A Conversation with Gene Souza, manager of KID

< Gene Souza, Executive Director of KID / Klamath Irrigation District

This week, I had the privilege to visit with Gene Souza, Manager of Klamath Irrigation District (KID), and discuss the history of the district, his tenure, challenges they often face, the US Army, grasshoppers, and his thoughts on the future of Basin agriculture.

BRIAN: Thank you, Gene, for taking the time out of your extremely busy schedule to chat about KID. Let’s start off with some background before we get into more difficult topics. What is your title, and what do you do for KID?

GENE: Civil Servant. Executive Director of Klamath Irrigation District (Klamath Irrigation District is a special government district formed by popular vote and operates under Oregon Revised Statute 545).

I translate the guidance from the KID Directors into a vision and strategy to promote the mission of the District: to acquire, maintain, and deliver an adequate water supply for beneficial use to qualified land in the Klamath Project. I represent my patrons before government agencies, the legislature, and Congress, and in such forms as appropriate for the perfection and protection of water rights in the Klamath Reclamation Project. I answer a 5-member board of directors and the over 3200 people who pay my salary to perform these duties lawfully and within the limits of contractual obligations.

BRIAN: How long have you been with KID?

GENE: 5 Years, 5 Months.

BRIAN: What did you do before your time at KID?

GENE: I served almost 30 years in the U.S. Army with deployments to Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan, and on our nation’s southern border. I entered the Army as an enlisted soldier serving as a cavalry scout, a role which honored my heritage. I was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 1999, and later transitioned to Military Intelligence after a parachute malfunction. My last role in the Army was in the D.C. metro area where I worked for General Paul Nakasone.

Before serving the community with KID, I assisted my wife in raising 3 amazing daughters who are now grown with families of their own spread across the U.S. in West Virginia, Kansas City, and Arizona.

BRIAN: How long has KID been established?

GENE: Klamath Irrigation District is described in Article 1 of the March 1905 Klamath Water Users Association of 1905 By-Laws. The initial concept for KID included “all lands within the boundaries described in such portions of Klamath County Oregon, and Modoc and Siskiyou Counties, California as may be included in the Government Reclamation Project and surveyed and outlined and finally approved by the Secretary of Interior.”

The district was officially formed by the Klamath Water Users Association of 1905 upon a change in Oregon State law allowing irrigation districts to enter contract with the federal government in November of 1917, the district was formed in December 1917 and immediately assumed the contracts of the Klamath Water Users Association of 1905.

BRIAN: How does KID serve local agriculture?

GENE: Of course, our mission is to deliver water to some of the nation’s most productive soils. We also engage at the local, state, and federal government levels to discuss and influence policy, legislation, and litigation related to agriculture in the Klamath Basin. In addition, we provide out-reach to on-farm recommendations for water efficiencies and perform conflict resolution when needed.

Klamath Irrigation District also holds water rights in trust for nearly 58,000 acres of the Klamath Reclamation Project. This includes KID lands, individual contractors, and some of the most senior water rights dating back to 1884 with service to lands with 1883 water right claims.

BRIAN: What has been your most significant success during your time at KID?

GENE: Taking care of our people and communities. One of the first things the Army taught me about leadership is to take care of people, the mission will get accomplished if the people are taken care of. I bring this philosophy with me.

BRIAN: What is something KID does for the agricultural community that most people do not know about?

GENE: We work in concert with our other special government districts. KID engages with county and state government agencies to resolve conflicts or attempt to address issues that impact our patrons or impact our community.

Urban issues come to mind immediately as much of the Urban Growth Boundary of the City of Klamath Falls was farmland in 1884 and served by the Henley-Ankeny Canal. Much of the surface water drainage for the State of Oregon, BNSF Railroad, City of Klamath Falls, and Klamath County ultimately enters our district where the district takes responsibility for controlling this water source.

Our board members and employees serve the community on other boards including the Oregon State Board of Agriculture, the Farm Bureau, the Oregon Wheat Growers Association, the Oregon Water Resources Congress, the 173d Restoration Advisory Board, the Klamath County Weed Board, Klamath Water Users Association, Klamath Basin Improvement District, 4H Leaders Association, Oregon State University Extension, and participate in the Leadership Klamath program.

BRIAN: During your tenure, what has been the biggest challenge KID has faced?

GENE: Dealing with bureaucracies! In the Army, I accepted the military had its own levels of bureaucracy, and in dealing with other government agencies subservient to the civilian leadership, such as the Department of State in Iraq and Afghanistan I was exposed to much frustration.

The bureaucratic strongholds in the Klamath Basin far exceed my frustration with former Secretary Clinton and her Department. I was unprepared for a civilian role in which the bureaucracies do not answer to Congress. This was not my experience in preparing my former bosses to engage with Congressional members.

It seems that I was routinely on a time crunch to answer Congressional inquiries while performing my military duties; these bureaucracies don’t seem to be responsive to our elected representatives.

BRIAN: What is your main priorities to accomplish in 2024?

GENE: Priority 1 – Acquire and deliver sufficient water for beneficial use to growers to allow them to get a viable crop to market. Priority 2 – Defend water rights at every opportunity. Priority 3 – Attain title for the infrastructure that the farmers and ranchers paid for in full on 5 May 1967. Having title will reduce costs for future modernization efforts which need to improve water efficiencies and keep costs down for future maintenance.

