top of page

Klamath Tribes Call For Water

The announcement by the Klamath Tribes that they will ask that more water go toward the impacted fish populations on the Klamath, has caused great concern among ranchers and farmers in the Upper Basin. This call for water comes after years were spent by stakeholders to come up with a strategy that would be beneficial to all water users. The proposal to solve the issue of fish vs. farm was a part of the Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement (UKBCA) that was finished in April of 2014. This agreement was part of a larger legislative package called the Klamath Basin Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act (KBRA) of 2015, because the bill, which included language for Klamath Dam removal, did not pass the UKBCA and was never funded. Unlike project irrigators who have entered into an agreement within the KBRA, the upper basin water users have no agreement when the bill failed.  The Klamath Tribes hold the most senior water rights in the basin. The impacts from this call for water will ripple throughout the ranching world since many of the pastures that use the water in the Upper Basin are home to cattle that come from as far away as California.

bottom of page