Water Quality Improvement Techniques for the Upper Klamath Basin: A Technical Workshop and Project Conceptual Designs. Final Report.

The Klamath River Water Quality Workshop was held on September 10-13, 2012 in Sacramento, California, to evaluate large-scale techniques for improving water quality in the Upper Klamath Basin and to inform decision-making on nutrient reduction approaches. The workshop focused on upper basin projects to foster a new, healthier equilibrium condition for basin headwaters, to treat both the symptoms and the causes of elevated phosphorus and nitrogen levels, and, ultimately, to support water quality improvements in downstream reaches of the Klamath River. Workshop participants included over 100 attendees representing roughly 13 federal and state (California, Oregon) agencies, multiple tribes, and several consulting firms, academic institutions, and utilities. Six large-scale pollutant reduction techniques were evaluated at the workshop, including the following: wetland restoration (habitat focus), treatment wetlands (water quality focus), diffuse source (decentralized) treatment wetlands, algal filtration, sediment dredging, sediment sequestration of phosphorus and aeration/oxygenation. This report summarizes information presented at the workshop and, based on feedback from workshop participants and the project Steering Committee, presents conceptual designs for pilot projects to improve water quality in the Upper Klamath Basin.