Klamath Basin

Last updated
Klamath Basin Klamath Basin.jpg
Klamath Basin

The Klamath Basin is the region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. It contains most of Klamath County and parts of Lake and Jackson counties in Oregon, and parts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties in California. The 15,751-square-mile (40,790 km2) drainage basin is 35% in Oregon and 65% in California. In Oregon, the watershed typically lies east of the Cascade Range, while California contains most of the river's segment that passes through the mountains. In the Oregon-far northern California segment of the river, the watershed is semi-desert at lower elevations and dry alpine in the upper elevations. In the western part of the basin, in California, however, the climate is more of temperate rainforest, and the Trinity River watershed consists of a more typical alpine climate.

Contents

Geology and hydrology

The Upper Klamath Watershed lies between the Cascade Range and the Basin and Range Province in southern Oregon and northern California. Bedrock stratigraphy in the area includes volcanic deposits, volcanic ejecta, and fluviolacustrine deposits. [1] This creates three general hydrologic layers: 1) Highly permeable basalt with an older depositional age serving as the principle aquifer, 2) fluvial deposits made up of tuff, shale, agglomerate, sandstone, and volcanic ash that are collectively known as the Yonna Formation and act as a groundwater cap, and 3) more recent eruptive volcanic deposits that overlie the aquifer. [2] Little water is able to permeate through the upper volcanic deposit layers to the principle aquifers. Groundwater is able to move freely throughout the upper basin despite geologic structures that occur due to normal faulting which only confine groundwater on a local scale. [3] Artesian wells discharging into the Upper Klamath Lake are essential for recharge into the lake and Klamath River flow throughout the year. [4] Snowmelt is currently a large contributor of groundwater recharge in the Upper Klamath Basin. [5]

Distribution of subwatersheds

Map of the Klamath River drainage basin Klamath Basin map.png
Map of the Klamath River drainage basin

The drainage basins of the Williamson and Sprague Rivers, in Oregon, are to the north and northeast of Upper Klamath Lake. Together, the two watersheds cover 3,069 square miles (7,950 km2), or 19.4% of the Klamath River watershed. [6] [7] [8] The basin of the Lost River, the largest subwatershed by area, lies to the southeast of Upper Klamath Lake and to the east of Lower Klamath Lake. This covers 3,009 square miles (7,790 km2) or 19.1% of the Klamath River watershed - nearly as much as the Williamson and Sprague. Proceeding west, the adjoining Butte Creek, Shasta, Scott and Salmon River watersheds have 603 square miles (1,560 km2), 795 square miles (2,060 km2), 813 square miles (2,110 km2), and 750 square miles (1,900 km2), respectively. These account for 4.3%, 5%, 5.2%. and 5% of the Klamath River watershed, respectively, or 19.5% of the watershed if put together. [6] [7] [8]

Further southwest, the watershed of the Trinity River, the second largest subwatershed of the Klamath, has 2,965 square miles (7,680 km2) or 19% of the watershed. The watershed of the South Fork Trinity River is 980 square miles (2,500 km2) - 33% of the Trinity watershed or 6% of the Klamath watershed. The primary tributaries of the Klamath together account for 77% of the total Klamath watershed - the remaining land area is drained by smaller tributaries such as Jenny Creek, Fall Creek and Blue Creek. [6] [7] [8]

Major bodies of water

The Upper Klamath Basin today, showing the remnants of the vast Lake Modoc Lower Klamath NWR marsh and mountains.JPG
The Upper Klamath Basin today, showing the remnants of the vast Lake Modoc

Upper Klamath Lake is the largest present-day body of water in the Klamath River watershed, covering 96 square miles (250 km2) on average, with a shoreline of 87 miles (140 km). It is also the largest freshwater lake in the state of Oregon. [9] Historically, Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake were one interconnected freshwater marsh that totaled 195 square miles (510 km2) - more than twice the present-day dimensions of Upper Klamath Lake, This interconnected wetland still supports up to 3.7 million migrating birds per year. [10] In wet years, the two lakes would connect to Upper Klamath Lake, forming one huge body of water. These lakes occupy the basin that was prehistorically occupied by Lake Modoc, a 1,100-square-mile (2,800 km2) freshwater lake that covered the entire Upper Klamath Basin, or 7% of the watershed - an area three times larger than the massive Salton Sea in southern California. This lake existed up to 11,000 years ago at the end of the most recent ice age. [11] Today, Upper Klamath Lake encompasses just 0.6% of the Klamath watershed.

