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Topic: Klamath River

Overview April 24, 2014

Klamath River

The Klamath River flows 253 miles from Southern Oregon to the California coast, draining a basin of more than 15,000 square miles. The watershed and its fisheries have been the subject of negotiation since the 1860s negotiations that have intensified and continue to this day.

The river has provided irrigation to ag lands since the late 19th century. Agricultural development drained vast areas of wetlands on the periphery of Upper Klamath Lake and in upstream watersheds. Some of this drained acreage has been restored and is now managed primarily for wetland benefits.

The watershed is divided geographically into two basins, upper and lower, divided by Iron Gate Dam, the lower most dam on the river. The Upper Basin is dry, with annual precipitation of about 13 inches at the river’s origin near Klamath Falls, Ore. Downstream, the climate grows wetter.

Native Americans have a significant presence in the Klamath Basin. Four major tribes have been influential in water negotiations: the Klamath Tribes, the Karuk Tribe, the Hoopa Valley Tribe and the Yurok Tribe.

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Aquafornia news August 4, 2022 Discover Magazine

California wildfire: Fire clouds erupted high into the atmosphere first, then heavy rain caused flooding

Just a day after it ignited on July 29th, California’s McKinney Fire exploded in intensity, burning so hot that it exceeded a satellite sensor’s ability to measure it while lofting multiple fire clouds high into the atmosphere. Now, heavy rains in the area have sent torrents of water, mud and debris down streams, knocking out a bridge and inuring a man who was helping to battle the blaze — which has grown to a third of the size of New York City.

Related articles:

  • The Washington Post: Fire and rain: As McKinney blaze rages, floods hit Northern California
  • KCRA-Sacramento: Major flooding hit parts of Alpine County; Highway 89 closed due to flood impacts
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Aquafornia news August 3, 2022 Los Angeles Times

McKinney fire has hit the stratosphere, spewing the ‘fire-breathing dragon of clouds’

A fire big enough to make its own lightning used to be as rare as it sounds. But the McKinney fire, which erupted Friday [ in the Klamath National Forest], generated four separate thunder and lightning storms within its first 24 hours alone. … The troposphere is where weather happens, and where eye-searing clouds of smoke and soot circulate even from moderately sized fires. But when a smoke column such as those emanating from the McKinney fire shoots through that layer and enters the stratosphere — the higher, more stable layer above — it creates havoc with local weather and seeds the Earth’s atmosphere with aerosol pollutants whose consequence science is still sorting out.

Related articles: 

  • The New York Times: California’s McKinney fire - Two more die, bringing total to four
  • Reuters: Giant sequoias survived a California wildfire. Next time, they may not be so lucky
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Aquafornia news August 2, 2022 New York Times

Why does the American West have so many wildfires?

In just one weekend, the McKinney Fire, fueled by strong winds and high temperatures, burned more than 55,000 acres in Northern California, becoming the state’s largest wildfire so far this year. The blaze is only the beginning of the West’s fire season, which traditionally peaks between mid-July and October. All fires need fuel and a spark. In the West, fuel is plenty, with flammable pine needles, shrubs and grasses that can ignite easily. And while the region’s dry vegetation has always made it prone to fires, climate change is intensifying wildfires and lengthening fire season.

Related articles: 

  • SF Gate: Town of Klamath River nearly wiped out by McKinney Fire
  • Capital Public Radio: Northern California wildfires - Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information
  • Merced Sun-Star: McKinney Fire update - The wildfire is not contained, but bulldozer lines protect Yreka
  • Record Searchlight: ‘Devastating’ – McKinney Fire destroys Klamath River community hub
  • CNN: Two ultra-rare floods in a single week; a wildfire generating its own weather. Here’s how it’s connected
  • Space.com: Watch California’s largest wildfire of the year spawn a massive ‘fire cloud’ visible from space
  • USA Today – Video: California’s largest fire of 2022 out of control
  • ABC 30 – Fresno: 2 injured in wildfire in Fresno County, officials say
  • Los Angeles Times: Why forest managers need to team up with Indigenous fire practitioners
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news August 1, 2022 Field & Stream

These 4 people are trying to save the Klamath River

The Klamath Basin is one of the most iconic watersheds in North America. It’s also one of the most troubled. The basin, which spans 15,751 square miles along the remote California-Oregon border, was once considered the “Everglades of the West” for its network of more than 440,000 acres of wetlands. … From a tribal lawyer laser-focused on protecting her people’s salmon-fishing traditions to a biologist doing everything he can to preserve the remnants of the basin’s wetlands, these are the people fighting to return the Klamath to its former glory. This is their river.

