KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) confirmed that 2025 water supplies will be sufficient to meet the anticipated demand for irrigation this year.1
“It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Reclamation is saying this,” said Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) President Scott Seus, who farms in the Tulelake area. “With the wet winter weather, good starting soil moisture, and abundant snowpack, there should be no doubt that there will be adequate irrigation water in 2025.”
At the same time, according to Mr. Seus, “Reclamation is using rules for distributing water that are completely unrealistic and will be devastating to farms in all but a very wet year like this one. We have a unique opportunity to restart the historic ‘flow-through’ of water that served the needs of our ecosystem and agriculture, given the ample water that is slowly releasing from our current 182% of normal snowpack. We can start to reverse the damage to our landscape that has been compromised by decades of poor water management policy.”
KWUA Executive Director Elizabeth Nielsen stated that Reclamation is applying a water allocation plan developed in the final months of 2024. “Reclamation probably feels like its hands are tied right now. But we will not let a good year bail out a terrible plan.”
KWUA is strongly urging that Reclamation go through the necessary processes to modify the current rules, which are controlled by ESA Biological Opinions. “We made this point in a dozen meetings in Washington, D.C. earlier this month,” said Mrs. Nielsen. “We believe the Administration knows there are serious problems that need to be fixed and is committed to fixes that are durable.”
Mr. Seus echoed this conclusion. “I am very hopeful that better rules, that respect the needs of agriculture, the basin ecosystem and our communities are on the horizon.”
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1 Reclamation Releases 2025 Klamath Project Annual Operations Plan, Reclamation memo to KWUA
