Jeff Nettelton, Area Manager of the Klamath Basin Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation speaks to members of the Klamath Water Users Association during the KWUA Annual Meeting held April 12, 2018. (File Photo by Brian Gailey).

Late this afternoon 5/23/18, Klamath Falls News was sent an email from the Klamath Basin Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation. Inside this email, Area Manager Jeff Nettelton reports 3,500 acre feet of water is available for delivery to the Klamath Project for use between May 23 and May 31. Allowing for a diversion rate of approximately 500 acre feet per day from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River.

The letter is below:

Good afternoon,

Thankfully we have some good news to report regarding the water supply and additional water for the Project to help get through the end of May.

Reclamation has determined that up to 3,500 AF is available for delivery to the Project between May 23 and May 31. This allows for a diversion rate of approximately 500 AF per day from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River in the remaining 7 days of May.

This additional water has materialized for several reasons. First, 422 AF of the original 13,500 AF authorized for delivery by the end of May still remains in Upper Klamath Lake and is available for use by the Project. Second, accretions between Link River Dam and Iron Gate Dam have been higher than anticipated in the last few days, providing PacifiCorp with additional operational flexibility. Specifically, these higher accretions will allow PacifiCorp to ramp Link River Dam down to 400 cfs more quickly than originally planned and subsequently maintain Link River Dam releases at 400 cfs through the end of May. Ultimately these operations are anticipated to provide additional volume in UKL above that needed to meet the end of May threshold elevation.

Finally, ramp down from the emergency dilution flow at Iron Gate is more than halfway complete and back on the original flow schedule provided by Reclamation. We anticipate Iron Gate flows to be at the powerhouse capacity of 1,750 cfs by May 24 and the entire ramp down operation to be complete by May 28. In combination, these three factors are currently projected to result in UKL elevations approximately 0.06 feet (approximately 4,970 AF) above the end of May threshold.

Reclamation plans to reassess hydrologic conditions, and lake elevations relative to the end of May threshold on May 29and will make a determination whether additional deliveries or adjustments to this diversion schedule can occur at that time.

We appreciate the close coordination with the Districts as we navigate through this challenging water year.

Thank you, Jeff