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Water year up to 'below average'
Published June 13, 2003
By DYLAN DARLING
H&N Staff Writer
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation made it official today: For water, 2003 is "below average" rather than "dry."
As of today, the U.S. National Resources Conservation Service predicts that 324,700 acre-feet will flow into Upper Klamath Lake during the water year, which ends Sept. 30.
The service projected in April that 290,000 acre-feet. of water would flow into the lake. The increase in the projection is about 12 percent.
A wet April increased the flow of water into Upper Klamath Lake.
The change in the 2003 designation will result in more water being held in Upper Klamath Lake for suckers and more water flowing down the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam for coho salmon.
Dave Solem, manager of the Klamath Irrigation District, said he doesn't know how irrigators will be affected.
"It may have no effect, and that is what we are hoping for," he said. "We plan on going forward with the irrigation."
Cecil Lesley, branch chief for land and water operations in the Bureau's Klamath Basin Area Office, said the change shouldn't affect irrigators because there is more water to go around for river flows, lake levels and irrigation.
"Because we have more water for all uses, we don't feel there will be any change in what we had suggested for deliveries for this year," he said.
But he said it should still be a fairly tight irrigation year.
With the change Upper Klamath Lake will now need to be a couple of inches higher. For example, it will need to be at an elevation of 4,138.9 feet above sea level instead of 4,138.2 feet on Sept. 30.
Flows going from Iron Gate Dam for June 16 through June 30 would be bumped up from 617 cubic feet per second, or 1,234 acre-feet per day, to 746 cfs, or 1,492 acre-feet per day.
In September those flows will need to be at 1,168 cfs, or 2,336 acre-feet per day, instead of 731 cfs, or 1,462 acre-feet per day.
Last year the Bureau also changed the water year designation in June. Then it went from "below average" to "dry."
Lesley said the Bureau won't change the designation again this summer.
By DYLAN DARLING
H&N Staff Writer
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation made it official today: For water, 2003 is "below average" rather than "dry."
As of today, the U.S. National Resources Conservation Service predicts that 324,700 acre-feet will flow into Upper Klamath Lake during the water year, which ends Sept. 30.
The service projected in April that 290,000 acre-feet. of water would flow into the lake. The increase in the projection is about 12 percent.
A wet April increased the flow of water into Upper Klamath Lake.
The change in the 2003 designation will result in more water being held in Upper Klamath Lake for suckers and more water flowing down the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam for coho salmon.
Dave Solem, manager of the Klamath Irrigation District, said he doesn't know how irrigators will be affected.
"It may have no effect, and that is what we are hoping for," he said. "We plan on going forward with the irrigation."
Cecil Lesley, branch chief for land and water operations in the Bureau's Klamath Basin Area Office, said the change shouldn't affect irrigators because there is more water to go around for river flows, lake levels and irrigation.
"Because we have more water for all uses, we don't feel there will be any change in what we had suggested for deliveries for this year," he said.
But he said it should still be a fairly tight irrigation year.
With the change Upper Klamath Lake will now need to be a couple of inches higher. For example, it will need to be at an elevation of 4,138.9 feet above sea level instead of 4,138.2 feet on Sept. 30.
Flows going from Iron Gate Dam for June 16 through June 30 would be bumped up from 617 cubic feet per second, or 1,234 acre-feet per day, to 746 cfs, or 1,492 acre-feet per day.
In September those flows will need to be at 1,168 cfs, or 2,336 acre-feet per day, instead of 731 cfs, or 1,462 acre-feet per day.
Last year the Bureau also changed the water year designation in June. Then it went from "below average" to "dry."
Lesley said the Bureau won't change the designation again this summer.
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| Waiting on the water |
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