NEW PROJECT AT KLAMATH LAKE AIMS TO TRANSFORM ALGAE AND GREEN MIDGE CONTAMINATED LAKE INTO CRYSTAL CLEAR BOATING PARADISE. THE LAKE IS SCHEDULED TO BE DRAINED AND REFILLED THIS YEAR.
Tired of the stinky green algae waters and pesky green midges every August? A new lake overhaul program is set to correct these problems and make Klamath Lake a boater’s dream!
The new lake transplant project will be underway this spring and will be completed in four phases. It is expected the lake will be open for recreation by summer of 2025.
Phase 1: Lake Draining
Now that the Klamath River dams are out of the way and can allow for rapid water flows, Klamath Lake will be drained! The dam removal project has created ample room to handle the sudden draining of the lake. Reclamation experts are expecting that the draining of the lake will take around a month and begin in early April. A temporary fish holding tank will be constructed in the area of Moore Park to protect existing fish in the lake while the water is transplanted.
Phase 2: Lake Scooping Project
After the lake is drained, excavators will then dig out 40 additional feet of the lake bottom to create an environment less supportive of algae growth. At the same time all of the midge eggs will be sifted and collected form the remaining muck in the lake. A federally funded equity program to protect the midge species will collect the eggs before they hatch in August and move them to a neighboring county. The equity program aims to provide equal opportunity for midges to thrive in other counties and local leaders feel they have been in Klamath County long enough. As of press time, the program administrator, Carlos Pena told Klamath Alerts he expects the midges to be relocated to Lake County, Oregon. Pena said a final decision on the new home for the midges has not been made yet and several counties are still under consideration. He hopes a decision will be made by the time the lake is drained.
Phase 3: Refill the lake
After phase 2 is completed, the lake will be refilled. Multiple water trucking companies have been hired to transport clean and clear water from both Crater Lake and Shasta Lake to refill and replenish the drained water from Klamath Lake. The clear water will flush out all of the algae and refill the lake. The lake refill phase is expected to take most of the summer. The fish in the temporary holding tank at Moore Park will then be released back into the lake.
Phase 4: Lake open for recreation
After the lake is filled to the top with clean and clear water, it will be open for recreation! Klamath County is expected to begin issuing house boat permits and a new resort is being considered near Moore Park. The new clean lake will likely attract hundreds of boating tourists and houseboat enthusiasts from around the region, giving Klamath County a much needed economic boost. The “new” lake should be ready by summer of 2025 if the project can remain on schedule.
We hope you enjoyed this year’s April 1st story and that it gave you a laugh. We look forward to posting another one next year… stay tuned.
In case you missed our April 1st posts from the last few years:
https://klamathalerts.com/2023/04/01/train-mountain-offers-new-passenger-service-to-portland/