Klamath Drainage District sued for breach of contract

The Bureau of Reclamation filed suit against Klamath Drainage District last week for diverting water during a year characterized in the lawsuit by “extreme drought conditions,” citing a breach of contract. The lawsuit states that as a junior contractor, no water has been made available through the project supply to KDD in 2022, “barring dramatic shifts in hydrological conditions.”

The lawsuit came as a surprise to KDD general manager Scott White who said the district maintains state rights to divert water, even in cases when Reclamation designates none of their project supply to KDD. He said that KDD owns all of their own infrastructure, which is unique compared to other districts.