  • Read more
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Aquafornia news August 1, 2022 Axios

California’s McKinney Fire explodes in size amid heat, drought

A wildfire in far northern California, near the border with Oregon, grew from ignition on Friday afternoon to become the state’s biggest fire so far this year, at nearly 52,500 acres by Sunday evening. The latest: At least two people were found dead in a car in a residential driveway on Sunday morning in the town of Klamath River, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook on Monday. … The big picture: The McKinney Fire is affecting an area that is experiencing a drought, heat wave and dangerous weather conditions with dry thunderstorms Sunday and Monday. These storms will spark lightning strikes but little rain.

Related articles: 

  • CBS: McKinney Fire, California’s biggest of year, turns deadly
  • ABC 10 – Sacramento: Chance of thunderstorms, new fire starts and a humid start to the week
  • Marin Independent Journal: Bay Area weather - Lightning could raise wildfire risk
  • Los Angeles Times: Two California fires in the Sierra Nevada have very different outcomes. Why? 
  • San Francisco Chronicle: August used to be the perfect month for California’s High Sierra. It’s all different with climate change
  • KGW 8: Western flames spread, California sees its largest 2022 fire
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news July 29, 2022 Redheaded Blackbelt

News release: Hoopa Valley Tribe settlement negotiations reach impasse in case against Trump Administration

Yesterday, Secretary Deb Haaland’s Chief of Staff killed off any hope of a negotiated settlement of pending claims against the Trump administration for financial misconduct, environmental depredation,  and violation of tribal sovereignty and fishing rights in California’s Trinity River. Even though the Trinity River has sustained the Hupa People since time immemorial. For over a year, the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council made repeated and urgent written requests to meet with the Secretary to settle litigation the Tribe filed in August 2020 against Secretary Haaland’s predecessor,  David Bernhardt. All requests went unanswered.

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Aquafornia news July 22, 2022 KTVL - Medford

“Rally for the C’waam and Koptu” brings awareness to plight of endangered Klamath fish

Citizens of the Klamath Tribes will host a two-day community event, “Rally for the C’waam and Koptu”, highlighting the importance of these endemic fish, also known as the Lost River suckerfish and shortnose suckerfish. This free event will take place this Friday July 22 and Saturday 23 in Chiloquin with a caravan rally to nearby Klamath Falls on Saturday. … C’waam and Koptu once inhabited the Upper Klamath Lake in the millions, but today, only 4,000 Koptu and less than 20,000 C’waam remain.

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Aquafornia news July 19, 2022 Reuters

Water battle in drought-plagued wildlife refuges ends in draw

A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a 15-year plan for several drought-stricken wildlife refuges along the Oregon and California border against challenges by agribusiness and conservation groups alike. The three decisions by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals mark a stalemate in a century-old water war in the Klamath Basin, where a federal irrigation project to support farming began in 1906 and the nation’s first wildlife refuge was established in 1908. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2017 Comprehensive Conservation Plan drew fire from agribusiness for regulating farming practices in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, while conservationists argued the restrictions did not go far enough.

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Aquafornia news July 12, 2022 Herald and News

Oregon State, Yurok Tribe partner to study Klamath River after dam removal

On the precipice of the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, researchers at Oregon State University are partnering with a northern California tribe to envision what lies ahead for the Klamath River. Demolition of the J.C. Boyle, Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams could begin as early as next year, though federal energy regulators are still reviewing plans submitted by the Klamath River Renewal Corp. to decommission and raze the structures. Removal of the four dams is expected to open 400 miles of upstream spawning habitat for endangered salmon. It will also dramatically alter parts of the river system, impacting water quality, water use and the aquatic food web.

