Upper Klamath Lake
Encyclopedia
Upper Klamath Lake is a large, shallow freshwater
lake
east of the Cascade Range
in south central Oregon
in the United States
. The largest freshwater body in Oregon, it is approximately 20 mi (32 km) long and 8 mi (12.9 km) wide and extends northwest from the city of Klamath Falls
. It sits at an elevation of 4140 ft (1262 m).
In the early 20th century, most of the wetlands and marshes were drained for agricultural purposes, damaging the larger habitat, and lake waters were used to support federal irrigation
projects on behalf of local farmers. The lake depth fluctuates due to regulation of its water supply, ranging from 8 ft (2.5 m) to 60 feet (18 m) deep at average levels. The lake level is kept within 1261 to 1264 m above sea level to ensure life for fish in the lake and to protect salmon
in the Klamath River
below the lake. The lake is fed by several streams, including the Williamson River
and is drained by the Link River
, which issues from the south end of the lake. It is connected by a short channel to the smaller Agency Lake to the north. The Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge has been established on land along the northern edge of the lake to preserve natural habitat.
(BOR) as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project, to supply irrigation
waters to support agriculture in the upper Klamath Basin.
Prior to the 20th century, the lake was surrounded by widespread marshes and wetlands, which supported fish, birds and wildlife, as well as protecting water quality in the lake. Much of these important habitats were drained to be converted to cultivated farmland, as farmers did not understand the value of the wetlands for the environment. The lake is naturally eutrophic, resulting in a high concentration of nutrients. In the 20th century, the augmentation of nutrients by agricultural runoff from the surrounding farming valley has caused the lake to become hypereutrophic, resulting in blue-green algae blooms over the lake ( largely Microcystis aeruginosa
and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae
). The algae blooms turn the water an opaque green in the summer and reduce the opportunity for recreational uses of the lake. State standards for dissolved oxygen
are routinely violated, meaning that fish are endangered.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) monitors water levels and quality, as it is responsible for protecting and maintaining fish populations in the lake and salmon in the Klamath River. In 1988, the FWS placed the Lost River sucker
and the shortnose sucker
(Catostomidae) on the federal
endangered species
list; the numbers of the two formerly abundant Upper Klamath Lake fish species had sharply fallen due to the decline in water quality. As a result, the government abandoned a planned dredging project, which would have further damaged the water quality. The project was to dredge a deeper navigation channel from one end of the lake to the other; it was planned between several government agencies and Aqua Farm's Inc.
A drought
in the summer of 2001 heightened environmental concerns about the lake. The BOR stopped withdrawing irrigation water for the Klamath Project in order to protect the sucker population. The farming community protested, as they depended on a supply of lake waters for their operations. As of 2003, the FWS was monitoring the lake regularly due to water shortfalls, which endangered both fish in the lake and salmon in the Klamath River. The future uses of Klamath Lake are of national interest because of competing claims between farmers' property rights (supported by federal subsidies and programs) and larger environmental
goals.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
east of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
in south central Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The largest freshwater body in Oregon, it is approximately 20 mi (32 km) long and 8 mi (12.9 km) wide and extends northwest from the city of Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
. It sits at an elevation of 4140 ft (1262 m).
In the early 20th century, most of the wetlands and marshes were drained for agricultural purposes, damaging the larger habitat, and lake waters were used to support federal irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
projects on behalf of local farmers. The lake depth fluctuates due to regulation of its water supply, ranging from 8 ft (2.5 m) to 60 feet (18 m) deep at average levels. The lake level is kept within 1261 to 1264 m above sea level to ensure life for fish in the lake and to protect salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
in the Klamath River
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
below the lake. The lake is fed by several streams, including the Williamson River
Williamson River (Oregon)
The Williamson River of south-central Oregon in the United States is about long. It drains about 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...
and is drained by the Link River
Link River
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 , the river begins at the southern end of Klamath Lake and flows a short distance to the Link River Dam and continues to the head of Lake Ewauna...
, which issues from the south end of the lake. It is connected by a short channel to the smaller Agency Lake to the north. The Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge has been established on land along the northern edge of the lake to preserve natural habitat.
History
Since 1917, the water level in the lake has been regulated by the United States Bureau of ReclamationUnited States Bureau of Reclamation
The United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
(BOR) as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project, to supply irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
waters to support agriculture in the upper Klamath Basin.
Prior to the 20th century, the lake was surrounded by widespread marshes and wetlands, which supported fish, birds and wildlife, as well as protecting water quality in the lake. Much of these important habitats were drained to be converted to cultivated farmland, as farmers did not understand the value of the wetlands for the environment. The lake is naturally eutrophic, resulting in a high concentration of nutrients. In the 20th century, the augmentation of nutrients by agricultural runoff from the surrounding farming valley has caused the lake to become hypereutrophic, resulting in blue-green algae blooms over the lake ( largely Microcystis aeruginosa
Microcystis aeruginosa
Microcystis aeruginosa is a species of freshwater cyanobacteria which can form harmful algal blooms that are of economic and ecological importance...
and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is a freshwater species of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are an ancient clade of bacterial microphyte, part of the cyanobacteria phylum.AFA as a species has both toxic and nontoxic forms...
). The algae blooms turn the water an opaque green in the summer and reduce the opportunity for recreational uses of the lake. State standards for dissolved oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
are routinely violated, meaning that fish are endangered.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) monitors water levels and quality, as it is responsible for protecting and maintaining fish populations in the lake and salmon in the Klamath River. In 1988, the FWS placed the Lost River sucker
Lost River Sucker
The Lost River Sucker is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae. It is the only living member of the genus Deltistes. It is found only in California and Oregon in the United States. Its population is much reduced from historical numbers for a number of reasons...
and the shortnose sucker
Shortnose Sucker
The shortnose sucker, Chasmistes brevirostris, is a rare species of fish in the family Catostomidae, the suckers. This fish is native to southern Oregon and northern California in the United States. This is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.This fish can grow up to half a...
(Catostomidae) on the federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
list; the numbers of the two formerly abundant Upper Klamath Lake fish species had sharply fallen due to the decline in water quality. As a result, the government abandoned a planned dredging project, which would have further damaged the water quality. The project was to dredge a deeper navigation channel from one end of the lake to the other; it was planned between several government agencies and Aqua Farm's Inc.
A drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
in the summer of 2001 heightened environmental concerns about the lake. The BOR stopped withdrawing irrigation water for the Klamath Project in order to protect the sucker population. The farming community protested, as they depended on a supply of lake waters for their operations. As of 2003, the FWS was monitoring the lake regularly due to water shortfalls, which endangered both fish in the lake and salmon in the Klamath River. The future uses of Klamath Lake are of national interest because of competing claims between farmers' property rights (supported by federal subsidies and programs) and larger environmental
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
goals.
See also
- Klamath County, OregonKlamath County, Oregon-National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge...
- List of lakes in Oregon
- Link RiverLink RiverThe 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 , the river begins at the southern end of Klamath Lake and flows a short distance to the Link River Dam and continues to the head of Lake Ewauna...
- Link River DamLink River DamThe Link River Dam is a concrete dam on the Link River in the city of Klamath Falls, Oregon. It was built in 1921 by the California Oregon Power Co. The dam was built to control the water level of Klamath Lake in order to maximize power production...