News Release Archive

Reclamation Exploring Ideas For 2004 Klamath Basin Water Bank

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken, 916-978-5100, jmccracken@mp.usbr.gov

For Release: November 21, 2003

Reclamation is seeking the public's ideas for ways to develop up to 75,000 acre-feet of water in the Klamath River Basin upstream of Iron Gate Dam in California during the 2004 Water Year. Reclamation is interested in developing this water to meet the 2002 NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion (BO) requirements for a Water Bank.

A full range of ideas is being solicited, including land idling, groundwater substitution, storage, new or unusual sources of water or other techniques. The 2003 Water Bank program resulted in finding 58,500 acre-feet of water on the Klamath Project for use in meeting the NOAA Fisheries BO requirements.

Reclamation requests that the public provide as much detail as possible about concepts to assist in the evaluation process. Ideas and proposals with more complete and robust supporting information will have a better chance of being adopted. Submittals may or may not lead to contract issuance.

Submittals must be filed on a specific form and should arrive at the Klamath Basin Area Office, 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR 97603, by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31, 2003. Early in 2004 Reclamation may solicit individual bids to develop up to 75,000 acre-feet of water.

For forms and more information or if you have questions contact Gary Baker at Reclamation's Klamath Basin Area Office at 541-883-6935, or via email at gbaker@mp.usbr.gov, or Phil Graf also at 541-883-6935, or via email at pgraf@mp.usbr.gov. The forms are also available on the Klamath Basin Area Office website at: http://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

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