There are also several artificial bodies of water in the watershed - including Lake Ewauna, J.C. Boyle Reservoir, Copco Lake, and Iron Gate Reservoir on the main Klamath. [12] Lake Ewauna, also called Keno Reservoir, is 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) in size, and is about 20 miles (30 km) long. [13] The J.C. Boyle Reservoir is much smaller, with a surface area of 0.65 square miles (1.7 km2). [14] Copco Reservoir is about 5.4 miles (8.7 km) long and is 1 square mile (2.6 km2) in area. [15] Iron Gate Reservoir covers 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) and is about 6.8 miles (10.9 km) long. [16] Together, the four lower mainstem reservoirs total just 6.85 square miles (17.7 km2), or 0.04% of the Klamath River watershed.

Trinity Lake, on the mainstem of the Trinity River, is the largest tributary reservoir in the Klamath River watershed. At 25 square miles (65 km2) in size, it is larger than all four mainstem Klamath reservoirs combined (excluding Upper Klamath Lake). [17]

Landscape of the basin Klamath Basin landscape.jpg
Landscape of the basin

Watershed

According to the USGS watershed classification system, the Klamath Watershed is a 6-digit, level 3 Accounting Unit within Region 18, known as the California watershed region. [18] The accounting unit of the Klamath Watershed is 180102 and includes twelve 8-digit Hydrologic Units (HUCs) covering 9.4 million acres. [19] In the 2000 census, about 114,000 people were estimated to be living within the Klamath Watershed. The largest population centers include Klamath Falls, Oregon (19,462) and Yreka, California (7,290). [20] Land ownership within the basin breaks down into the following: about 90,000 acres are controlled by tribal reservations, 6.2 million acres are managed by public agencies (including the Bureau of Land Management, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, and National Park Service), and 3.7 million is privately owned. [21] Of the privately owned land, 557,000 acres are used for farming 80% of which is irrigated farmland. Nearly half of irrigated land utilizes water from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Project. The vast majority of privately owned agriculture and rangeland occurs in the Lost River and Shasta River sub-basins. [22]

The Klamath Basin watershed includes:

These three rivers are located above (north) of the Klamath Lake basin:

These features are inside or near the Klamath Lake basin:

These are the major downstream tributaries of the Klamath River:

Communities

Communities in the Klamath Basin include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento River</span> River in Northern and Central California, United States

The Sacramento River is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for 400 miles (640 km) before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay. The river drains about 26,500 square miles (69,000 km2) in 19 California counties, mostly within the fertile agricultural region bounded by the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada known as the Sacramento Valley, but also extending as far as the volcanic plateaus of Northeastern California. Historically, its watershed has reached as far north as south-central Oregon where the now, primarily, endorheic (closed) Goose Lake rarely experiences southerly outflow into the Pit River, the most northerly tributary of the Sacramento.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siskiyou County, California</span> County in California, United States

Siskiyou County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Cascadia bioregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath River</span> River in Oregon and California, United States

The Klamath River flows 257 miles (414 km) through Oregon and northern California in the United States, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. By average discharge, the Klamath is the second largest river in California after the Sacramento River. Its nearly 16,000-square-mile (41,000 km2) watershed stretches from the high desert of south-central Oregon to the temperate rainforest of the North Coast. Unlike most rivers, the Klamath begins in a desert region and flows through the rugged Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains before reaching the ocean; National Geographic magazine has called the Klamath "a river upside down".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit River</span> River in California, United States

The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S. that cross the Cascade Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shasta River</span> River in California, United States

The Shasta River is a tributary of the Klamath River, approximately 58 miles (93 km) long, in northern California in the United States. It drains the Shasta Valley on the west and north sides of Mount Shasta in the Cascade Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity River (California)</span> River in northern California

The Trinity River is a major river in northwestern California in the United States and is the principal tributary of the Klamath River. The Trinity flows for 165 miles (266 km) through the Klamath Mountains and Coast Ranges, with a watershed area of nearly 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2) in Trinity and Humboldt Counties. Designated a National Wild and Scenic River, along most of its course the Trinity flows swiftly through tight canyons and mountain meadows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williamson River (Oregon)</span> River in Oregon, United States