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Aquafornia news July 12, 2022 Eureka Times-Standard

Hoopa Valley families, youths help clean Trinity River

On Sunday, dozens of families and young people showed up to clean trash out of the Trinity River. The clean up — which involved the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Save California Salmon, and the Warrior Institute — also served as an educational event with river rafting and stopping at various cultural sites featuring speakers from the Hoopa Tribe who addressed the long history over the battle for water rights regarding the river. Northern California tribes have long battled the state and agriculture industry for water rights on their ancestral home, and Central California agriculture significantly impacts the river and salmon that live in it.

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Aquafornia news July 11, 2022 Vogue

A new series, “Tokala,” spotlights BIPOC youth climate activists

At just seven years old, Hoopa activist and water protector Danielle Rey Frank attended her first protest on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in Northern California where she grew up. “I went to my first in-person water dam protest with my father,” says Frank, now 18. “It’s been an intergenerational fight to get these dams taken down. My great uncle was the one who actually proposed it—and the fight is still happening right now.” Since that first rally, Frank has been heavily involved in the fight to restore water levels in her community. “If these rivers dry up, the salmon will die, and we’re not going to be able to make baskets or do our traditional boat dances,” she says.

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Aquafornia news July 7, 2022 Prism

Blog: Indigenous tribes and the environment pay the price for new reservoirs

A coalition led by Indigenous leaders from the Pit River, Hoopa Valley, Winnemem Wintu, Yurok, Karuk, Pomo, and Miwok Tribes, along with Indigenous scientists, and water protectors say that the Sites Reservoir is a continuation of the state’s original racist water policies, which prioritized dispossessing land from its Native stewards to fuel the economic interests of farmers and ranchers. Rather than manage water levels to prepare for climate impacts, the reservoir’s construction will likely exacerbate the very conditions of climate change that state officials argue it will protect against, like flooding, parched river beds, algal blooms, and other types of pollution. 

  • Read more
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Aquafornia news July 6, 2022 Herald and News

As wells run dry, Klamath County residents depend on a state program that trucks in water

Rhonda Nyseth’s well dried up on Sept. 15, 2021, nine months after she bought her house in Klamath Falls. … Last summer, she helped oversee the distribution of more than 100 water tanks, each holding 500-gallons, to residents in Klamath County with empty wells. Neighbors saw their wells dry up, but she thought if hers still had water by Sept. 1, after the heavy agricultural irrigation season, she wouldn’t be personally affected by the ongoing drought. Just a few weeks later, she was on the free water delivery list. She is among hundreds of people relying on weekly water deliveries through a state and county water program established to deal with the county’s third year of drought. 

Related article:

  • McClain Capital Press: A conversation with Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton about the Klamath Basin
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 6, 2022 CalMatters

Opinion: State’s leaders must change water agreements to reflect climate realities

California’s once-abundant salmon runs are on the verge of collapse. That’s a tragedy, but this story is bigger than the extinction of an iconic fish that once fed millions of people and was the basis of thriving commercial, tribal and sport fisheries. … Our salmon are flirting with extinction because they’re not getting the cold water they need to survive. … Although they were aware of the growing water crisis, state and federal water managers have drawn down reservoirs rapidly over the past three years, leaving cold water — indeed, any water — in short supply. Why? To provide water to a small subset of commercial growers.
-Written by Tom Stokely, a member of the board of the California Water Impact Network, a nonprofit working for the equitable distribution of water resources.

Related article: 

  • Mendocino Voice: Fort Bragg shows out for salmon restoration, good time at World’s Largest Salmon BBQ
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 1, 2022 KTVZ - Bend, Ore.

