Water is now flowing to farmers on the Klamath Project…but an uncertain supply of water has farmers on edge.
The headgates to the ‘A’ Canal were opened Wednesday, marking the start of irrigation season.
But Klamath Water Users Association Executive Director Greg Addington notes that low snow pack levels in the mountains has many irrigators nervous…
“It’s going to be a very challenging season. This will be the third of the last four years where we’ve been short of supply, or at least had some sort of interruption, delay.”
Hollie Cannon of the Klamath Water And Power Association (KWAPA) notes that his agency is now taking additional applications for ground water pumping to help stretch the supply…
“And the demand management, or land idling program has been re-opened to a set price of $250 per acre for setting aside land.”
There are no guarantees that farmers will get a full supply of water, or a full season.
Greg Addington says that makes planning difficult…
“You don’t know how much you’re going to get, or how long it’s going to last – it makes it very difficult.”
But for now, irrigators are just happy to see the water flowing.
It will take about two weeks to fill the 200 miles of canals going from the ‘A’ Canal headgates through the Klamath Project.
Klamath Irrigation District officials say they hope to put that on a fast track to help make up for the late start.
The Klamath Basin irrigation season normally begins on April 1st. The Bureau of Reclamation delayed the opening of the headgates this year due to low lake levels.
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