Klamath Watershed in Perspective

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Klamath Watershed in Perspective
A Review of Historical Hydrology of Major
Features of the Klamath River Watershed and
Evaluation of Hardy Iron Gate Flow Requirements
K.A. Rykbost
R. Todd Superintendent

Klamath County Extension Service Klamath
Experiment Station Oregon
State University
Oregon State
University
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Objectives of the Study

• Gain a better understanding of the total Klamath
  watershed and its hydrologic history
• Develop multi-year hydrographs at key locations
  in the watershed to look for long-term trends in
  flows of major tributaries and the Upper Basin
• Examine Klamath Project long-term operations to
  determine the probability of achieving flow
  requirements recommended in Hardy Reports

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Data Sources and Limitations

• Streamflow data are from Bureau of Reclamation
  and U.S. Geological Survey records available on
  the Internet
• Years of record vary for various subbasins in the
  watershed
• Minimum Instream Flows from Hardy studies are
  taken directly from Hardy Phase I Final Report
  and Hardy Phase II Draft Report

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Data Sources and Limitations

• Klamath Project water diversions reported
  include agricultural and refuge use as calculated
  by Jim Bryant at the Bureau of Reclamation
• Data are summarized over years to mask the
  inherent and large variability between water year
  types due to precipitation fluctuations

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Selective Use of Data

• Major studies and reports shaping public policy
  have used a non-typical hydrologic period as the
  basis for historical flows
• Reports by Balance Hydrologics, Inc. and Hardy
  Phase I use flows at Keno, OR from 1905-1912 as
  a partial basis for estimating pre-Klamath
  Project Upper Basin flows

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Selective Use of Data

• Balance Hydrologics, Inc. used a 4 correction to
  account for 1905-1912 being an above average
  precipitation period
• Compared with long term records, 1905-1912
  experienced 21 above normal precipitation in
  Yreka, CA and 4 above normal in Klamath Falls
• The Bureau of Reclamation estimated inflow to UKL
  at 34 above normal in 1905-1912

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Changes in Upper Basin Hydrology

• The Lost River Slough was dammed in 1890 to stop
  drainage of excess flows from Klamath River to
  Tulelake
• Construction of a railroad through Lower Klamath
  Lake between 1907-1911 reduced overflows from
  Klamath River to Lower Klamath Lake, reducing
  large evaporation losses
• Both changes resulted in increased flows at Keno
  compared with pre-settlement hydrology

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Changes in Upper Basin Hydrology

• Pre-development, the Lost River system was a
  closed basin with no access to Klamath River
• Project features now allow diversion from the
  Gerber, Clear Lake, Lost River system to Klamath
  River through the Diversion Channel
• Direct access to Klamath River is available from
  Tulelake through Lower Klamath Refuge and the
  Straits Drain

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Annual Precipitation in the Klamath Basin

• Long-term NOAA precipitation records are
  available for Klamath Falls, Crater Lake,
  and Keno, OR, and Yreka and Klamath, CA
• Total Annual precipitation is charted for each
  location for 1951-2000
• Average precipitation for multi-year periods that
  will be used for streamflow data presentation are
  quite similar at each location

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Streamflows for Klamath River Tributaries

• Iron Gate Dam records begin in 1960
• Data for the Klamath Mouth is not available for
  1994-1997
• The major tributaries contribute about 54 of
  flow at the mouth for the period of record
• Remaining flows are from smaller tributaries and
  include 360 TAF (thousand acre-feet) of
  accretions from Keno to Iron Gate Dam

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Klamath Mouth Annual Hydrograph

• Limited Klamath Project diversions in 1911-1925
• Klamath Project fully developed by 1960
• Trinity River Diversion started about 1964
• Consistent low flows in August and September
• Wide range of flows in December through March

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Trinity River Annual Hydrograph

• Shape of hydrograph is very similar to Klamath
  mouth hydrograph
• Significant change in April through June for
  periods before and after Trinity Diversion
• Diversion was about 1.1 MAF (million acre-feet)
  in 1964-1986 and 0.73 MAF from 1987-2000 (CDWR)

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Trinity Hydrograph Pre- and Post- Diversion

• Important to note that diversion only diverts
  flows from the upper 20 of the total Trinity
  system measured at Hoopa, CA
• Hydrograph suggests diversion occurs between
  March and July
• February dip in post-diversion hydrograph is
  related to filling of Trinity reservoirs
• August through December graphs are identical

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Klamath Mouth Hydrograph pre- and post-Trinity
River Dams

• Main difference coincides with reduced post-dam
  spring Trinity River hydrograph
• August and September flows nearly identical pre-
  and post-Trinity dam
• Period of apparent shortage coincides with
  request for increased flows for smolt
  out-migration

