Recent News
KWUA Takes Klamath Priorities Straight to D.C.—and Brings Back Momentum
We are grateful to our federal champions, Congressmen Doug LaMalfa and Cliff Bentz, Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and NRCS Chief Aubrey Bettencourt for taking the time to meet with us in person.
We also want to recognize the D.C. Reclamation team, whose candid and constructive dialogue left us encouraged about the Bureau’s commitment to the ESA reassessment and delivering a strong, defensible Section 7 consultation for the Klamath Project.
See full Info Release below:
Erek Fuchs Named Director of Water Resources for Klamath Water Users Association
KLAMATH FALLS, OR – Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Erek H. Fuchs, Ph.D., as Director of Water Resources, effective April 1, 2025.
Dr. Fuchs (pronounced “Fox”) comes to us from southern New Mexico, where he has over 25 years of applied experience in the field of hydrologic sciences.
Dr. Fuchs’s expertise involves water resources management, water rights administration, monitoring and measurement, and advancement of hydrologic science. He was accepted as an expert witness in an original action before the United States Supreme Court (Texas v. New Mexico, Original Action No. 141) and has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading water science journals.
“We are excited to welcome Erek to our team,” said KWUA President Scott Seus. “His expertise, reputation, and passion are broadly recognized throughout the West.”
Dr. Fuchs specializes in quantitative hydrology with interests including connectivity physics and groundwater resilience in conjunctive use irrigated agricultural systems.
He was born in New Mexico and raised on a ranch. He completed his academic degrees in Range and Watershed Science (BS), Range Hydrology (MS), and Water Science and Management (Ph.D.) with an emphasis in Quantitative Hydrology and Agricultural Water Resources at New Mexico State University.
Prior to joining the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in southern New Mexico as the Director of Groundwater Resources in 2011, he spent 12 consecutive years as the Lower Rio Grande Basin Supervisor for the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer.
“I come from an area renowned for its water scarcity, and know how precious water is,” Dr. Fuchs observed.
Recently, Dr. Fuchs served very briefly as the District 17 Watermaster with the Oregon Water Resources Department in Klamath Falls.
He is the father of three successful adult children, the eldest of which is an officer and physician in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Fuchs is an avid outdoorsman and hunter and the proud owner of a registered quarter horse.
“I know the importance of generational farming and ranching as the backbone of national, and ultimately global food security. I am very excited about this new chapter in my life and honored to be a part of the KWUA family.”
Elizabeth Nielsen Named Executive Director of Klamath Water Users Association
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. –Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) announced today that Elizabeth Nielsen has accepted a position as Executive Director of the organization, effective April 7, 2025. Mrs. Nielsen currently serves as Deputy County Administrator for Siskiyou County, California.
The announcement follows a months-long recruitment process conducted by a committee of members of the KWUA Board of Directors.
“We had a strong pool of applicants for the position, but Elizabeth was the clear choice,” said KWUA President Scott Seus, who served on the committee. “In the Klamath Project and throughout the watershed, irrigators have reason to be excited about her accepting the role as Executive Director of KWUA. We have all benefited from Elizabeth’s leadership and involvement in various prior capacities. She will bring leadership and perspective to the table.”
Mrs. Nielsen has worked on Klamath watershed issues for the past fourteen years in various capacities, including with the Bureau of Reclamation in Klamath Falls. In her current position, her responsibilities include overseeing the County’s natural resources department.
In recent years, Mrs. Nielsen has been instrumental in the work of the “Tri-Counties,” a coalition among Klamath County, Oregon, and Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, California, that has engaged effectively on water issues regionally, statewide, and nationally.
“Farming and ranching are a cornerstone of culture and tradition in the watershed. I look forward to joining this highly respected organization and representing those who keep this tradition alive, who dedicate themselves to ensuring that the same opportunities exist for future generations, and who work day in and day out to put food on our tables,” said Mrs. Nielsen. “I can’t wait to get to work.”
She holds a BS in Agricultural Business from CSU Chico. She and her husband are raising two boys on their 5th generation family cattle ranch.
Outgoing Executive Director Paul Simmons, who is retiring, will serve as an advisor during a transition period.
Reclamation Anticipates Adequate Irrigation Supply for 2025
Reclamation Anticipates Adequate Irrigation Supply for 2025
In a letter dated March 6, 2025, and received today by KWUA, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation indicated that irrigation supplies from Upper Klamath Lake are expected to be sufficient to meet demand this year.
While specific details on projected demand and total supply were not provided, this update is encouraging news. KWUA and the irrigation districts will remain in close communication with Reclamation to monitor conditions and ensure timely updates for our water users.
KWUA Annual Meeting
Klamath Water User Association, Annual Meeting
📅 April 1, 2025
📍 Linman Hall, Klamath Falls, OR
Water is the foundation of our communities, industries, and way of life. Join us for the 2025 KWUA Annual Meeting, where key discussions will shape the future of water management in the Klamath Basin.
5:00 PM – Social Hour & Complimentary Dinner
6:00 PM – Meeting Program
Featured Speaker: Acting Commissioner David Palumbo,
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
This is an essential event for water users, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking critical updates on federal water management policies and their impact on the region.
Fall and winter flooding benefit Klamath ag and wildlife
After the last potato has been dug, the last lush hayfield swathed and baled, and the last kernel of grain harvested and stored in a granary, farming and ranching in the Klamath Drainage District takes on a distinctly different tone.
