Klamath irrigators vote for water deliveries even if it puts federal drought funding at risk

After last year’s drought that saw protests and threats of breaking into federal water management facilities, the implications of the recent Klamath Irrigation District (KID) vote are unclear, but support from irrigators was widespread last Tuesday.

Out of 377 votes, 319 KID members voted ‘yes’ to the ballot question: “Pursuant to both our federal contract obligations and state water rights, do you want the district to attempt to deliver you water knowing it will likely complicate federal drought funding?”

“The results of the election really let the directors know that the sentiments of the patrons of the district would prefer water over federal funding,” says Gene Souza, executive director and district manager of the Klamath Irrigation District.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has not yet announced how much water will be delivered to farmers this year. 2021 was the first year the federally managed Klamath Project provided no water to local irrigators in the heavily farmed Klamath Basin, which spans the Oregon-California border.