Historic Breach Planned at Largest Freshwater Restoration Project in Western U.S.

Jeff McCreary, DU 

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – Dec. 18, 2024 – Ducks Unlimited (DU), in partnership with the Klamath Tribes and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is pleased to announce the historic breach at the Agency Barnes restoration project on Dec. 20 in Chiloquin, Ore. The breach will reconnect nearly 14,000 acres of wetlands with the Upper Klamath Lake and revitalize culturally important habitat for the endangered c’waam and koptu sucker fish.

On Friday morning, Dec. 20, the project contractor, BCI Contracting, Inc., will breach the levee surrounding the project site, allowing water to flow past the dikes for the first time in over 60 years   and restore the connection between wetlands and Upper Klamath Lake.   

“This breach is tremendously important for fish, wildlife, and people. DU is proud to have helped make this day a reality for the Klamath Basin,” said Jeff McCreary, director of operations for DU’s western region. “Reconnecting and restoring wetlands is key to the watershed’s health and a brighter future for the Basin.”

“As one of the largest wetland restoration efforts in the western U.S., the reconnection of the 14,356-acre Agency-Barnes wetland on Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge to Upper Klamath Lake is a pivotal milestone in restoring c’waam and koptu sucker habitat, improving water quality, and increasing water storage capacity in Upper Klamath Lake,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Regional Director Paul Souza. “This effort is a unique win-win-win for the Klamath. It restores a massive wetland that is sacred to the Klamath Tribes. It improves habit for endangered fish and birds on our refuge and in Upper Klamath Lake. And it increases water storage by over 70,000 acre feet, which will help farmers and other refuges. We care deeply about our Tribal Trust responsibilities, conserving endangered species, birds and refuges, and supporting thriving agriculture. We are grateful to be a partner in this work."

In addition to helping endangered fish species, the project is an important stopover for thousands of migrating waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway. The addition of this habitat will help bolster this backbone of the flyway, expanding habitat for waterfowl and other water birds.

“Agency Barnes is a key step for watershed partners, coming together to accomplish long-term, multi-beneficial solutions for the health of the Basin,” said Amelia Raquel, DU’s regional biologist overseeing  this project. “The scale of this project represents meaningful change for the people and species at the heart of it.”   

The breach will conclude the first of three phases of the largest freshwater wetland  restoration project in the Western U.S. Last month, the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife announced $46 million in funding, a significant portion of which will be used to complete Phases 2 and 3 over the coming years. 

Tribal leadership will be available for interviews following the breach at 39278 Modoc Point Rd, Chiloquin, OR 97624, 11 a.m. on Dec. 20. Space is limited at the site, so please RSVP to Molly Jarone, mjarone@ducks.org, by Dec. 19, at 5 p.m. 

For more information, visit www.ducks.org.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 18 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent capital campaign. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
 

Media Contact:
Molly Jarone
(916) 903-9199
mjarone@ducks.org