An unusually wet winter has been a relief after a tough drought period.
The Bureau of Reclamation released its annual operations plan on Monday, allocating 330,000 acre-feet of water to farmers from Upper Klamath Lake.
Water is prioritized first to protect endangered species in the lake and river. Next, water is allocated to farmers, and finally, it can go to wildlife refuges.
Elizabeth Nielsen is the executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, which represents farmers and ranchers. She said her group still has concerns about new procedures the agency is using to determine water allocations.
“In any year but a year like this, that plan would not allow for adequate deliveries to farmers and ranchers in the Klamath project," she said.
The agency released a new plan last year that outlines water management for the Klamath Basin over the next five years. The removal of the dams on the Klamath River, along with new data, has prompted the need for the plan, according to the Bureau.
Nielsen wants the agency to reassess how endangered species in the region affect water usage under this plan.
Bureau of Reclamation officials declined to be interviewed about this year's plan.
Moving forward, rather than conserving every drop of water, Nielsen said they want to allow more water to drain naturally through the region’s wetlands.
“It benefits our groundwater table, it benefits the refuges, and it also acts like a natural filter for water," said Nielsen. "And that water will eventually make its way back to the Klamath River as cleaner water.”
Nielsen said this practice, known as “flow-through,” has gradually gone away. But now, this unusually wet year provides an opportunity to use some of that ample water to restore the surrounding wetlands.
This push is part of a new collaboration between farmers and local tribes to work on large-scale restoration projects that will help improve water availability for everyone.
