Historically, the Klamath Basin has been a crucial part of the Pacific Flyway for migratory waterfowl, owing to its approximately 185,000 acres of wetlands attracting more than seven million waterfowl each year. The renowned ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson wrote that the Klamath Basin was one of the few places in the country where you could see more than one million birds on a given day. Unfortunately, given climate change and drought, that is no longer the case.
A flock of Canada geese fly overhead at Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, CA | USFWS
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is gravely concerned about the drought-stricken Klamath Basin in northern California and southern Oregon. The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the Klamath Basin ecosystem, was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt as the nation’s first waterfowl refuge. The Klamath Basin ecosystem is also home to 5 other national wildlife refuges that belong to a single complex. The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex also includes; Tule Lake, Upper Klamath, Klamath Marsh, Bear Valley, and Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuges whose combined mission is to protect what remains of what once was the largest wetlands area west of the Mississippi River.
Grebe nest made out of decaying vegetation found at Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, CA | USFWS
The Biden Administration’s recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $165 million over the next five years to address some of the broader water crises occurring in this region and we thank the Administration for its advocacy and support for the Klamath Basin and its wildlife, and for its inclusion in the infrastructure package. However, the sources of water that replenish the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge are not guaranteed, and as each day passes, insufficient water delivery to the region means that its capacity to sustain waterfowl populations declines.
With the rains and snows this fall and winter fluctuating wildly – torrential rains one month, the driest month on record the next – we are deeply concerned about the future productivity of these remarkable Klamath Basin wetlands. Fewer than 25 percent of the wetland acres that existed in the Klamath Basin in 1908 remain and waterfowl populations are drastically reduced. We are all acutely aware of the potential impacts of climate change on future water supplies in the west, but already the drought and lack of water deliveries to these national wildlife refuges are taking a deadly toll.
Reliable water deliveries are essential for planning and optimizing wildlife populations. Reduced water deliveries over the last decade, in particular, have caused refuge wetland acreages to plummet. From 2013 to 2019, wetlands on Lower Klamath NWR have averaged just 13,135 acres annually, almost half the 1982-2012 average of 24,787 acres annually.
A graphic showing the vast difference a few years can make on the drought-stricken Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, CA | USFWS
Children from Tiny Mighty Strong enjoying summer camp with a conservation experience at Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex | USFWS
The wetland losses in the Klamath Basin due to the lack of water deliveries place tremendous pressure on the limited habitat that remains to meet the biological demands of migratory waterbirds. There is simply not enough water to fill the wetlands that migrating and resident birds need, leaving thousands of acres dry and thus unusable as a habitat. And due to the arid environment already surrounding the Klamath Basin, the lack of sufficient water means waterfowl populations dwindle as they migrate south along the Pacific Flyway.
When the Klamath national wildlife refuges are healthy, their presence boosts the entire regional economy, particularly from the agricultural sector, recreation, and tourist industry, including gas stations, local shops, hotels, bars, and restaurants. Consequently, the decline of Lower Klamath NWR impacts not only the surrounding communities; it affects stakeholders throughout the Pacific Flyway.
Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) are one of the federally-listed endangered species found in the Klamath Basin Ecosystem | Ryan Haggerty / USFWS
Since fewer birds come to the refuge because of a lack of water, fewer outdoor recreationists are drawn to the area. Where once lines formed to draw for limited hunting spaces, only one or two hunting parties at a time are now the norm on the refuge. Hunters and bird watchers no longer drive the local economy through local lodging, shopping, and dining.
We are calling on the Biden Administration and its team in the Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help to bring water back to the Basin and to these national wildlife refuges. The National Wildlife Refuge Association supports a long-term solution for the Klamath Basin, with the Klamath Basin wildlife refuges as part of the solution. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to support the health of the Klamath Basin now and into the future.