OSU partnering with Yurok Tribe to envision Klamath River after 4 dams are removed

Oregon State University researchers will embark in July on a 3½-year partnership with the Yurok Tribe to study what the connections between river quality, water use and the aquatic food web will look like after four Klamath River dams are dismantled. … The joint project with the Yurok Tribe is the first attempt to represent tribal knowledge in decision processes in the Klamath Basin, she said. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, along with the utility PacifiCorp and the states of California and Oregon, are poised to sign off on the removal of the lower four dams on the Klamath River: the J.C.  Boyle Dam in Oregon and the Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams in California.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 30, 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Nonprofit behind Klamath River dam removal offers plan for allocating water to fight wildfires in region

Four dams in the Klamath River along the Oregon and California border are in the process of being removed. But that means reservoirs previously used as a water source for firefighting will ultimately be gone too. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation is overseeing the removal of the dams. We learn more from Mark Bransom, CEO of the organization, about what’s being done to balance dam removal and firefighting in the region.

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Aquafornia news June 28, 2022 Los Angeles Times

California lumber company to close public access to forest

California’s largest lumber company is closing public access to its vast holdings of forestland in the state, citing wildfire concerns. Sierra Pacific Industries last week said concerns over extreme drought conditions and increasing wildfire risks are prompting the company to close its forests to public access starting July 1. The closures could last through fall 2022. … California is currently under drought emergency orders, as the state recently saw its driest January, February and March on record in 100 years, according to state officials.

Related article: 

  • CBS 13- Sacramento: California’s Largest Landowner Closes Forests To Public Access
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Western Water October 24, 2019 California Water Map Gary Pitzer

Understanding Streamflow Is Vital to Water Management in California, But Gaps In Data Exist
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: A new law aims to reactivate dormant stream gauges to aid in flood protection, water forecasting

Stream gauges gather important metrics such as  depth, flow (described as cubic feet per second) and temperature.  This gauge near downtown Sacramento measures water depth.California is chock full of rivers and creeks, yet the state’s network of stream gauges has significant gaps that limit real-time tracking of how much water is flowing downstream, information that is vital for flood protection, forecasting water supplies and knowing what the future might bring.

That network of stream gauges got a big boost Sept. 30 with the signing of SB 19. Authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), the law requires the state to develop a stream gauge deployment plan, focusing on reactivating existing gauges that have been offline for lack of funding and other reasons. Nearly half of California’s stream gauges are dormant.

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Western Water October 19, 2018 Klamath River Watershed Map Layperson's Guide to Groundwater Gary Pitzer

California Leans Heavily on its Groundwater, But Will a Court Decision Tip the Scales Against More Pumping?
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Pumping near the Scott River in Siskiyou County sparks appellate court ruling extending public trust doctrine to groundwater connected to rivers

Scott River, in Siskiyou County. In 1983, a landmark California Supreme Court ruling extended the public trust doctrine to tributary creeks that feed Mono Lake, which is a navigable water body even though the creeks themselves were not. The ruling marked a dramatic shift in water law and forced Los Angeles to cut back its take of water from those creeks in the Eastern Sierra to preserve the lake.

Now, a state appellate court has for the first time extended that same public trust doctrine to groundwater that feeds a navigable river, in this case the Scott River flowing through a picturesque valley of farms and alfalfa in Siskiyou County in the northern reaches of California.

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Aquapedia background August 25, 2016

Headwaters

Sierra Nevada headwaters streamHeadwaters are the source of a stream or river. They are located at the furthest point from where the water body empties or merges with another. Two-thirds of California’s surface water supply originates in these mountainous and typically forested regions.

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Western Water Excerpt August 16, 2016 Jenn Bowles

Outdated Dams: When Removal Becomes an Option
Summer 2016

Mired in drought, expectations are high that new storage funded by Prop. 1 will be constructed to help California weather the adverse conditions and keep water flowing to homes and farms.

At the same time, there are some dams in the state eyed for removal because they are obsolete – choked by accumulated sediment, seismically vulnerable and out of compliance with federal regulations that require environmental balance.

  • Read more
Video May 27, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages (20 min. DVD)

20-minute version of the 2012 documentary The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages. This DVD is ideal for showing at community forums and speaking engagements to help the public understand the complex issues related to complex water management disputes in the Klamath River Basin. Narrated by actress Frances Fisher.

