Irrigators in the Klamath Basin moved fast to stop an avian botulism outbreak that threatened to kill up to 140,000 ducks, saving most of the birds by using the basin’s flow-through system. The outbreak killed around 13,000 birds. Irrigators used part of the basin’s flow-through system to circulate water and prevent the disease from spreading further. “Our managers and our staff have done a phenomenal job of moving water around, circulating it, trying to keep water moving,” said Scott Seus, president of the Klamath Water Users Association. “Dead water is dead ducks.” Low water levels created stagnant conditions that allowed the botulism to develop. By moving water into refuges, irrigators began solving the problem.

Other Klamath Basin news:

• Jefferson Public Radio (Ashland, Ore.): Why fire crews are intentionally burning along the Klamath River this summer