Biological Opinions - Bureau of Reclamation

The proposed minimum elevations for Tule Lake are shown in Table 4.13. The availability of
water and Tulelake Irrigation District return flows determine the amount of water available for
Tule Lake in any one year.
Table 4.13. Proposed minimum Tule Lake Sump 1A elevations (Reclamation datum).
Time Period
Proposed Minimum Elevation
April 1 through September 30 4,034.60 ft (1,229.75 m)
October 1 through March 31 4,034.00 ft (1,229.56 m)
If the Project receives deliveries, then Reclamation will maintain these minimums in Sump 1A.
4.2.6 Environmental Water Account Management
The broad operational priorities for the Upper Klamath Basin are: (1) ESA compliance, (2)
meeting contractual obligations to Klamath Project irrigators, and (3) providing water to the
Lower Klamath NWR when ESA and contractual obligations have been met. These operational
priorities mandate active water management throughout the year in accordance with the
operational descriptions above. Specific EWA management is a critical element of the overall
water management mandates. EWA management must meet or exceed IGD target flows, meet
or exceed UKL recommended elevations, and provide flow variability in the Klamath River and
variability in UKL levels that mimic the natural flow regime and are representative of hydrologic
conditions.
The purpose of Environmental Water Management is to effectively and efficiently use a broad
range of technical expertise to implement EWA use under the coordination of a EWA Manager
(Manager). Water management is proposed to meet ecological objectives for coho salmon (and
other species) in the Klamath River while considering the ecological needs of listed suckers in
UKL.
The Manager will coordinate with a Flow Account Scheduling Technical Advisory (FASTA)
Team to integrate and synthesize technical recommendations from the FASTA Team members.
The primary role of the Manager is to coordinate with the FASTA Team to determine how to
manage and optimize the EWA in real-time operations to best meet the needs of coho salmon in
the Klamath River while balancing the needs of listed suckers in UKL. The Manager also will
coordinate with PacifiCorp regarding required flows at Link River Dam and IGD. The Manager
will be employed by Reclamation, and is responsible for providing information and
recommendations to Reclamation’s Klamath Basin Area Manager.
4.2.6.1 EWA Management Process
The Manager and FASTA Team will use January and February NRCS 50 percent exceedance
forecasts for UKL net inflow and other relevant hydrologic and meteorological data to evaluate
probable EWA volumes and distribution for the spring/summer. As the irrigation season
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