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Today, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation executed a $15 million cooperative agreement with the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency to distribute drought relief funds to Klamath Project irrigators in Oregon and California. These efforts supplement additional funding provided by Reclamation and other Interior bureaus, including $3 million in technical assistance that will be awarded to Tribes for ecosystem activities in the Klamath Basin.
Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration formed an Interagency Working Group co-chaired by the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to address worsening drought conditions in the West and support farmers, Tribes, and communities impacted by ongoing water shortages. Reclamation previously released the Klamath Project 2021 Temporary Operations Plan to help guide its drought response in the Klamath Basin.
Please see below a quote attributable to Camille Calimlim Touton, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner:
“The Department of the Interior recognizes the urgency of the Western water crisis and its impacts on farmers, Tribes, and communities, and continues to lead an all-hands-on-deck approach that both minimizes the impacts of the drought and develops a long-term plan to facilitate conservation and economic growth. Today’s disbursement of $15 million in drought relief funds to Klamath Project irrigators is an important step to deliver immediate aid. We will continue to use every resource available to ensure that all parties affected by worsening drought conditions receive adequate assistance and support.”
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