KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — The operations plan is out for the drought-stressed federal irrigation project in the upper Klamath Basin, and it contains no surprises.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said Thursday that farmers on the 200,000 acres irrigated by the Klamath Reclamation Project can expect 30 percent to 40 percent of normal deliveries this summer, and they should start by May 15 — six weeks late.
Federal grants are paying for extra well water and payments to farmers to leave their land dry, but about a third of the project area is still looking for some kind of help. Many farmers have gone outside the project to rent land with wells.
The cutbacks were triggered by drought and Endangered Species Act demands for protected fish.