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Salmon River Hydrographs

• No out of stream diversions from Salmon River,
  but seasonal hydrograph coincides with Trinitys
• Hydrographs show similar trends for varied flows
  from December through April, but consistent low
  flows in August and September
• Pre- and post- Trinity Diversion periods have
  nearly identical hydrographs from June through
  October

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Scott River Hydrographs

• Same seasonal hydrograph trends as observed for
  Trinity and Salmon Rivers
• Diversions for agriculture are estimated at 70
  TAF or about 15 of Scott River watershed yield
  (CDWR)
• Study by Drake, Tate, and Carlson reported
  precipitation accounted for 75-80 of fall flow
  variability

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Shasta River Hydrographs

• More uniform hydrographs across years than other
  tributaries
• CDWR estimates agricultural diversion is about
  100 TAF annually
• Diversion represents about 40 of Shasta yield
  and 25 of Klamath Project diversion from UKL
  and Klamath River

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Iron Gate Dam Hydrographs

• Annual discharge declined from 1.75 MAF in
  1964-76 to 1.38 MAF in 1990-2000
• No significant increase in Klamath Project
  agriculture diversions from 1960s to present
• Mean flows from May through August were similar
  in all periods

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Meeting Hardy Minimum Instream Flows at Iron Gate
Dam

• Hardy Phase I recommended an average year flow
  regime requiring annual discharge at Iron Gate
  Dam of 1.62 MAF
• Average 1961-1997 Iron Gate flow is 1.53 MAF
• Total annual flows at Iron Gate were less than
  Hardy Phase I average year flows in 25 of the
  42 years from 1961-2002

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Meeting Hardy Minimum Instream Flows at Iron Gate
Dam

• Revised Hardy Phase II flow regimes set 5
  hydrologic year-types based on projected
  April-September inflow to UKL
• Critical Inflow lt 286.8 TAF
• Dry Inflow 286.8 458.3 TAF
• Average Inflow 458.4 568.5 TAF
• Above Avg Inflow 568.6 785.2 TAF
• Wet Inflow gt785.2 TAF

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Can Hardy Phase II Targets for Iron Gate Dam be
Met?

• No consideration for minimum lake elevations,
  overflows in spill mode, or timing of flows to
  meet summer targets in the analysis
• Evaluation only considers total annual Iron Gate
  flows and whether individual years achieved those
  flows based on year type targets
• Results are charted by year type for 1961-2002
• Charts show surplus or deficit (-) by year type

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Hydrographs for Klamath River
below Keno

• No data are available for 1913-1930
• Historical flow models in Balance Hydrologic
  Inc., Trihey, and Hardy Phase I Reports are
  partially based on 1905-1912 Keno flows
• Trends are same as Iron Gate for 1964-2000
• Annual accretions between Keno and Iron Gate Dam
  are about 360 TAF or about 500 cfs

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Williamson River Flows at Modoc Point Road

• Williamson River accounts for about 46 of
  inflow to UKL according to several studies
• Williamson River watershed yield per inch of
  precipitation at Klamath Falls or Crater Lake has
  declined significantly over the past 50 years
• Changes in the upper Williamson, Sycan, and
  Sprague Rivers seem apparent

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Klamath Watershed in Perspective Summary

• The Upper Basin above Iron Gate Dam, including
  Klamath Project diversions, accounts for about 15
  of annual flow at the mouth of Klamath River
  over past 40 years
• Klamath Project agricultural water use has not
  changed significantly in the past half century
• High summer flows requested for environmental use
  are only potentially available because of storage
  designated for agricultural irrigation

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Klamath Watershed in Perspective Summary

• All tributaries in the Klamath system produce
  hydrographs with widely varying winter and spring
  flows but consistently low summer flows
• Trinity diversions represent about 20 of river
  yield and appear to mainly affect the spring
  hydrograph for Trinity and mouth of Klamath
• Watershed yield above UKL appears to have
  declined in recent decades

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Klamath Watershed in Perspective Summary

• Hardy flow regimes requested for summer months
  could not be met in a significant number of years
  even if the Klamath Project received no
  diversions from UKL or Klamath River
• Basing historical flows on 1905-1912 Keno flows
  results in unachievable expectations

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Klamath Watershed in Perspective Summary

• The 1905-1912 period used to model flows is the
  only period since 1905 when streamflow records
  are unavailable in all other reaches of the
  watershed
• This fact precludes the ability to compare the
  yield at Keno, OR with flows in the Lower Klamath
  River Basin or other tributaries

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