Ranch lands must be managed to improve water quality, to efficiently use what water is made available for the growth of all plant life and keep sufficient surface water in-stream to support a vibrant ecosystem within and along streams and rivers. Even in low water years, there is enough water to allow for some agriculture and sufficient surface water to support riparian health. Investments made now to improve water quality and support groundwater recharge will pay dividends in the future, as water is likely to become less reliably available in the Upper Klamath Basin due to changing weather patterns.
Most reaches of the Klamath Lake and River have organizations that represent landowners, producers, tribes, and conservation interests. Upper Klamath Basin agricultural interests have been relatively unorganized and/or individualized. We lack representation on key water management issues. This puts our region in an extremely disadvantaged situation. Both the state and the federal government want to help us but cannot work with every landowner individually on large-scale solutions. UKBAC aims to look for opportunities to fund and implement these types of solutions, while also helping family farmers and ranchers secure funding to support projects on their own properties that support long-term resilience.
UKBAC is led by local agricultural producers. Members of our executive team and board have worked for many years to find ways of ensuring the agricultural community can survive and thrive in the developing, limited water reality we find ourselves in today. UKBAC’s leadership is committed to supporting efforts that will allow agriculture to thrive in the Upper Klamath Basin for generations to come.
UKBAC secured a large grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support focused restoration efforts in the Sprague River Valley. This funding is being used to address known water quality and groundwater concerns in this part of the Upper Klamath Basin, many of which developed after people (both public agencies and individual landowners) took steps to change the natural flow regime of the mainstem Sprague River decades ago. Due to funding and capacity limitations, this work is the primary focus for UKBAC at this time. We hope to pursue opportunities in other parts of the Upper Klamath Basin in the future, and we continue to serve as a source of information for all family farms and ranches in the Upper Klamath Basin.
