Contributions from Paul Hanson at Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS 1450AM / 102.5FM and The Herald & News
MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2019
KLAMATH BASIN WEATHER
Today
Heavy rain at times and showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 56. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. More rain overnight, low of 36.
Tuesday
A chance of rain and snow showers, mainly before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 48. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Overnight low around 30.
Wednesday
A slight chance of rain and snow showers after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Possible snow flurries overnight, no accumulation.
Thursday
A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday
A slight chance of snow showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
See Road Camera Views:
Lake of the Woods
Doak Mtn.
Hiwy 97 at Chemult
Hiwy 140
at Bly
Hiwy 97 at GreenSprings Dr.
Hiway 97 at LaPine
TODAY’S KLAMATH BASIN NEWS HEADLINES & STORIES…
Heavy rain at times today in Southern Oregon
The National Weather Service has updated portions of their storm forecast, to include more rain than originally thought and that the Sprague River will reach minor flood stage at the monitor in Beatty by Tuesday afternoon.
It is not a hard and fast rule, but it generally takes another 12 hours for the high water to reach the town of Sprague River, and another 12 hours after that for the high water to reach Chiloquin. Minor flood stage means that the river will be out of its banks, but it’s unlikely as of now that it will affect structures. The situation may change depending on how much rain actually falls.
The river is forecast to crest about one foot lower than the area saw in February 2017. Several structures (barns and outbuildings) were affected in 2017, but no residences were flooded.
There are a few hardware stores in Klamath Falls that have sandbags and sand in stock, if you think you may need them. At this time Klamath County Emergency Management is not furnishing them.
The best thing to do for preparedness is to be aware of the potential hazards. Avoid river edges, as water may be flowing swiftly and may be full of debris. Winds are also forecast to be strong, which may cause water-saturated root systems to down some trees. Do not drive through water, as road surfaces may be washed away and it may be deeper than you think.
-Morgan Lindsay, Emergency Manager, Public Information Officer
Klamath Waters Users Association elects Tricia Hill as President
At its regular meeting, the KWUA Board of Directors unanimously
elected Tricia Hill from Merrill, Oregon, as its President. She is the
first woman to be President during the 66 years of KWUA’s existence.
A fourth-generation Klamath Basin farmer, Tricia owns and operates her family farm,
Gold Dust & Walker Farms, along with her father, uncle, and brother.
Her degrees in Law and Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon help
her navigate the complex world of regulations, finance, and generational
culture changes her family farm faces on a daily basis.
Personally, and as a Board member of KWUA, she devotes a significant amount of
time working with interested parties towards a permanent solution for the
“Klamath Problem.”
When not working or attending water meetings, she spends her free time playing
in her garden, teaching her daughters to ride horses, and reading anything she
can get her hands on. The other Board officers are: Ben DuVal, Vice
President; Jerry Enman, Secretary; and Luke Robison, Treasurer.
KWUA is a non-profit private corporation that has represented Klamath
Reclamation Project farmers and ranchers in its current form since 1953.
The Association’s membership includes rural and suburban irrigation districts,
other public and private entities and individuals who operate on both sides of
the California-Oregon border. These entities and individuals typically hold
water delivery contracts with the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The
Klamath Project is home to over 1200 family farms and ranches and encompasses
over 170,000 acres. KWUA is governed by an 11-member board of directors who are
appointed from Klamath Project member districts.
