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http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2004/04/02/news/community_news/cit1.txt

Meeting scheduled on water issues

Published April 2, 2004

By DYLAN DARLING

Klamath Basin farmers are ready to put crops into the ground, but many are still wondering about the irrigation water needed to grow them.

They need a game plan.

And a public meeting held by the Klamath Water Users Association will help with that plan.

At the meeting, set for Wednesday evening at the Klamath County Fairgrounds, there will be updates on the Klamath Reclamation Project, the 2004 water bank and other water issues.

"The purpose of this meeting is to get information to local folks so that they can make informed management decisions this spring," said water users President Steve Kandra in a Wednesday press release.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the fairgrounds' blue building.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Oregon Water Resources Department officials will give presentations and answer questions.

Dave Sabo, Project manager, will be the featured presenter and will give an overview of project operations for the 2004 irrigation season and water bank program.

"We welcome this opportunity to discuss the latest operations projections with the water user community," Sabo said in the press release.

Required under the Endangered Species Act, the water bank is designed to provide more water in Upper Klamath Lake and down the Klamath River for threatened and endangered species by paying irrigators to idle land, switch to ground water and other options.

Water users representatives will also give a quick summary of the association's activities, followed by an update by OWRD's Barry Norris on Oregon's involvement with drought and groundwater management issues.

And, Christine Karas, Project deputy manager, will also give an update on a Basin-wide conservation plan the Bureau is trying to craft with stakeholders.

The irrigation season typically runs from early April to mid October in the Klamath Basin.

The public meeting is being held in place of the water users annual meeting that usually is held at the start of irrigation season.

This year marks the water users 50th anniversary. The organization is planning a celebratory meeting in July.

Reporter Dylan Darling covers natural resources. He can be reached at 885-4471, (800) 275-0982, or by e-mail at ddarling@heraldandnews.com.