Klamath Soil and Water  
Conservation District   

History - Poe Valley Soil Conservation District

Interest in the formation of a Poe Valley Soil Conservation District developed through observation of the program in Langell Valley.  A petition was circulated, a hearing was conducted, and on December 8, 1945 a referendum was held at which a majority of landowners owning 60% of the land voted in favor of forming the District.

The Poe Valley Soil Conservation District was organized to permit farmers and landowners:

• to address conservation problems
• to prevent and control needless waste of soil and water resources
• to control unrestricted runoff through the Lost River channel  
• to eliminate flooding and erosion of farmland bordering Lost River

The Poe Valley Soil Conservation district was located in southern Klamath County in the Lost River Drainage, extending to within about 9 miles of Klamath Falls city limits. Farming on irrigated land was divided between straight crop farming and the livestock field crop combination.  Very few sheep and hogs were found.  Crops included alfalfa, irrigated pasture, grains, and potatoes.

The District adopted a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Agriculture.  The Board of Supervisors then adopted a definite work program and prepared a number of applications and agreements for the various landowners to sign.

In 1948, the landowners in Yonna Valley petitioned the State Soil Conservation Committee of Oregon for permission to join with the Poe Valley Soil Conservation District.  This was an area of about 60,000 acres lying north of Poe Valley and extending to the Klamath Indian Reservation.

The 1948 Poe Valley Soil Conservation district consisted of 27,613 acres of land in Poe Valley and its surrounding hills.  About 11,000 acres were under irrigation.  This irrigated land varied from well drained land lying on slopes to poorly drained, annually flooded land lying on the river bottom.  During 1948 little erosion was evident on this land, but it was in need of drainage and improved irrigation practices.

About 4,000 acres of Poe Valley were being dry farmed.  Erosion on this land was very evident, especially on the steeper slopes.  Early attempts to seed these lands to perennial grasses were unsuccessful.  The remaining 12,600 acres in the District was rangeland.  This range was generally of poor quality and of little economic importance to the valley.

During 1949 an inclusion of some 58,000 acres was added to the Poe Valley Soil Conservation District.  This area included most of the farmland lying north of Harpold Dam, known as Dairy, Yonna and the Hildebrand area.  It also included some hill and range land on both east and west sides of the valley, and an area of about 12 miles width north of Hildebrand extending to the Klamath Indian Reservation.

In 1950 petitions from landowners in Swan Lake, Pine Flat and Sprague River were circulated to bring a large addition into the district.  The hearings were held and declared favorable.  An election was held on November 16, 1950.  The election failed by a few votes of making the necessary 30% requirements to carry.  Later in 1951 another petition was circulated and this time the area successfully became a part of the District.  In 1952, a favorable election by the landowners brought all the northern part of the County into the district – a total of 2 million acres.  The district was now two and a quarter million acres of cropland, pasture, forestland, rangeland, and marshes, making it the largest Conservation District in the State of Oregon.

Also in 1952 a series of conservation surveys was completed on cropland within the original District boundaries.  The surveys documented that improved farming methods had increased yield, while simultaneously maintaining and improving soil conditions to insure high yields for years to come.  As a result, more land was brought under irrigation through wells, dam development, land leveling, drainage improvement and reclamation of alkali ground.

The District had a cooperative working agreement with the Soil Moisture Division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  A district sub-office was located in the Soil and Moisture Office at the Klamath Agency.

A 16 mile long, deep drain was operating at Modoc Point in 1955.  This was a significant community project installed by the Indian Service.

The 1970 Board joined with the Klamath, Langell Valley, Butte Valley, and Lava Beds SWCD’s to explore the possibility of the Resources Conservation & Development (RC&D) project in the Klamath Basin. The Board was also discussing the possibility of uniting with other SWCD’s in 1970.

On December 9, 1971 the Klamath SWCD and the Poe Valley SWCD consolidated into one district.

The above was compiled from historical documents and files. It is true and correct to the best of our knowledge. Any errors or omissions are unintentional, and will gladly be corrected if you can document corrections. Contact the webmaster if you are aware of any incorrect information or additional information which should be included.

Langell Valley SCD history
Klamath SCD history
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