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Tri-County boards hear 2025 Klamath water-year recap; federal operations and 2026 outlook stressed
Summary
Klamath Water Users Association and Bureau of Reclamation briefed Siskiyou, Klamath and Modoc county boards that 2025 delivered strong allocations after the 2021 shortfall, while low mountain snowpack and federal operations choices leave 2026 uncertain; officials urged coordinated federal action and Tri-County support.
Elizabeth Nielsen, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, told the joint Tri-County meeting on Dec. 15 that the 2025 water year provided major relief after several dry years, noting that Reclamation announced in April it would meet irrigator needs for 2025. "The 2025 water year was really good for the Klamath Project and a really good point of relief after several years of curtailed water deliveries," Nielsen said.
Alan Heck, area manager for the Bureau of Reclamation's Basin Area Office, reviewed basin hydrology and said recent years have rebounded from 2021’s severe shortage. "It took 1,300,000 acre-feet of water last year that came through Upper Klamath Lake to get to that point, and recover the basin," Heck said, contrasting that with 2021 when "we had less than 400,000 acre-feet of water." He warned, however, that winter snowpack remained low at the time of the briefing and that operations and allocations for 2026 remain uncertain.
Board members pressed for concrete figures. Nielsen and Heck said Reclamation committed last year to meeting "full demand," which amounted to roughly 306,000 acre-feet from Upper Klamath Lake for the project; Heck said operational planning is targeting roughly 300,000–350,000 acre-feet for Upper Klamath Lake alone, while larger project-wide totals (which can include Lost River/East Side supplies) can be cited near 500,000 acre-feet.
Nielsen said Reclamation has been working with KWA and other partners to find flexibility within the agency's proposed actions to maximize irrigation deliveries, and that an updated operations plan had not been released but was expected soon. Heck added that policy and staffing constraints in federal agencies affect timing and that Tri-County letters or federal engagement could help secure resources and durability for any new operational approach.
Nielsen also described the broader consequences of earlier zero or reduced allocations, including dry wildlife refuges, damaged infrastructure and lost shallow groundwater recharge, noting that full recovery of soils and systems will take time.
The meeting contained no public comment on the water-year presentation, and board members signaled they would coordinate with KWA and Reclamation on any requests for support or letters once Reclamation's reassessment documents and draft operations plan are released. The board recessed briefly thereafter.
