FEATURING…………..……Klamath Irrigation District

 

It took resolute men and women to settle the West. Rugged individualism and self-reliance were essential to their survival. Embracing those traditions, storekeeper George Nurse established the community of Linkville in 1867. Renamed Klamath Falls in 1893, the frontier ethics, which shaped Linkville, continue to mold Klamath Falls and the surrounding area today. 

 

People who live here are God-fearing, hard working people who want to farm and make enough money to pass the farm on to their children as their fore bearers have done.

 

Funds for the Klamath Project were authorized by Congress on May 15, 1905, for project works to drain and reclaim lakebed lands of the Lower Klamath and Tule Lakes; to store waters of the Klamath and Lost Rivers; to divert irrigation supplies; and, to control flooding of the reclaimed lands, over 200,000 acres of land.  Project costs were to be repaid through the sale of water rights to homesteaders on the project lands.

 

The Klamath Basin is the site of five national wildlife refuges and provides feeding and resting grounds for millions of migratory waterfowl who traverse the Pacific flyway.  The refuge areas attract and delay the migration of birds during the California rice harvest.

 

Klamath Irrigation District has responsibility for 39,096 acres of the project acres.  This chore is handled by Dave Solem who has been the district’s manager since 1983!  His Assistant Manager is Mark Stuntebeck who has been with the district for 19 years.  Cindy Cherry and Carol Hubbard greet patrons and bill and collect from 4,400 parcels.  Cindy has been with the district 27 years and Carol, 16 years.

 

The 120 day growing season in this relatively flat valley, which is 4,100 feet above sea level and can receive frost any month of the year, limits crops grown to cereal grains, alfalfa hay, pastures for beef cattle, onions, potatoes, grass seed and horseradish.  The area is also known for the production of malting barley.

 

The district is governed by a five member board of directors.  Directors Steve Kandra and Dave Cacka are fourth generation area farmers, their great-grandfathers having come from Czechoslovakia and Poland in the 1900’s.  Director Ed Bair is a third generation farmer. Ross Fleming is also a fourth generation farmer.  Director Bill Kennedy’s family is a rather recent arrival having come to the basin 31 years ago.  Bill Ganong, is a third generation attorney for the district.

 

Katy Coba, Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture, presented Dan Keppen, Klamath Water Users Association, The Leadership in Conservation Award for 2004.  Director Coba described the association as a model for water use associations throughout Oregon.  Their ongoing support of area landowners, water users and stakeholders as they continually improve and maintain operational practices.