| Summary: | "Seventh draft"; Includes bibliographical references and index The Klamath Project ( Seventh Draft) Eric A. Stene Bureau of Reclamation History Program Denver, Colorado Research on Historic Reclamation Projects 1994 Table of Contents The Klamath Proiect Proiect Location Historic Setting Proiect Authorization Construction History Post- Construction History Settlement of the Proiect Uses of Proiect Water Conclusion Bibliography The Klamath Project The Klamath Project encompasses an alternately barren and wooded area of Oregon and California, an area steeped in history. The lucrative beaver pelt market lured trappers to the area in the early nineteenth century. Peter Skene Ogden, a trapper for the Hudson Bay Fur Company, entered the Klamath vicinity in 1826. Captain John C. Fremont led a U. S. military expedition to the area in 1843. In the 1840s, early pioneers set out across the " great American Desert" of the Great Plains to settle the west coast of the young United States. For most the promise of California and Oregon lay ahead. The rugged landscape drew farmers to its fertile valleys for nearly a century. Increased agriculture led to increasing demand for irrigation, culminating in construction of the Klamath Project. Project Location The Klamath Project covers territory in Klamath County, Oregon, and Siskiyou and Modoc Counties in northern California. Klamath Falls, Merrill, Bonanza, and Malin, Oregon and Tulelake, California, comprise communities on the project. Clear Lake Dam and Reservoir, Tule Lake, and Lower Klamath Lake lie south of the Oregon- California border. Gerber Dam and Reservoir, Upper Klamath Lake, Link River Dam, Lost River, Miller, Malone, and Anderson- Rose Diversion Dams occupy Oregon territory. Temperatures on the project range from - 24 to 105 degrees. Historic Setting Settlers carved their niche in Oregon Territory after fur trappers paved the way. In the first century of the United States' history, agriculture remained king here. Most pioneers set down roots to begin farming. As in ...
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