District Manager’s View

By Rick Woodley

June 2005

As summer approaches, the Klamath Basin and many other agriculture producing areas have been given a stay of execution regarding water usage for crops. An abundant rainfall, late in the spring, has provided the opportunity for some of the farmers and ranchers to postpone the beginning of the irrigation season. For some of them, the spring rains may be the only irrigation they receive. While the snow pack is still extremely low, this unexpected gift of rain was a blessing for both food producers and wildlife. With this in mind, the responsibilities and programs of the KSWCD grow and our commitment to landowners increases. Technical information is a great tool in your dealing with conservation activities, however if you are not willing or unable to provide a service to the landowners who ask for assistance, your organization will never be effective. To provide help and information to land owners takes time, but more importantly, it requires a genuine concern for the people who use the natural resources to provide food for the nation. The goal of the KSWCD is to be able to provide personal customer service for each landowner who requests assistance.

The KSWCD remains actively involved in the water issues of the Klamath Basin. Our involvement in assisting the NRCS with water conservation programs keeps us on a fast pace, trying to serve landowners in a timely manner.

The District’s minimum and no-till programs and projects took on a new dimension this spring with the purchase of an additional no-till grain drill. Keeping track of one drill was often a difficult task, and now the scheduling of a second machine is really keeping us on the go.

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) projects allow us another opportunity to provide service. These projects require monitoring or follow up, which is time sensitive. With the new fiscal year, comes the anticipation of renewing the small grant program for the Klamath Basin which has been so successful in the past several years. Local control and decisions have proven vital to the success of worthwhile projects and we anticipate many

good applications for conservation and restoration projects.

The KSWCD added yet another program to deliver to the public. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a valuable tool for landowners. The program is sound, with one very notable exception, grazing is not allowed. To make this program the best it can be, some intensive grazing for a short period of time needs to be permitted. This would enhance vegetation growth and wildlife habitat. Hopefully wisdom will prevail, and good grazing management will become another effective tool.

The District will be the lead agency in implementation of SB1010. We will field questions and complaints regarding perceived violations of the rules regarding agricultural water quality issues, and make our services available to landowners for technical and possible financial assistance.

This summer will also bring the addition of irrigation pump testing to the Klamath Basin. Area water users in Oregon and California will be given the opportunity to receive a free pump test to determine the water and energy efficiency of their pumping installations. The results provided to irrigators will allow them to make informed decisions as to the scope of pump repairs they need to make.

The KSWCD provides many more services to the public than listed in this article, and we would encourage you to call us or stop by and visit with any member of our staff about what we can do to assist you with your conservation needs.

Funding sources to keep the KSWCD office functioning are critical as there is no charge for services rendered to the public. We are thankful for the support of Klamath County and the Klamath County Commissioners. We share their vision for a sustainable and viable agricultural community in the Klamath Basin.