The Williamson River of south-central Oregon in the United States is about 100 miles (160 km) long. It drains about 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2) east of the Cascade Range. Together with its principal tributary, the Sprague River, it provides over half the inflow to Upper Klamath Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Oregon. The lake's outlet is the Link River, which flows into Lake Ewauna and the Klamath River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shasta–Trinity National Forest</span> National forest in California, US

The Shasta–Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, United States. It is the largest National Forest in California and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2,210,485 acre forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles (10,103 km) of streams and rivers. Major features include Shasta Lake, the largest man-made lake in California and Mount Shasta, elevation 14,179 feet (4,322 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Link River</span> Short river in southern Oregon, United States

The Link River is a short river connecting Upper Klamath Lake to Lake Ewauna in the city of Klamath Falls in the U.S. state of Oregon. Draining a basin of 3,810 square miles (9,900 km2), the river begins at the southern end of Klamath Lake and flows a short distance to the Link River Dam and continues 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the head of Lake Ewauna. The "falls" from which Klamath Falls derives its name, and which in reality are best described as rapids rather than falls, are visible a short distance below the dam, though the water flow is generally insufficient to provide water flow over the rocks. The Klamath River begins at the narrow southern end of Lake Ewauna and flows 253 miles (407 km) from there to the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Link River Dam</span> Dam in Klamath Falls, U.S.

The Link River Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Link River in the city of Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States. It was built in 1921 by the California Oregon Power Company (COPCO), the predecessor of PacifiCorp, which continues to operate the dam. The dam is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Project</span> Water-management project in the U.S. states of California and Oregon

The Klamath Project is a water-management project developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to supply farmers with irrigation water and farmland in the Klamath Basin. The project also supplies water to the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. The project was one of the first to be developed by the Reclamation Service, which later became the Bureau of Reclamation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Fork Feather River</span> River in California, United States

The North Fork Feather River is a watercourse of the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades in the U.S. state of California. It flows generally southwards from its headwaters near Lassen Peak to Lake Oroville, a reservoir formed by Oroville Dam in the foothills of the Sierra, where it runs into the Feather River. The river drains about 2,100 square miles (5,400 km2) of the western slope of the Sierras. By discharge, it is the largest tributary of the Feather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cascades (ecoregion)</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the United States

The Cascades ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Somewhat smaller than the Cascade mountain range for which it is named, the ecoregion extends north to Snoqualmie Pass, near Seattle, and south to Hayden Pass, near the Oregon-California border, including the peaks and western slopes of most of the High Cascades. A discontiguous section is located on Mount Shasta in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the United States

The Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington, and California. In the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, the eastern side of the mountains experiences greater temperature extremes and receives less precipitation than the west side. Open forests of ponderosa pine and some lodgepole pine distinguish this region from the Cascades ecoregion, where hemlock and fir forests are more common, and from the lower, drier ecoregions to the east, where shrubs and grasslands are predominant. The vegetation is adapted to the prevailing dry, continental climate and frequent wildfire. Volcanic cones and buttes are common in much of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Fork Trinity River</span> River in California, United States

The South Fork Trinity River is the main tributary of the Trinity River, in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. It is part of the Klamath River drainage basin. It flows generally northwest from its source in the Klamath Mountains, 92 miles (148 km) through Humboldt and Trinity Counties, to join the Trinity near Salyer. The main tributaries are Hayfork Creek and the East Fork South Fork Trinity River. The river has no major dams or diversions, and is designated Wild and Scenic for its entire length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Diversion</span>

The Klamath Diversion was a federal water project proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the 1950s. It would have diverted the Klamath River in Northern California to the more arid central and southern parts of that state. It would relieve irrigation water demand and groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley and boost the water supply for Southern California. Through the latter it would allow for other Southwestern states—Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah—as well as Mexico to receive an increased share of the waters of the Colorado River.

