Authority to Operate
The Klamath Irrigation District (often refered to as “K. I. D.”) is organized and operates pursuant to ORS Chapter 545. ORS 545.221 provides that Klamath Irrigation District’s Board of Directors shall:
“Establish equitable bylaws, rules and regulations for the administration of the district and for the distribution and use of water among the landowners.” ORS 540.270 provides in part:
“Distribution of water from irrigation systems or works shall be under the exclusive control of the irrigation districts * * * unless the water master has been requested by the district to distribute the water.”
ORS 540.710 provides in part:
“No person shall willfully open, close, change, or interfere with any lawfully established head gate or water box without authority or willfully use water or conduct water into or through a ditch of the person which has been lawfully denied the person by the water master or other competent authority. The possession or use of water when the same shall have been lawfully denied by the water master or other competent authority shall be prima facie evidence of the guilt of the person using it.”
ORS 540.720 provides in part: “ No person shall use without authorization water to which another person is entitled, or willfully waste water to the detriment of another. The possession or use of such water without legal right shall be prima facie evidence of the guilt of the person using it.”
On March 7, 2013, the Oregon Department of Water Resources filed in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon its Findings of Fact and Order of Determination in the matter of the Adjudication of the Waters of the Klamath River (“Order”). The Order confirmed that K.I.D. and its water users hold the right to use water from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River for the irrigation of the land in K.I.D. and land owned by the Warren Act contractors served by K.I.D. The Order found that different water users have different water rights. For example, Van Brimmer Ditch Company holds a right to receive 50 cubic feet of water per second from April 15 to October 1 of each year to irrigate the land in Van Brimmer. Van Brimmer’s right has priority over all of the other land served by K.I.D.
K.I.D. also holds a water right to irrigate approximately 1790 acres of land that were served by the Henley-Ankeny canal, also with a priority date prior to all the other land in K.I.D. and served by K.I.D., except Van Brimmer.
The water rights confirmed by the Order are limited to the use of no more that 3.5 acre feet of water per year on each acre irrigated. The water must be used only for irrigation, in compliance with the description of the rights in the Order, and in “a beneficial manner and without waste” or the County Watermaster can reduce or terminate the diversion and delivery of water by the District.
The Order confirmed to the United States the right to store water in Upper Klamath Lake for the irrigation of land in the Klamath Reclamation Project, including K.I.D. and the contractors served by K.I.D. However, the requirements that the United States manage water in compliance with the Endangered Species Act also remains. As a result of the use of the waters of the Klamath River and its tributaries by the United States for the provision of habitat for endangered and threatened species, as designated under the rules and regulations of the Endangered Species Act, there may be from time to time an inadequate supply of water available for K.I.D. to divert and deliver from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River during the irrigation season.
Historically, K.I.D. has delivered water to its water users as requested by the water users. However, the requirements of Oregon’s water law that the available irrigation water be managed and used in compliance with the Order and the law, combined with the potential impacts on water supply resulting from the Endangered Species Act, require that K.I.D. manage the delivery of water to its members and the contractors served by it in a responsible manner. Therefore, the Board of Directors of K.I.D., acting pursuant to the authority granted to it by the law, has adopted rules and regulations for the diversion, delivery and use of the irrigation water under control of K.I.D.
A copy of the Patron Water Management and Delivery Policy can be found by clicking here.
KID Patron Water Management Policy
Conditions may exist which require modifications to this policy.
! Burning Precaution !
Over the past few years, KID has had problems with landowners burning up plastic (HDPE) pipe which are installed in various locations throughout the District.
This pipe is flammable and will burn up completely if it catches fire and is not extinguished.
! Non Potable Water !
Water is for irrigation purposes only and is unsafe for potable use.
Manage Your Water Wisely
Irrigation water is a valuable resource for our water users; however, there is not an unlimited supply, nor does it work like a water faucet. Conservation, wise use, and planning the delivery of irrigation water is imperative.
Klamath Irrigation District’s goal is to deliver irrigation water to water users in a professional manner while maintaining control of our canals and laterals with minimal losses or damage. For K.I.D. to provide efficient service to our Patrons, we demand water user cooperation by ordering water on and off in a timely fashion as per our policy.
Water orders (on, off or changed) must be placed a day before the date of use and can be handled through the K.I.D. office or by your ditch rider. (The links in the margin of this page will open a ditch rider schedule for the ride selected. In addition, there is a link to a District map which shows the location of the ride areas. These links require Adobe Acrobat to open).
You MUST CALL the Ditch Rider between 5:00 pm & 7:00 pm to order water ON or OFF for the following day. (Ordering water requires a conversation and ditch rider confirmation; a voice mail does not facilitate ditch rider feedback nor confirmation of an order) We are working to improve the ordering and tracking system with an automated system in the immediate future.
When placing water orders, please provide the following information:
– Quantity in Cubic Feet per Second (cfs) (1 cfs = 448 gpm) (NOTE: 1 cfs over 24 hours =1.9835 Acre feet of water – water rights, contracts, and availability limit max deliveries over a season, month, or day)
– Structure Number (located on a yellow tag attached to a turnout or a pump installation)