Water Allocation in the Klamath Reclamation Project (Oregon State
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Oregon State University Extension Service Special Report 1037 December 2002 Water Allocation in the Klamath Reclamation Project, 2001: An Assessment of Natural Resource, Economic, Social, and Institutional Issues with a Focus on the Upper Klamath Basin William S. Braunworth, Jr. Assistant Extension Agriculture Program Leader Oregon State University Teresa Welch Publications Editor Oregon State University Ron Hathaway Extension agriculture faculty, Klamath County Oregon State University Authors William Boggess, department head, Department of William K. Jaeger, associate professor of agricul- Agricultural and Resource Economics, Oregon tural and resource economics and Extension State University agricultural and resource policy specialist, Oregon State University William S. Braunworth, Jr., assistant Extension agricultural program leader, Oregon State Robert L. Jarvis, professor of fisheries and University wildlife, Oregon State University Susan Burke, researcher, Department of Agricul- Denise Lach, codirector, Center for Water and tural and Resource Economics, Oregon State Environmental Sustainability, Oregon State University University Harry L. Carlson, superintendent/farm advisor, Kerry Locke, Extension agriculture faculty, University of California Intermountain Research Klamath County, Oregon State University and Extension Center Jeff Manning, graduate student, Department of Patty Case, Extension family and community Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University development faculty, Klamath County, Oregon Reed Marbut, Oregon Water Resources State University Department Emery Castle, director, Rural Studies Program, Douglas F. Markle, professor of fisheries, Oregon Oregon State University State University Donald R. Clark, former research agronomist, Leslie Richards, assistant professor, Department Klamath Experiment Station, Oregon State University of Human Development and Family Sciences, Michael S. Cooperman, graduate research assis- Oregon State University tant, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon Jeff Romm, professor, Division of Resource State University Institutions, Policy, and Management, College of James Cornelius, professor of agricultural and Natural Resources, University of California resource economics and Extension economist, Berkeley Oregon State University Kenneth A. Rykbost, superintendent, Klamath Corinne Corson, former faculty research assistant, Experiment Station, and professor, Department Department of Human Development and Family of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State Sciences, Oregon State University University W. Daniel Edge, department head, Depart- Bruce Sorte, graduate student, Department of ment of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Agricultural and Resource Economics, Oregon University State University Guillermo Giannico, Extension fisheries Rodney Todd, Extension agriculture faculty, specialist, Oregon State University Klamath County, Oregon State University Ron Hathaway, Extension agriculture faculty and Bruce Weber, professor of agricultural and staff chair, Klamath County, Oregon State resource economics and Extension economist, University Oregon State University Christopher Heider, former faculty research Teresa Welch, Extension publications editor, assistant, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University Oregon State University George Woodward, Division of Resource Institu- tions, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California Berkeley ii Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 William S. Braunworth, Jr. and Emery Castle Key Lessons Learned .................................................................................................................................... 7 Teresa Welch Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Part 1. Setting the Stage 1 Background .......................................................................................................................................... 31 Ron Hathaway and Teresa Welch 2 An Overview of the Klamath Reclamation Project and Related Upper Klamath Basin Hydrology ........ 45 Kenneth A. Rykbost and Rodney Todd 3 Legal Aspects of Upper Klamath Basin Water Allocation...................................................................... 75 Reed Marbut 4 Understanding Science ......................................................................................................................... 91 Douglas F. Markle Part 2. Suckers and Coho Salmon 5 Relationships between Lost River and Shortnose Sucker Biology and Management of Upper Klamath Lake ............................................................................................ 93 Douglas F. Markle and Michael S. Cooperman 6 Coho Salmon and Water Management in the Klamath Basin............................................................... 119 Guillermo Giannico and Christopher Heider Part 3. Agriculture 7 Soil Resources in the Klamath Reclamation Project ............................................................................ 153 Harry L. Carlson, Donald R. Clark, Kerry Locke, and Rodney Todd 8 Effects of the 2001 Water Allocation Decisions on the Agricultural Landscape and Crop Production in the Klamath Reclamation Project ................................................................... 163 Harry L. Carlson and Rodney Todd Part 4. Communities 9 Effects of the 2001 Water Allocation Decisions on Project-area Communities ..................................... 177 Denise Lach, Leslie Richards, Corinne Corson, and Patty Case Part 5. Economics 10 Preface to the Economics Chapters ..................................................................................................... 209 William K. Jaeger and Bruce Weber 11 The Upper Klamath Basin Economy and the Role of Agriculture........................................................ 213 Bruce Weber and Bruce Sorte 12 The Effects of Water Allocation Decisions on Crop Revenue in the Klamath Reclamation Project ...... 231 Susan Burke iii 13 Impact of the 2001 Klamath Project Operations Plan on the Economy of the Upper Klamath Basin ......................................................................................................................... 251 Bruce Weber, James Cornelius, Bruce Sorte, and William Boggess 14 What Actually Happened in 2001? A Comparison of Estimated Impacts and Reported Outcomes of the Irrigation Curtailment in the Upper Klamath Basin ................................................................... 265 William K. Jaeger Part 6. Wildlife 15 Relationships between Bald Eagle Biology and Federal Environmental Decisions on the Klamath Reclamation Project ................................................................................................... 285 Jeff Manning and W. Daniel Edge 16 Effects on Waterfowl of the 2001 Water Allocation Decisions ............................................................. 313 Robert L. Jarvis 17 Relationships between Mule Deer Biology and the 2001 Federal Environmental Decisions on the Klamath Reclamation Project ................................................................................................... 327 Jeff Manning and W. Daniel Edge Part 7. Public Policy 18 A Policy Assessment of the 2001 Klamath Reclamation Project Water Allocation Decisions ............... 337 George Woodward and Jeff Romm 19 Water Allocation Alternatives for the Upper Klamath Basin ................................................................ 365 William K. Jaeger 20 A Synthesis: Policy Analysis and Public Institutions ........................................................................... 393 Emery Castle iv Acknowledgments We gratefully acknowledge the time and effort of the many people who reviewed drafts of this report. Their comments, suggestions, and insights have greatly strengthened the final report. We especially thank Allen Foreman (The Klamath Tribes, Chiloquin, OR), Dan Keppen (Klamath Water Users Association), Dennis Lynch (U.S. Geological Survey, Portland, OR), Rodney McInnis (National Marine Fisheries Service, Long Beach, CA), Rip Shively (U.S. Geological Survey, Klamath Falls, OR), Marshall Staunton (Klamath County farmer), and the Yurok Tribe. We also thank Tom Gallagher, former associate professor of forest resources and leadership specialist, Oregon State University Extension Service, for his work in coordination and facilitation of this project, and Andrea Dailey, publications editor, Oregon State University Extension Service, for proofreading. v Water Allocation in the Klamath Reclamation Project, 2001: An Assessment of Natural Resource, Economic, Social, and Institutional Issues with a Focus on the Upper Klamath Basin Oregon State University • University of California Introduction William S. Braunworth, Jr. and Emery Castle In April 2001, the water status quo in the Klamath Basin, these costs include direct Upper Klamath Basin was turned on its head. costs of improving fish habitat and indirect costs Decisions intended to conserve endangered and incurred when irrigation water is denied to threatened fish, combined with a severe drought, farmers. In 2001, costs were immediate and resulted in curtailment of 2001 irrigation water measurable. deliveries to much of the Klamath Reclamation Clearly, the way water is allocated in the Project. One