The Klamath River is a river in southern Oregon and northern California in the United States. This article describes its course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayfork Creek</span> River in California, United States

Hayfork Creek is a tributary of the South Fork Trinity River in Northern California in the United States. At over 50 miles (80 km) long, it is the river's longest tributary and is one of the southernmost streams in the Klamath Basin. It winds through a generally steep and narrow course north, then west through the forested Klamath Mountains, but also passes through the Hayfork and Hyampom Valleys, which are the primary agricultural regions of Trinity County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottonwood Creek (Sacramento River tributary)</span> River in Shasta County, United States

Cottonwood Creek is a major stream and tributary of the Sacramento River in Northern California. About 68 miles (109 km) long measured to its uppermost tributaries, the creek drains a large rural area bounded by the crest of the Coast Ranges, traversing the northwestern Sacramento Valley before emptying into the Sacramento River near the town of Cottonwood. It defines the boundary of Shasta and Tehama counties for its entire length. Because Cottonwood Creek is the largest undammed tributary of the Sacramento River, it is known for its Chinook salmon and steelhead runs.

The Klamath River Hydroelectric Project was a series of hydroelectric dams and other facilities on the mainstem of the Klamath River, in a watershed on both sides of the California-Oregon border.

References

  1. ↑ Upper Klamath Basin Groundwater Study (2013). In United States Geological Survey: Oregon Water Projects. Retrieved from http://or.water.usgs.gov/projs_dir/or180/background.html
  2. ↑ Leonard, A. R. and Harris, A. B. (1974). Ground water in selected areas in the Klamath Basin, Oregon. Salem: Oregon State Engineer.
  3. ↑ Sherrod, D. R. and Pickthorn L. B. G. (1992). Geologic Map of the Klamath Falls: 1° by 2° quadrangle, south-central, Oregon.
  4. ↑ Snyder D. T. and Morace J. L. (1997). Nitrogen and phosphorus loading from drained wetlands adjacent to Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
  5. ↑ Klamath River Basin (n.d.). In United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=nrcs143_023523
  6. 1 2 3 Hydrology, Ecology and Fishes of the Klamath River Basin, p.27
  7. 1 2 3 BEST and WSTB, p. 26
  8. 1 2 3 "Klamath River Basin - Overview". United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service . www.nrcs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  9. ↑ "Klamath Lake". Oregon Lakes Association. www.oregonlakes.org. Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  10. ↑ Blake, Blake and Kittredge, p. 1
  11. ↑ Delong, Jay. "Walking in 100-Year-Old Footsteps in Southern Oregon". North American Native Fishes Association. www.nanfa.org. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  12. ↑ "Klamath River Dam and Sediment Investigation" (PDF). Yurok Tribe of California. www.yuroktribe.org. November 2006. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  13. ↑ "Lake Ewauna/Keno Reservoir Reach Location and Characteristics" (PDF). PacifiCorp Klamath Hydroelectric Project. PacifiCorp. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-02-22. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  14. ↑ "J.C. Boyle Reservoir - Reservoir Location and Characteristics" (PDF). PacifiCorp Klamath Hydroelectric Project. PacifiCorp. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-02-22. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  15. ↑ "Project Description". Klamath Basin Tribal Water Quality Work Group. www.klamathwaterquality.com. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  16. ↑ "Iron Gate Reservoir: Reservoir Location and Characteristics" (PDF). PacifiCorp Klamath Hydroelectric Project. www.pacificorp.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-08-24. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  17. ↑ "Shasta/Trinity River Division Project". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation . www.usbr.gov. Archived from the original on 2013-02-22. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  18. ↑ United States Geological Survey (2014). Water Resources of the United States: Boundary descriptions and names of regions, subregions, accounting units, and cataloging units. Retrieved from http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc_name.html#Region18
  19. ↑ United States Geological Survey (2014). Water Resources of the United States: Boundary descriptions and names of regions, subregions, accounting units, and cataloging units. Retrieved from http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc_name.html#Region18
  20. ↑ Population and Land Ownership (2009). In Klamath Basin Water Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.klamathbasincrisis.org/tmdl/populationandlandownership082809.htm
  21. ↑ Klamath Basin (n.d.). In Center for Science and Technology Policy Research. Retrieved from http://cstpr.colorado.edu/klamathbasin/background/physical.html
  22. ↑ United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service (2002). Klamath River Basin: Land Use/Land Cover Map. Retrieved from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/nrcs143_022731.jpg

42°N122°W / 42°N 122°W / 42; -122

Congressional hearings
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.