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KBMP Committees - Roles and Responsibilities
KBMP members
KBMP members are encouraged to participate in full group meetings, serve on KBMP committees, implement water quality monitoring plan, submit data to coordinator, provide input when requested, and participate in decisions.
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Steering Committee
Steering Committee membership reflects the diversity in the basin, with the composition of members including, federal, state (Oregon and California), tribal, non-profit, and private enterprises. The Steering Committee facilitates full group meetings; sets meeting agendas; and guides the KBMP as a whole in an effort to keep workflow going outside of full group meetings. The Steering Committee makes decisions regarding external communication and protocols regarding internal policies and procedures. The steering committee works with the various committees and KBMP staff in an effort to implement the mission and the vision of the program. The Steering Committee defines and applies criteria for disbursement of funds, prioritizes program elements, and provides long-term strategies for program success.
The Steering Committee operates through consensus and collaboration. Each member has equal voice. The chair, co-chair and secretary of the committee shall be elected every year. The role of the chair confers no additional powers or privileges; the co-chair may serve as an alternate to the chair. The role of the chair is to facilitate the meetings and uphold the gradients of agreement. The role of the secretary is to take meeting notes and distribute to members and post on the website, if appropriate. The secretary also records meeting notes at the annual member meeting and facilitates the approval process prior to distribution.
Members
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Monitoring Plan Committee
The monitoring plan committee is responsible for reviewing, updating and maintaining the QAPrP and the various associated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on an as needed basis. The monitoring plan committee is responsible for the development of the water quality monitoring program plan. The monitoring plan committee coordinates with KBMP staff to develop the technical content of the monitoring plan and makes recommendations to the Steering Committee regarding the prioritization of the various components of the monitoring plan. Please refer to the Monitoring Plan for a more detailed description of the role of the Monitoring Committee (http://www.kbmp.net/documents).
Strategic Plan/ Funding Committee
The funding / strategic plan committee identifies funding sources in an effort to implement KBMP program elements, special studies and monitoring plan objectives with the direction of the KBMP steering committee and membership. Please refer to the Strategic Plan for a more detailed description of the role of the Funding / Strategic Plan Committee. (http://www.kbmp.net/documents).
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Blue-green Algae Committee
The blue-green algae committee coordinates BGA monitoring activities, implements protocols for listing and delisting of water bodies, share BGA monitoring data and implements the California / Oregon public health guidance regarding BGA blooms. Please refer to the KBMP website for a more detailed description of the role of the Blue-green Algae Committee (http://www.kbmp.net/collaboration/klamath-blue-green-algae-workgroup).
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Work Groups
Work groups are comprised of experts in a particular field and advise the steering committee. For example, work groups may include the Klamath Fish Health workgroup and the Tribal Water Quality workgroup.
In the Klamath Basin, blue-green algae blooms typically occur between June and October when temperatures rise, and water conditions are favorable for algal growth. Blue-green algae monitoring typically occurs from May to November. If river or lake conditions exceed public health standards for toxic algae, the area is posted with a health advisory sign.
Updated Posting Status
5/28/26- The Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge has been posted at Oregon's Advisory Level due to sample results for microcystin that exceeded Oregon Health Authority thresholds.
5/21/26- Upper Klamath Lake and Agency Lake have been posted at Oregon's Precaution Advisory Level due to visible blooms.
5/21/26- Sample results collected in Tule Lake for microcystin exceed the State of California’s Caution threshold and has been posted for the protection of public health.
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Advisories- For more information, please check California's HAB Incident Reports Map or Oregon's Cyanobacteria Advisories or their Recreational Advisory Map.
Satellite Imagery- Remotely sensed data from satellites can be used to estimate the spatial extent and concentration of both cyanobacteria and chlorophyll-a in large waterbodies. See California's Satellite HAB Map for the latest and historic estimates.
Updates- To get email updates about posting/deposting decisions and other notifications, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to join the Klamath Blue Green Algae Workgroup list serve.