BRIAN: It has already been a busy season; how has KID helped producers so far, this growing season?

GENE: KID was able to get the system operational on time to meet early demand this year. This has been a challenge with Reclamation policy since my arrival in 2019. Getting water to crops early typically reduces overall water demand, results in better crop yield, and allows time for maintenance work to be performed prior to large flow demands.

Typically, our early irrigation season starts with the “seeps and blowouts” in which animal or weather damage over the winter weakens the earthen canal banks. We are still responding to numerous problems, some created in 2021 when no water was in the system, some which occurred just last night due to a pesky rodent. Ensuring we have control of the water reduces property damage, reduces crop damage, and saves water for the farmers and ranchers getting their crops to market.

We also treated the irrigation system for aquatic weeds over Memorial Day weekend. These weeds choke the water flow and raise water levels in the canals which increases water loss as we have to attempt to push more water volume to get water to some of the furthest places using gravity at less than 1 foot per mile drop across our district.

BRIAN: How has tech changed the way in which KID has served irrigation over the years?

GENE: In several aspects, the district is still utilizing ancient Egyptian technology for water management and control. Simple check structures, boards, charcoal, and papyrus.

Automobiles and radios dramatically changed the way ditch riders accomplish their daily tasks. The introduction of cell phones in the recent past has also changed the time it takes for ditch riders to take water orders. Of course, equipment has gotten heavier, which creates challenges when crossing bridges that are only rated for 10 tons. It is not advisable to take 22 tons of dirt to repair a ditch across a 10 ton bridge.

The district has recently adopted system controls and data acquisition (SCADA) technology to help us improve water management. We have automation on the A Canal headworks and are developing capabilities to automate some gates and pumps this year under a Reclamation WaterSMART grant. This has been a 3-year effort, I am hopeful we will get 18 sites equipped and monitored within the next 8 months.

We have also invested in an online water ordering system, which is in beta testing right now. The ditchriders have access to the system and tell my contractor how to improve it to meet our needs. This has also been a 3-year project, and we are running behind on getting it to our patrons.

BRIAN: How has tech changed the way water is delivered?

GENE: Today, not significantly except for the fact that people can reach me at 2:00 a.m. and let me know they are not getting the water they ordered.

This year I’ll have the ability to make near-real-time decisions in how much water needs to be diverted.

Next year, automation of select infrastructure will allow us to be more efficient with our diversions.

BRIAN: Tell me about the recent development as chairman of the newly formed Klamath County Grasshopper Committee. What does this mean for the county?

GENE: This committee is focused on how to best allocate resources that may become available for the mitigation of grasshopper damages to the agricultural community. This means that the people have our ears, our voices, and our recommendations to help guide the county.

BRIAN: How will this help producers in Klamath County?

GENE: Initially we are looking at what resources may be available to assist our agricultural producers. Some financial reimbursement will occur for those who are doing their part to mitigate the infestations early. This also gives the County and producers a single point of contact to focus their concerns and to provide input which we will present to the commissioners and to others in attempting to leverage resources.

BRIAN: What is the outlook for grasshoppers this season?

GENE: For many it is worse than last year. I already have reports of infestations east of Merrill, up and down the Klamath Valley along Hill Road, all around Nuss Lake, near Pine Grove, and I understand Langell Valley is also seeing an infestation equal to what we have seen on State Line Road last year.

BRIAN: What is the main goal of the committee – what do you want to accomplish?

GENE: Our mission is to get the initial $100,000 out to reimburse growers for their mitigation efforts, and to pursue additional resources to help mitigate the issue. Unfortunately, action to respond to this problem requires a large community effort, tactically focused on infestation areas to mitigate the habitat. That should have been done by our communities last year. We want to get as many resources as available to assist our community.

BRIAN: In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing local agriculture today?

GENE: Our national security is based upon strong agricultural resources. The enemies of our nation and our Constitution are attacking our agricultural strength on numerous fronts. Many don’t understand the link between food sovereignty and freedom.

In an age where people do not understand the food production system, the consolidation of distribution and processing facilities, and the fragility of the nation at this moment are being quiet or uninformed.

Our enemies to the Republic are waging political battles to reduce water supplies for agriculture, are raising the price of electricity and fuel to run and transport our highly processed food, are creating conditions where the next generation of farmers cannot enter the industry.

130 years ago my great-grandfather came over from the Azores with only what he could carry in his pocket and was able to establish himself south of Lower Klamath Lake by farming and ranching, marry into a local family that had been established in this area for at least a millennia, raise a small family, and be respected in his community.

This generation does not have that opportunity, owning your own business and the American dream is rapidly becoming unattainable.

BRIAN: What would you like to see changed to help local agriculture in the future?

GENE: We need the support of our neighbors. All of them. Agriculture provides the economic foundation for our communities, it fuels the local business, it keeps the healthcare workers busy, and our appetite for diverse local restaurants.

To get the support of our neighbors, we need to understand them better, reach out to them, attend their events, and when given the opportunity, tell our story. Many of our neighbors don’t understand our life views and judge our community on the actions of a few…or of those of the past.

Break bread with someone you don’t know. Have a meal with someone you disagree with. We need to be a community that can have differences of opinion – but support each other to achieve a brighter future for our grandchildren.

Article by Brian Gailey, KWUA Director of Communications for Basin Ag News, June 2024

====================================================

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml