Klamath River Valley – Tulelake
Statistics
- Basin Name
- Klamath River Valley – Tulelake
- Basin Number
- 1-002.01
- SGMA Basin Priority
- Medium
- Critically Overdrafted
- No
- Hydrologic Region Name
- North Coast
- Counties
- Modoc, Siskiyou
- Adjacent Basins
At-A-Glance
Located in California’s North Coast hydrologic region, the Klamath River Valley – Tulelake is 110,521 acres in size. This Medium priority basin is home to an estimated 2,407 people (2010 value). It has approximately 260 wells, of which approximately 7 are water supply wells. Groundwater accounts for approximately 22 percent of the basin’s water supply.
Basin Notes
1849-2023: Water Education Foundation basin chronology
2001: NASA Earth Observatory Landsat images of Klamath drought
2003: Bulletin 118 basin description
2010: USGS study notes long-term groundwater decline
2014: Basin prioritization comments: “Interstate groundwater transfer issue. Strong surface water-groundwater interaction and fisheries issues. Potential intra‐basin issues associated with increased annual extraction” and “declining groundwater levels in lower aquifer. Local groundwater quality issues. On‐going high volume of groundwater being extracted associated with surface water cutbacks from Klamath Project and groundwater transfers associated with Klamath Basin Agreement.”
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) Klamath Project
The Klamath Tribes – Tribal Administration
2014: basin prioritization comments: “Interstate groundwater transfer issue. Strong surface water-groundwater interaction and fisheries issues. Potential intra‐basin issues associated with increased annual extraction” and “declining groundwater levels in lower aquifer. Local groundwater quality issues. On‐going high volume of groundwater being extracted associated with surface water cutbacks from Klamath Project and groundwater transfers associated with Klamath Basin Agreement.” Klamath Basin agreements, Oregon.gov
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5050, Version 1.1, April 2010
USGS Upper Klamath Basin Studies
2016: Revised basin boundary description
2018: Draft basin prioritization comments: “Complex water rights system – other state, federal, and tribal interests competing with residents in Tulelake for surface water deliveries. Significant increase in groundwater dependence as a result. Basin has had significant amount of State funding and investments toward groundwater infrastructure.”
2022: January 31 – GSP submitted to DWR
March 11, The Klamath Basin’s Water Crisis Is a Growing Disaster for Waterfowl, Audubon
2024: January 18 – GSP determined incomplete by DWR