News & Updates · Board of Directors
July 2026 Board Update
A tight supply, a failed siphon, and a fight on three fronts.
Board meetings: June 11 & July 9, 2026 Posted July 2026
Your Board of Directors met on June 11 and July 9 to navigate one of the most challenging water years in recent memory. We want to be entirely transparent: this season is incredibly tough. Managing a tight supply while fighting systemic regulatory pressure requires constant adaptation.
Below is an overview of the critical issues, legal battles, and operational updates your Board addressed over the last two months.
The season at a glance
- 221,000 acre-feet Supply we must stretch to Sept. 30
- ~40,000 acres Applied to fallow through the DRA in 2026
- 21,000+ acre-feet Projected surface water savings from pumps & SWAP
- 55 patrons On water-order waitlists in early July
Water Operations: Managing a Shrinking Supply
Our current hydrologic reality is severe. Net inflow into Upper Klamath Lake is in the bottom 30 percent, and lake levels are falling by 200 to 300 CFS daily — tracking worse than the conflict years of 2001 and 2010.
To make our 221,000 acre-foot supply stretch to September 30, the following conservation tools have been deployed:
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Idling
Drought Response Agency
Roughly 40,000 acres applied to fallow in 2026 through the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency (DRA) — helping others get crops to market.
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Recapture
Recirculation Pumps & SWAP
K.I.D. recirculation pumps and our Surface Water Abatement Plan are projected to save more than 21,000 acre-feet of surface water.
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Policy
2026 Delivery Policy Adjustments
As provided in District bylaws, management has adjusted the water delivery policy in response to the shortage. The specifics are below.
What changed in the 2026 delivery policy
- Waiting lists have been established in accordance with seniority under our policy.
- Diversion rates at the “A” Canal have been limited to a daily cap, which lets us mathematically calculate whether a September 30 goal is achievable.
- Single water orders have been reduced from a maximum of 15 days to 8 days.
The hard truth on water limits
You can’t farm this way. This does not work. We can’t keep doing this.
— A K.I.D. Board member, July 2026 meeting
With 55 patrons stuck on waitlists in early July, difficult operational decisions were made to reduce consecutive water order limits from 15 days down to 8. We know this is incredibly disruptive to your operations. We are doing everything in our power to keep water moving, but the current constraints are pushing the limits of a 120-year-old system designed to spill water.
Infrastructure: A Major Victory and a Costly Emergency
Our field crews have been working tirelessly. This summer has brought both our greatest maintenance success in years and a sudden, expensive emergency.
Win
The updated weed abatement program is a massive success
For the first time in memory, our canals are not choked with weeds, and our canal banks are being trimmed on time. By moving to a new pre-emergence and aquatic weed control rotation, we are working to eliminate the need for mechanical chaining altogether — a practice that makes the problem worse over the long term.
The result: better flow and fewer delivery complaints. Our second tractor mower has been able to focus on urban and suburban areas, while our main mower prioritizes the other 400 miles of ditchbanks.
Emergency
Highway 140 siphon failure
On July 6, the 48-inch siphon under Highway 140 failed, flooding the roadway. When crews excavated, they found the pipe was “paper-thin” from decades of decay.
- July 6 Siphon fails; Highway 140 floods.
- July 10 Temporary patch installed; water delivery restored.
- This fall Permanent replacement scheduled, coordinated with ODOT for road-related construction.
This is exactly why our aging, decades-old infrastructure has to be addressed.
Legal & Policy: Fighting Back on Multiple Fronts
Navigating water rights in the West can feel like trying to rope a wave — especially when you throw a KA1000 water right into the mix.
— Nathan Blevin, K.I.D. Safety and Assistant Operations Officer
The Board is refusing to take continued federal overreach sitting down. We are actively engaged in four critical legal and strategic battles.
Challenging the 9th Circuit ruling
On June 17, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled against KWUA regarding ESA discretion and ignored much of K.I.D.’s arguments. We are not accepting this as the final word. Our legal team is actively engaging with our partners to respond by the August 3 deadline.
Lawfare
Earthjustice’s June 15 litigation, following a routine three-year cycle, further highlights the attack on Klamath Project farmers. This lawsuit is strategically designed to stop any ESA reconsultation under the Department of the Interior’s 2025 guidance. Although the Ninth Circuit’s June 17 ruling requires a renewed look at that guidance, Earthjustice and the Yurok Tribe have not withdrawn their litigation; the Karuk Tribe has indicated it intends to support it.
Defending our assets
K.I.D. is still pursuing our June 2021 title transfer request as part of our 1954 contract requirement. Given that smaller transfers seem to be moving rapidly, K.I.D. is updating our application by submitting separate title transfer applications — to see whether we get an equitable response and meaningful movement on this front.
Title Transfer 101Demanding acknowledgment of “Applicant” status
The federal government is rewriting the Klamath Project operations plan, due April 2027. K.I.D. is demanding acknowledgment of formal “Applicant” status under ESA Section 7(a)(3), which has been ignored since 2022. That status legally requires federal agencies to give K.I.D. a seat at the table to shape the proposed plan before it is finalized, rather than treating us as a third-party bystander. We have sent a formal Request for Agency Action, and have been authorized to engage directly with Interior to secure this acknowledgment.
See the ESA Section 7 DashboardBoard policy reminder
Daily water management inquiries and operational complaints go directly to District Management.
Per District bylaws, the Board has directed this routing. If a patron wishes to formally appeal an operational decision, the appeal must be submitted in writing to the Board President to schedule a formal hearing. This policy keeps our staff working efficiently while maintaining a clear, legal paper trail for all District decisions.
Thank you for your continued patience, resilience, and support as we navigate this incredibly demanding season together.
— The Klamath Irrigation District Board of Directors
