Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement Off-Project Water Program Sub-basin Analysis Flow Statistics

The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) was developed by a diverse group of stakeholders, Federal and State resource management agencies, Tribal representatives, and interest groups to provide a comprehensive solution to ecological and water-supply issues in the Klamath River Basin. The Off-Project Water Program (OPWP), one component of the KBRA, has as one of its purposes to permanently provide an additional 30,000 acre-ft of water per year on an average annual basis to Upper Klamath Lake through “voluntary retirement of water rights or water uses or other means as agreed to by the Klamath Tribes, to improve fisheries habitat and also provide for stability of irrigation water deliveries” (Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, 2010, p. 105–111). The geographic area where the water rights could be retired encompasses approximately 1,900 square mi. The OPWP area is defined as including the Sprague River drainage, the Sycan River drainage below Sycan Marsh, the Wood River drainage, and the Williamson River drainage from the abandoned town site of Kirk downstream to the confluence with the Sprague River. Extensive, broad, flat, poorly drained uplands, valleys, and wetlands characterize much of the study area. Irrigation is almost entirely used for pasture. To assist parties in the OPWP involved with decision making and implementation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Klamath Tribes, created five hydrological information products. These products include GIS digital maps and datasets containing spatial information on evapotranspiration, subirrigation indicators, water rights, subbasin streamflow statistics, and return flow indicators.