News Release Archive

Upper Klamath Lake Release Adjustments Planned to Aid Listed Suckers

Downstream Impacts to Fish and Recreation will be Minimal

Media Contact: Shane Hunt, 916-978-5100, 07/29/2016 16:55

For Release: July 29, 2016

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Bureau of Reclamation, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will reduce flows through Link River Dam in early August 2016 to evaluate potential benefits to Endangered Species Act listed suckers. The objective of the flow reduction is to decrease the number of juvenile suckers from Upper Klamath Lake that are passed downstream below Link River Dam into Lake Ewauna, where they may encounter conditions less favorable to their survival.

Adjustments are expected to occur coinciding with peak juvenile sucker numbers observed at Link River Dam and will start between August 1 and August 13. These adjustments will result in a flow reduction of approximately 35 percent for 7 - 10 days from the initiation of reduction.

Reclamation is coordinating the reduction in flows with PacifiCorp, which operates Reclamation’s Link River Dam as well as the downstream Klamath Hydroelectric Project dams. During the flow reduction, PacifiCorp will maintain flow releases below Iron Gate Dam consistent with the requirements of the 2013 Biological Opinions (BiOp); releases from Copco and Iron Gate reservoirs will be made in order to make up for the reduced flows from Link River Dam. As a result, water levels in Copco and Iron Gate reservoirs will be reduced, but boat ramps will remain accessible. After the reduced flow event, releases from Upper Klamath Lake will be increased to refill Copco and Iron Gate reservoirs to their normal operating levels.

Flows in the Link River and in the Klamath River downstream of Keno Dam and J.C. Boyle Dam will remain above established minimum flows, and PacifiCorp expects to maintain flows downstream of the J.C. Boyle powerhouse sufficient to support rafting during this period. Rafters are encouraged to check PacifiCorp’s website for details on daily flow schedules below J.C. Boyle at http://www.pacificorp.com/es/hydro/hl/wr/kr/jbbf.html.

“Reclamation is committed to working collaboratively with our partner agencies in an effort to evaluate measures which may benefit listed species in the Klamath basin. Implementation of this pilot study reflects our commitment” said Jason Cameron, Acting Area Office Manager. Laurie Sada, Field Supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Klamath Falls Fish and Wildlife Office, said, “We appreciate the close coordination among the federal agencies to implement and ultimately evaluate the potential benefits to listed suckers that may result from this action. We also appreciate PacifiCorp’s willingness to adjust its operations to make this pilot study possible.”

For additional information, please contact Laura Williams at 541-880-2581 or ljwilliams@usbr.gov.

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