Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that a $50 million federal investment from the Inflation Reduction Act is headed to the Klamath Basin to largely fund a new agreement that supports irrigators facing prolonged drought conditions.
Joining the Exchange to discuss the use of the funds is Marc Staunton, President of the Klamath Project Drought Agency.
The programs receiving funding will support the region’s farmers and ranchers under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), as well as the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency (KPDRA)—which was created by Merkley.
The agreement cements a shared commitment between the groups to work together to improve water supply and reliability for the Klamath Project.