| Oregon Snowpack Holding Steady Despite Drier Weather in March Forecasts predict normal streamflow through spring and summer |
| Despite drier than normal weather throughout the month of March, mountain snowpack across Oregon remains near normal, or in some cases above normal, according to the April Water Supply Outlook Report released today by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The first part of March experienced continued snowfall on the mountains with lingering cool temperatures. Mid-and late month brought more spring-like weather (sunny with unseasonably warm temperatures), initiating the season’s first rounds of snowmelt to the mid and lower elevations. While March brought below average amounts of precipitation to most of the state, the snow surplus gained in February made up for the lack of March storms. Most of the state has received the near average amount of precipitation since the water year in October, with exceptions in northwest Oregon and parts of central Oregon. Once again, February’s copious precipitation made up for other months that were drier than usual during this snow season. Many streams and rivers are expected to flow at normal to above normal levels for the spring and summer. The exceptions are rivers in northwest Oregon and the Upper Deschutes Basin. “While the April forecast is showing near normal to above normal streamflow into the coming months, the timing of it remains uncertain,” said Scott Oviatt, NRCS snow survey supervisory hydrologist. “If warm and dry conditions or rapid snowmelt occur in the near term, streamflows could peak early and result in lower snowmelt-driven flows later in the summer.” Due to unusual amounts of snow in many parts of the state, rapid snowmelt or heavy rainfall and snowmelt could lead to possible flooding. Get specific data about basins in your community by viewing the full report online. About snow survey The NRCS Snow Survey is the federal program that measures snow and provides streamflow forecasts and snowpack data for communities, water managers and recreationalists across the West. In Oregon, snow measurements are collected from 81 SNOTEL sites, 42 manually measured snow courses, and 26 aerial markers. Water and snowpack information for all SNOTEL sites nationwide is available on the Snow Survey website in a variety of formats. The reports are updated every hour and are available at:www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/snow. |
Stewardship Unit Review Begins
The 10-year review of the Lakeview Federal Stewardship Unit, also known as the Lakeview Federal Sustained Yield Unit, was recently initiated by the Fremont-Winema National Forest.
This is a regularly scheduled review, which has occurred every 10 years since the Unit was established on October 10, 1950.
The review is conducted through an independent contractor who gathers information regarding the health of the Unit, the economic stability of the communities, if the Unit is still in alignment with its purpose, and if there is continued substantial achievement.
The contractor for this review is Emily Jane Davis. She is a Forest Ecosystems and Society Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist from Oregon State University. She will be in Lakeview and Paisley conducting the review, talking to people and gathering information in the coming months.
The process includes examining output offerings and timber harvest over the past 10 years on the 492,000-acre Unit, the extent to which the Unit purchasers buy offerings, the extent National Forest System timber from the Unit is further manufactured and remanufactured in the Lakeview and Paisley communities, and the extent local labor is employed.
Ultimately, the review will consider three alternatives: to retain the Lakeview Unit with the same policy statement; retain the Unit and update the current policy statement; or discontinue the Unit.
“We appreciate the participation of Lakeview and Paisley area residents during the review process this spring and summer,” said Forest Supervisor Barry Imler.
As part of the process, and in alignment with the Unit policy statement, there will be a public meeting to consider proposals to correct unsatisfactory conditions within the Unit. This meeting is intended for August 2019. More information will be provided as the meeting date, time and location are determined.
More information about the Lakeview Stewardship Unit, including the last review, the current policy statement and additional background information can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/main/fremont-winema/landmanagement/planning and selecting the “Lakeview Stewardship Unit”.
For more information on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema, follow the Forest on Twitter @FremontWinemaNF or on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/R6FWNF.
Bluemile Project Public Meeting Series – Second Meeting April 16
CHILOQUIN, Ore. – The next Bluemile Project Public Meeting will be Tuesday, April 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chiloquin Ranger District.
Due to a National Environmental Policy Act training on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, there will not be a meeting on April 9. As a result, the ending date of the meeting series is no longer May 14 but is now May 21.
The Chiloquin Ranger District is located at 38500 Highway 97 North in Chiloquin.
This is a unique opportunity for the public to engage as a project is being developed.
The first meeting, held April 2, was made up of presentations by the various resource areas. This included timber, fire and fuels management, biology and botany.
The meeting April 16 will be focused on developing the needs statements and hopefully starting on developing proposed actions.
The Bluemile Project area is approximately 145,000 acres in the center of the Chiloquin Ranger District. It is adjacent to the last three area restoration projects – Lobert, 9 Mile and Blue Jay.
The project is expected to include hazardous fuels treatment and protection of the Wildland Urban Interface, mule deer habitat enhancement and timber harvest. In addition to the work being planned on the federal landscape, there are opportunities for neighboring landowners to carry the restoration and fuel reduction work onto their properties as well.
Members of the public participating in the meetings will not be serving as an advisory committee or operating as a collaborative. However, they will be able to provide early thoughts and feedback which will help shape the project.
For more information on the Bluemile Project, contact West Zone Planning and Environmental Coordinator Bill Conroy at 541-783-4001.
For more information on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema, follow the Forest on Twitter @FremontWinemaNF or on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/R6FWNF.
Donation for CARES
Pacific Power Regional Business Manager Todd Andres, left, presents CARES Executive Director Ken Morton a $4,500 check from Pacific Power Foundation, to help with medical assessments for children suspected of being abused. -from our partner The Herald & News.