Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement
The Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement (KPFA) was signed on April 6, 2016. The current parties to the KPFA are:
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
- State of California
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- California Natural Resources Agency
- The State of Oregon
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Oregon Water Resources Department
- Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA)
- Upper Klamath Water Users Association (UKWUA)
- American Rivers
- California Trout
- Trout Unlimited
- Sustainable Northwest
- Tulelake Irrigation District
- Institute for Fisheries Resources
- Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association
- Pioneer District Improvement Company
- Klamath Basin Improvement District
- Sunnyside Irrigation District
- Malin Irrigation District
- Shasta View Irrigation District
- Klamath Drainage District
- Collins Pine Company/Collins Products, LLC
- Plevna District Improvement Company
- Van Brimmer Ditch Company
- Westside Improvement District #4
The KPFA include commitments by the parties to engage in good faith efforts to develop and enter into a subsequent agreement or agreements pertaining to other water, fisheries, land, agriculture, refuge and economic sustainability issues in the Klamath Basin with the goal to complete such agreement or agreements within the next year.
Key Provisions of the 2016 Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement
- Anticipates that the Bureau of Reclamation will assume ownership of Keno Dam, which is currently owned and operated by PacifiCorp. Also anticipates that the costs of operating and maintaining Link River Dam, which is currently paid by PacifiCorp, will not be passed on to Klamath Project water users, although it acknowledges legislation is necessary to implement this specific provision.
- Helps protect Reclamation project irrigators from adverse consequences due to introduction or reintroduction of fish species after removal of PacifiCorp’s hydroelectric dams and for undertaking restoration activities.
- Commits non-federal parties to support obtaining funding to construct fish screens to prevent fish from entering into irrigation diversions.*
- Commits non-federal parties to support legislation for actions to reduce and control power costs for irrigators.*
- Underscores the importance of implementing the Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement to “off-project” irrigators in the Upper Klamath Basin and describes the intent of parties to work under the meet and confer provisions of the UKBCA to resolve outstanding issues concerning the implementation of that agreement.
- Anticipates that the parties will work in good faith with others to collaboratively address issues affecting their interests and in resolving resources conflicts in the basin.
*Federal agencies are legally required to reserve their position