critical infrastructure needs. Recently Reclamation officials indicated that to receive this funding, repayment contracts (with interest) would have to be entered into by the District to indenture servitude of the lands served by the District for repayment as per Reclamation’s authorities.
The funds and improvements are desperately needed to address the failing infrastructure; however, requiring the farmers to repay the investment in the nation’s food security when the government cannot guarantee water to raise the funds to provide the repayment is not a solid business practice.
Details of the election and ballot measures will be drafted in the coming weeks.
District News & Updates
Find the latest information and updates below.
Partner News & Updates
Visit the websites below for additional updates
Stakeholder Information
Forms & Tools for Water Users
The following links may help water users to figure out how much water to order and to keep track of water use. The Irrigation Water Use Worksheet, a .pdf file which can be downloaded/printed, is a blank form which can be filled out to help keep track of daily water use. It also contains an EXAMPLE of how the form is used and a CHART to determine the approximate discharge of a sprinkler nozzle in Gallons Per Minute (gpm) based on pressure and nozzle size.
The Water Use Spreadsheet is an Excel spreadsheet, which can be downloaded and saved, that calculates the quantity of water used by a sprinkler system based on number of nozzles, pressure and nozzle size.
Sprinkler Nozzle Discharge Chart
Monthly Board of Directors Meeting
March Meeting – 8 June 2023
Location 6640 K.I.D. Lane, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603
Public call-in access to the meeting is available by dialing (425) 436-6347 with access code 8826661#
All meetings of the Board of Directors shall be open to the public except as otherwise provided under Oregon’s Public Meeting Law.
Meetings occur the second Thursday of each month (unless postponed or rescheduled at the discretion of the President or Secretary of the Board) at the K.I.D. HQ. Meetings are held at 1 p.m. from May through October and at 10 a.m. from November through April.
Standing Monthly Directors Meeting Agenda
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL:
PUBLIC COMMENTS: (Public comments will be limited to 2 minutes per person)
REVIEW AGENDA:
- CHANGES, ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA
- APPROVAL OF BOARD AGENDA
ITEMS BEFORE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: OLD & NEW BUSINESS:
- APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING MINUTES
- FINANCIAL REPORT
- MAINTENANCE REPORT
- WATER OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT REPORT
- RECLAMATION UPDATE
- KWUA UPDATE
- DRA UPDATE
- OWRC UPDATE
- SDAO UPDATE
- FARMERS CONSERVATION ALLIANCE UPDATE
- INTERNAL OPERATIONS
- LEGAL REPORT
- OTHER
PUBLIC COMMENTS: (Public comments will be limited to 2 minutes per person)
EXECUTIVE SESSION (IAW ORS 192.660(2)(f)(h)(i)(n))
Our Core Values build the foundation for how we make decisions and how we treat others.
Integrity: As public servants, we are bound to do what is right ethically, morally, and legally. We adhere to high ethical standards, provide timely, accurate, and complete reporting. We present facts as we understand them, and welcome disagreement.
Golden Rule: We respect all people. If we all shared the same opinions, this world would be boring. In dealing with our differences, we strive to treat others as we wish to be treated. This requires us to try and understand the position of others.
Self Improvement: We recognize that perfection is expected from our public…and we often fall short. Our ability to learn from our mistakes, improve our organization, improve our infrastructure, and improve our community is our commitment to our desire to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.
Our Mission is to serve, protect, and defend
The mission of Klamath Irrigation District is to acquire, maintain, assure, and deliver an adequate water supply for beneficial use on qualified land with the Klamath Project. We represent our Patrons before government agencies, the legislature, Congress, and in such forms as appropriate for the perfection and protection of their water rights. We defend the District from actions which would diminish our effectiveness and function. We further promote the conservation of water, soil, and other natural resources.