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Study forecasts shortages of water The county board wanted an overall look at the issue and hoped it would help save Elk Creek Dam By JILL BRISKEY Dry years with little rain and a growing population will create water shortages in Jackson County during the next 50 years, a recent study confirms. The report also suggests that residents using water in the Bear Creek Valley for irrigation - particularly those in Sams Valley - will be hit the hardest. "The purpose of this study was to establish what are our uses and what are our needs," said geologist Eric Dittmer, who compiled the report with Bill Ryan, a CH2M Hill engineer. Research for the project kicked off in 2000 at the request of county Commissioner Sue Kupillas. Commissioners billed the project as a comprehensive look into water resources. However, commissioners also hoped the study would produce information to persuade the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers against notching Elk Creek Dam. The study included a wide range of local and state water experts who examined needs and availability now through 2050. It was funded through grants, although additional cost details were not available Friday. The report revealed that municipal and industrial water needs are currently being met in the Rogue Valley. However, cities served by the Medford Water Commission in 2050 will face a shortfall of more than 2,959 acre-feet if the water supply remains constant and population increases as expected. One acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons, or enough to cover an acre with a foot of water. That amount can supply a family of five with enough water for one year. Dittmer said conservation efforts through education and system improvements will turn the tide - factors that are already being researched and implemented in Medford. Ashland, Shady Cove, Sams Valley and parts of White City are also exploring options to update their water supplies to meet with increased demands. "We're doing fine in normal years," Dittmer said. "Certainly, this report suggests we do all we can." Bob Hunter of the conservation group WaterWatch, which advocates notching Elk Creek Dam, said the county should consider conservation a better alternative to costly water storage and distribution. Even if Elk Creek Dam was finished for water storage rather than notched to ease fish passage, the county would have to spend millions to use the water because there is no distribution system in place, Hunter said. "If the needs significantly change in the future the notch can be repaired," Hunter said. "(But) there's all kinds of ways we can use water more effectively in the Rogue Valley basin. "The water's just not needed today. The benefits just aren't there." The study also looked at farm use of water, by far the largest need in the community, Dittmer said. Residents in the Bear Creek Valley need approximately 150,000 acre-feet of water each year for irrigation. Roughly 30,000 of that is imported from the Klamath Basin. During dry years, the study anticipates an overall shortfall of 43,000 acre-feet. Sams Valley could face a 30,000-acre-foot deficit. Improving irrigation methods and refining water distribution practices by irrigation districts will cut the anticipated deficit. However, Dittmer said it's a costly procedure. Yearly, between 50,000 and 60,000 acre-feet of water is pumped to Southern Oregon from the Klamath Basin. However, 30,000 acre-feet is lost from canals through evaporation and infiltration, Dittmer said. Improving the system could stem water loss, but might cost upwards of $50 million. The study also reported that expanding or creating more storage would help eliminate future shortfalls. Dittmer said opportunities include Elk Creek, which could provide 66,000 acre-feet of water, and expanding Agate Reservoir, adding another 13,000 acre-feet of storage. However, Dittmer added that the report only reflects options for the county. It does not advocate any course of action, particularly in reference to Elk Creek Dam. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485 or [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.