About the Tracker
The BGA Tracker was built to inform the public and research community regarding river conditions. The Tracker utilizes current information to track the planktonic blue-green algae blooms throughout the Klamath Basin. The Blue-Green Algae Tracker identifies blue-green algae public health threats (i.e. exceeds health thresholds identified in the appropriate guidance) by river reaches bounded by public health monitoring locations.
River reaches which exceed applicable criteria for public health are indicated by different colors on the map that vary depending on the number of tiers within each jurisdiction's advisory thresholds. Advisory colors within the map are:
Oregon 
California 
Yurok Tribe 
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Blue-green Algae Official Notifications*
*As part of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) monitoring, notifications were sent out by sampling partners when monitoring results indicated a change to the posting status of waterbodies. Since the KHSA is no longer in effect, these notifications are no longer required, or produced. We retain them here as part of the historical record.
Other Information
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About Blue-green Algae
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are a form of bacteria. Surface scums of blue-green algae are common in the summer months within reservoirs and along the Klamath River. Exposure to blue-green algae can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and other effects. At high levels, exposure can result in serious illness or death. Small children and dogs are particularly susceptible due to their small body size and their potential to ingest water while recreating.
For a more detailed analysis of previous sampling seasons, please refer to the following document:
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Posting Guidelines
Advisory Threshold Guidelines
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the Yurok Tribe each provide their own guidelines for posting advisories in recreation waters. Posting advisory thresholds recommended by the OHA, SWRCB and the Yurok Tribe are summarized in the following table and detailed in links below.
- Oregon - Public Health Advisory Guidelines: Harmful Algae Blooms in Freshwater Bodies (Updated in 2024)
- California
- Yurok Tribe - 2016 Posting Guidelines for Public Health Advisories
De-Posting Criteria
Postings should remain in place until the following criteria are met:
- Oregon
- If posting occurred due to visible scum – lift the posting if cyanotoxin results from the initial sample are below recreational use values (RUV).
- If posting occurred due to exceeding a toxin concentration guideline – lift the posting if cyanotoxin results are below RUV and either there is a commitment to continue bi-weekly sampling until the bloom is gone or bloom is visibly gone.
- California
- Quantitative samples confirm that all cyanotoxins are below all threshold levels AND declining bloom conditions continue for a minimum of two weeks.
- If posting was based on a Secondary Trigger, then either the secondary trigger OR primary triggers should no longer be exceeded (cell densities of toxin producers are below 4,000 cells/mL and no scums are visible.
- All evidence indicates the bloom is ending and favorable conditions are decreasing.
- Yurok Tribe
- Toxin Analysis- Two consecutive toxin sampling events (minimum of 1 week apart) with results below posting guidelines. (If the blue-green algae present is known to produce microcystin and anatoxin-a, it is recommended that both toxins be tested prior to lifting an advisory).
- No visible scums present.
- In some situations there may be reason, such as reported illness, to prolong the advisory beyond the recommended waiting period.
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Blue-green Algae Public Health Monitoring
Blue-green algae is monitored for potential risk to public health and to establish baseline condtions for Microcystis aeruginosa cell counts and microcystin toxin levels. Public health monitoring is conducted by PacifiCorp, Karuk Tribe, and Yurok Tribe. Public health monitoring occurs within the reservoirs (Copco and Iron Gate) and Klamath River mainstem from May - November. Copco and Iron Gate reservoirs are monitored once a month in May and twice per month from June through November (omitting August and September).The Klamath River mainstem from below Iron Gate dam to the estuary are monitored twice per month in June, July and October and weekly in August and September. Baseline monitoring is conducted by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp, Karuk Tribe, and Yurok Tribe from below Link Dam to the estuary. Baseline monitoring occurs monthly and seasonally from May - November. The blue-green algae tracker consists of both public health and baseline monitoring data. This monitoring effort is part of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) monitoring funded by PacifiCorp.
