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KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON, SL'XDAY. AUGUST 25. 1963
Water Is Life Blood f Klamath Basin
New Extension District
Fulfills Long Desire
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ON THE MAP Virtually all of the arable area in the
Klamath Basin is irrigated by water from the Klamath Ir
rigation District or the smaller, subsidiary districts. All of
the dark areas on this map are served by irrigation, leav-
ing only mountainous terrain unwatered. KID officials
say that there probably will be little or no expansion of
the present irrigation system.
T L I
WATER FOR CROPS Water tumbles out of the spill
way at the head of the Klamath Irrigation Distict's VC"
canal. Above the spillway is shown some of the control
equipment which diverts water into this canal from the
"A" canal. The spillway once housed hydroelectric gen
erators, which have since been removed. Water from this
canal serves the farmlands directly south of Klamath
Falls.
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By DAN WALTERS i
Throughout the span of history.!
water has been the primary
problem of the farmer.
So it uas in the Biblical era
when periodic droughts swept
over the land, turning the toil
of the (aimer into dust.
When the rains came, they
rushed through the fields in tor
rents, not satisfying the crops.
but rather washing away the
topsoil and leaving ugly, worth
less gullies.
And so it was nearly 1,900 years
later when the first farmers be
gan breaking the soil in the
Klamath Basin.
The problem was still water
These early settlers found the
Basin fertile enough, but the an
nual rainfall was only 12 or 1.1
inches and just 23 per cent of
(his fell during the summer
growing season.
But the farmer of the late 19th
century was not the tiller his an
cestors were. He was learning
to conquer his environment with
machines and science.
And he was ready to conquer
the water problem with the same
tools.
His answer to the problem was
irrigation. There was plenty of
water available in the Klamath
Basin in streams and lakes. It
remained for the farmer to util
ize this water in the best fash
ion. The first irrigation project in
the Klamath Basin probably was
an individual farmer diverting a
local stream into his fields.
t-ourt records indicate water
rights were obtained for irriga
tion as far back as 1870.
These first few efforts were
soon followed by the organization
of several water companies, the
tirst of which was the Link
ville Ditch Company in 1878.
This rather small firm was
followed by Van Brimmer
brothers' ditch in the early
1880s. Soon, the Van Brim
mers were irrigating 4,000 acres
of farm land.
More and larger enterprises
followed as interest in irrigation
during the 18!)0s soared. As more
water became available, crops
were diversified from the basic
rye-
But a movement grew within
the farmers themselves for a
project that would serve all of
the Klamath Basin with adequate
water.
Water for such a project, it
was realized, would have to come
from Upper Klamath Lake.
The Reclamation Act of 1902
provided federal funds from the
sale of public lands for reclama
tion projects in Western states.
The U.S. Reclamation Service
made several surveys of the
Klamath Basin and in 190:1, the
Klamath Project was recommended.
At the same time, however,
private companies were expand
ing their services.
The situation came to a head
with the organization of the
Klamath Water Users Associa
tion in March, 1903, and the ap
proval of the Klamath Project
two months later by the federal
government.
The plans called ior water to
be drawn into the main "A"
canal from Upper Klamath Lake.
From there, the canal passes
through the city of Klamath Falls
and to the soutlieast.
At a point adjacent to the
present headquarters of the
Klamath Irrigation District, the
canal splits into the "B" and
"C" canals, the former running
to tiie southeast and the latter
to the east.
Smaller canals bring the wa
ter to the farmers themselves
The first water from the proj
cct was delivered on May 16, 1907
The Klamath Irrigation Dis
trict was organized in 1917 to be
gin eventual takeover of the sys
tem in Klamath County from the
federal government.
Formed by local farmers, the
district took over the responsibil
ity of paying back the govern
ment for the canal system within
the main part of the county.
along with several other small
districts.
In 11128, the system was
brought up to date with the con
struction of drainage canals and
in 1950 the "Miller Hill and Adams
pumping stations were built.
These stations are u s e d for
moving water uphill.
By 1955, the Klamath Irriga
tion District had paid back
enough of its debt to the govern
ment to take over actual opera
tion of the system.
The last major expansion ol
the system began with the or
ganization of the Klamath Basin
Improvement District on July 18,
1901.
This was the result of a condi-
csult of a condi
tion that had been in existence
for a number of years. Certain
farmers had not had a guaran
teed water supply and had been
able to buy water from the KID
only when it was available.
The KBID entered into a con
tract witli the federal govern
ment in April, 12, for a loan ofi
$931,000 under the Small Recla
mation Projects Act. It was the
first such loan under the act in
Oregon and (he money was used
for the expansion of existing ca
nals and pumping stations and the
building of three new pumping
plants.
This project was completed
this year and was dedicated only
a few weeks ago. Actual opera
tion of Klamath Extension Proj-
(Continued on Page 2)
.
MAN-MADE RIVER A canal iig-iags through geometric patterns of fields, bring,
inq water to farmers in the Klamath Basin. Smaller canals cut into the main artery
at intervals. Water for all of the canali in the Klamath Irrigation System comet
from the Upper Klamath Lake,
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MEN WHO RUN KID Secretary John L. Stewart, left, and manager Ray L. Robert
are the two men who keep the Klamath Irrigation District operating. Stewart has
been with the KID since 1945 and Roberts has been with the district since 1936. The
secretary takes care of the business and personnel matters, while Roberts is concerned
with the actual operation of the canals and pumps which make up the KID.
MAN AT THE CONTROLS Watermaster John E. Wal.
lin is one of the two men who control the flow of water
through the complex system of canals and pumps that
comprises the Klamath Irrigation District. Here, he it
shown at the controls of the gates which reflate water
at the head of the "B" canal. The "A" canal is in the
background. Wallin moves the water around each day
in accordance with the water ordert from the nearly
1,000 farmers who are served by the district.
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WHERE IT ALL COMES FROM Arrow points to the intake wher throughout the Klamath Basin. Currently, about 300,000-acre feet of
water is drawn from the southern end of Upper Klamath Lake into "A" water is drawn out of the lake annually for the Klamath Irrigation Dn
canal and thence into the whole system of canals that distributet water trict. ,