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Video May 27, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages (60 min. DVD)

For over a century, the Klamath River Basin along the Oregon and California border has faced complex water management disputes. As relayed in this 2012, 60-minute public television documentary narrated by actress Frances Fisher, the water interests range from the Tribes near the river, to energy producer PacifiCorp, farmers, municipalities, commercial fishermen, environmentalists – all bearing legitimate arguments for how to manage the water. After years of fighting, a groundbreaking compromise may soon settle the battles with two epic agreements that hold the promise of peace and fish for the watershed. View an excerpt from the documentary here.

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Video May 27, 2014

A Climate of Change: Water Adaptation Strategies

This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an excellent overview of climate change and how it is already affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are underway to plan and adapt to climate.

  • Read more
Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Klamath River Watershed Map
Published 2011

This beautiful 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, displays the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas and Indian reservations within the Klamath River Watershed. The map text explains the many issues facing this vast, 15,000-square-mile watershed, including fish restoration; agricultural water use; and wetlands. Also included are descriptions of the separate, but linked, Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Agreement, and the next steps associated with those agreements. Development of the map was funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

California Water Map, Spanish

Spanish language version of our California Water Map

Versión en español de nuestro mapa de agua de California

  • Read more
Video April 17, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages
Hosted by Frances Fisher

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages
  • Read more
Maps & Posters April 17, 2014 California Water Bundle

California Water Map
Updated December 2016

A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect gift for the water wonk in your life.

Our 24×36 inch California Water Map is widely known for being the definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts – including federally, state and locally funded projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects, wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado River.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 California Water Map Layperson's Guide to California Water

Pacific Flyway

The Pacific Flyway is one of four major North American migration routes for birds, especially waterfowl, and extends from Alaska and Canada, through California, to Mexico and South America. Each year, birds follow ancestral patterns as they travel the flyway on their annual north-south migration. Along the way, they need stopover sites such as wetlands with suitable habitat and food supplies. In California, 90 percent of historic wetlands have been lost.

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Aquapedia background February 10, 2014

Klamath River Basin Chronology

1849-1850 Gold discovered in the Lower Klamath Basin. Farms and ranches established in the Scott and Shasta valleys.

1855 Klamath River Reservation established on the Lower Klamath River.

1864 Hoopa Valley Tribe and Klamath Tribes cede most of their lands for settlement but retain large reservations.

1868 Two farmers dig first irrigation ditch in the Upper Klamath Basin.

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Aquapedia background February 10, 2014

Klamath Basin Water Quality

 Klamath Basin Water Quality

On the Klamath River, the Upper Klamath Basin’s aquatic ecosystems are naturally very productive due to its phosphorus-rich geology.

However, this high productivity makes the Basin’s lakes vulnerable to water quality problems.

Nutrient loads in the Upper Klamath Basin are a primary driver of water quality problems along the length of the Klamath River, including algal blooms in the Klamath Hydroelectric Project reservoirs. Municipal and industrial discharges of wastewater in the Klamath Falls area add to the nutrient load.

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Aquapedia background February 10, 2014

Klamath Basin Chinook and Coho Salmon

 Klamath Basin Chinook and Coho Salmon

The Klamath Basin’s Chinook salmon and coho salmon serve a vital role in the watershed.

Together, they are key to the region’s water management, habitat restoration and fishing.

However, years of declining population have led to federally mandated salmon restoration plans—plans that complicate the diversion of Klamath water for agriculture and other uses.

  • Read more
Western Water Magazine January 1, 2004

Remnants of the Past: Management Challenges of Terminal Lakes
January/February 2005

This issue of Western Water examines the challenges facing state, federal and tribal officials and other stakeholders as they work to manage terminal lakes. It includes background information on the formation of these lakes, and overviews of the water quality, habitat and political issues surrounding these distinctive bodies of water. Much of the information in this article originated at the September 2004 StateManagement Issues at Terminal Water Bodies/Closed Basins conference.

  • Read more
Western Water Excerpt May 1, 2000 Sue McClurgRita Schmidt Sudman

The Klamath River Basin: A Microcosm of Water in the West
May/Jun 2000

The story of the Klamath River is the story of two basins.

In the upper basin, farming has long been the way of life. Even before passage of the 1902 Reclamation Act, settlers had begun the arduous process of reclaiming vast tracts of wetlands and transforming them into rich farmland.

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