Cows that lazed about pastures now eagerly await the feed wagon for hay. Fields once green with thriving crops and then brown from those same crops harvested give way to a flooded landscape reminding us that the 27,000 acres of rich cropland was once a part of Lower Klamath Lake.
KDD is unique from other irrigation districts in the Klamath Project because of the water rights that provide for fall/winter flooding. At times this water right has been criticized despite the benefits it provides for KDD family farmers and ranchers, the Klamath Project, the wildlife in the district, and the Lower Klamath ecosystem.
KDD farmers and ranchers operate much like other operations in the Klamath Basin in the winter.
For ranchers, cows and other livestock need to be fed. Grain, hay, and row crop growers are reaching out to buyers and moving commodities as needed.
However, KDD’s fall and winter water diversions add another element producers in other Klamath Project districts don’t have to worry about – irrigation.
Benefits for Klamath Ag
For KDD farmers and ranchers, fall/winter flooding provides several advantages that support sustainable agriculture in the district.
One primary benefit for KDD producers, as well as other farmers in Klamath Project irrigation districts, is fall and winter flooding preirrigates the pastures and fields in the district. When the Bureau of Reclamation allows for water to be diverted from Upper Klamath Lake for Klamath Basin agriculture, the demand from KDD is less in those early months.
With less demand from KDD growers, elevation levels in Upper Klamath Lake are impacted less, and in those early months of the irrigation season other districts are able to divert more water to their patrons.
There’s also the benefit of chemical-free pest control and fertilization. After crops are harvested, some KDD producers burn their fields to rid them of stubble and weeds. Burning fields helps stop invasive weeds from getting a foothold in the fields while also putting nutrients back into the soil.
Flooding those same fields helps break down the torched organic matter further and keep the seeds of pest plants from growing. And for fields that weren’t touched by fire, soil health is enhanced at the microbial level, recreating the rich earth that encouraged early settlers to establish farms in the area.
As a result, KDD farmers and ranchers require less fertilizer and pesticides when the growing season rolls around. For this reason, KDD alone accounts for nearly 10% of all of Oregon’s organic farming acres.
Benefits for the Lower Klamath ecosystem
Aside from the need for fewer pesticides and fertilizers, winter irrigation benefits the Klamath Basin ecosystem in several ways.
By cutting down on the amount of fertilizer needed to grow a crop, fall and winter flooding helps cut down on the amount of phosphorus needed to grow a crop. Not only does that help prevent excessive phosphorus from potentially being sent down the Klamath River, it helps prevent excess phosphorus from leaching into groundwater.
For groundwater, flooding fields in the off season helps recharge the aquifer. Over the last few years, wells have gone dry due to the Bureau of Reclamation cutting off water to the Klamath Project. Getting moisture into the ground helps replenish these sources of water, and during hot, dry summer months, can affect the local climate when that moisture is evaporated and then released during thunderstorms.
Flooding KDD’s fields during the fall and winter months also helps this region of the Klamath Basin function more closely to how it did before the Klamath Project was developed. Before white settlers came to the area, this marshy triangle on the north end of Lower Klamath Lake provided the Modocs with food and fiber to sustain their way of life.
Though the plantlife has changed, getting water onto the landscape annually remains essential to honor the traditional ecosystem function of the area.
Helping wildlife in the Lower Klamath
The Klamath Basin is a major stopping point for birds traveling the Pacific Flyway. With KDD’s proximity to Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the district is a hotspot for birdwatchers and hunters alike.
Since water to Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges has been scarce for the last few years, fields and pastures have become refuge for wildlife.
From Tulelake to Worden and up to Midland, farms and ranches have provided much needed habitat and food sources for wildlife. In the fall, these seasonal wetlands provide food for shore birds, migrating Sandhill cranes, and local herons and egrets.
Come winter, with the increased migration of ducks, geese, and swans on the Pacific Flyway, the flooded fields become open water that welcome the travelers to stop and rest before continuing their journey south.
For coyotes and raptors, the advancing and receding waters drive small prey from the ground for them to hunt. The abundant waterfowl near the fields’ shorelines and in the canals provide another source of food for predators.
In the spring, as the flooded fields are drained for farming, deer and antelope can be found eating the soft green growth as it emerges.
Draining KDD’s fields ends up benefiting the wildlife in the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge too. Last spring, for example, KDD sent nearly 2,500 acre/feet of recirculated water to Unit 2 of the Lower Klamath refuge to help offset the shortage inflicted by the Bureau of Reclamation.
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Dead In The Water: The Impact of Klamath Ag
It was the night before Thanksgiving. You go to the grocery store to buy the fixings for a big dinner, but something is different. Shelves are empty, and for the food that is available, prices are very high.
What's going on?
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Tracey Liskey: Leading KWUA into a Sustainable Future
Tracey Liskey, a fourth-generation farmer and the current President of the KWUA Board of Directors, embodies a legacy of dedication and innovation in the Klamath Basin. With over 3,000 acres under cultivation, Liskey’s farm is a testament to sustainable agriculture, featuring geothermal-powered hot houses for organic produce and aquaculture, and a partnership in the “Gone Fishing” hatchery for endangered species restoration. Beyond his farming ventures, Liskey’s commitment extends to significant roles in various agricultural and environmental boards, reflecting his passion for growth, wildlife, and community service. Whether tending to his land or advocating for sustainable practices, Liskey’s life is a profound connection to nature and a model of stewardship for future generations.
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