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Agency leaders meet with tribes, Klamath Water Users Association and Klamath River Renewal Corporation.

Farm Press Staff

June 30, 2022

1 Min Read
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Water is sent through the Klamath Basin's main canal.Tim Hearden

Senior U.S. Department of the Interior officials visited the Klamath Basin this week to meet with Native American tribes, local and state government officials and water users to discuss impacts from the drought.

With the basin straddling the Oregon-California state line experiencing its third consecutive drought year, farmers and ranchers have been faced with operating on a very limited water supply from the Klamath Project, managed by Reclamation. Discussions this week reinforced the efforts of the Interagency Drought Relief Working Group, co-chaired by the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, which is actively working to identify and disburse immediate financial and technical assistance for impacted irrigators and tribes.

Leadership representing the Office of the Secretary, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service toured the area June 27-28, including visits to the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges, A Canal, Link River Dam, Keno Dam and the Ady Canal.

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $162 million to restoring the Klamath Basin ecosystem and identifies significant additional opportunities to support water resilience and infrastructure, all of which will make great strides in delivering on the Department’s commitment for sustained, inclusive engagement that helps minimize the impacts of the drought and develops a long-term plan to facilitate conservation and economic growth.

Throughout the visit, department leaders stressed their commitmemnt to work closely with Klamath Basin stakeholders on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related efforts to identify projects to help the ecosystem, according to a release.

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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