(Click on map to enlarge)
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Statewide Guidance on Harmful Algal Blooms recommends the following
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Health Advisory Posters
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Microcystin Toxin in Fish and Freshwater Mussels
Background
In an effort to better inform the public and tribal communities regarding potentially toxic algae (cyanobacteria) blooms, and toxins affecting fish and freshwater mussels, the Klamath Basin Monitoring Program has developed an on-line interactive map for tracking blue-green algae and toxins throughout the Klamath Basin. This work is supported by the Public Health component of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) funded by PacifiCorp. The public health monitoring region encompasses the mainstem Klamath River from Link Dam in Oregon to the estuary, in California including several mainstem tributaries. The monitoring is part of a multi-agency effort by the Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp, Karuk, and Yurok Tribes to provide data on cyanobacteria and related toxins to support public health decisions.
During the summer months in the Klamath Basin blooms of toxigenic algae (Microcystis aeruginosa) and other related species of algae (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Anabaena flos-aquae, and Oscillatoria sp.) are common in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs. M. aeruginosaproduces a toxin, microcystin, a hepatotoxin which affects the liver. The toxigenic algae has been documented hundreds of miles downstream and in some years is found near the mouth of the Klamath River. Large blooms of M. aeruginosa create surface scums which may cover the entire surface of a waterbody (For a detailed map of monitoring locations and bloom conditions, please refer to the Blue-green Algae Tracker). Organisms such as fresh water mussels and yellow perch can ingest M. aeruginosa and there is the potential that the toxin can bioaccumulate in the tissue.
Freshwater Mussels
In 2007 and 2009, the Karuk and Yurok Tribes conducted tissue analysis of fresh water mussels collected from the Klamath River mainstem. The results indicated a seasonal pattern of microcystin congeners beginning in July and persisting through December. In 2009 levels of microcystin congeners found in fresh water mussels frequently exceed the lifetime* total daily intake for a child weighing 22 pounds. In some cases, a single meal of fresh water mussels posed an acute* exceedance of toxin. The 2009, study also revealed that, while concentrations of microcystin in the water column were below levels of concern, substantial microcystin bioaccumulation occurred at all study locations. The results of this study, partially funded by the KHSA monitoring, suggest that consumption of freshwater mussels from the Klamath River mainstem should be exercised with extreme caution.
For more information please refer to the following report:
*Acute Total Intake (250 ppb): single exposure event (e.g. week-end fishing trip). Seasonal Total Daily Intake (40 ppb): ongoing, “daily” exposure for several weeks during the cyanobacterial season. Lifetime Total Daily Intake (4 ppb): ongoing “daily” exposure for many months in settings where microcystin-producing cyanobacteria proliferate perennially.
Fish Tissue
In contrast to fresh water mussels, yellow perch sampled in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs in 2009 had no detectable levels of microcystin. However, the results from yellow perch sampled from Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs have varied for microcystin over the past few years. Sampling conducted in the summer of 2007, found levels of microcystin in yellow perch fish tissue collected from Copco and Iron Gate reservoirs, exceeding the advisory level of 26 nanograms total microcystin/gram tissue. In 2008 PacifiCorp sampled yellow perch and crappie from Iron Gate and Copco Reservoirs, and rainbow trout from the Klamath River before, during, and after the bloom season; all tissue samples were non-detect for microcystin.
The presence of microcystin in fish tissue remains a health concern for the public and tribal communities.
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Related Links
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About Blue-green Algae
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are a form of bacteria. Surface scums of blue-green algae are common in the summer months within reservoirs and along the Klamath River. Exposure to blue-green algae can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and other effects. At high levels, exposure can result in serious illness or death. Small children and dogs are particularly susceptible due to their small body size and their potential to ingest water while recreating.
For a more detailed analysis of previous sampling seasons, please refer to the following document:
-
Posting Guidelines
Advisory Threshold Guidelines
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the Yurok Tribe each provide their own guidelines for posting advisories in recreation waters. Posting advisory thresholds recommended by the OHA, SWRCB and the Yurok Tribe are summarized in the following table and detailed in links below.
- Oregon - Public Health Advisory Guidelines: Harmful Algae Blooms in Freshwater Bodies (Updated in 2024)
- California
- Yurok Tribe - 2016 Posting Guidelines for Public Health Advisories
De-Posting Criteria
Postings should remain in place until the following criteria are met:
- Oregon
- If posting occurred due to visible scum – lift the posting if cyanotoxin results from the initial sample are below recreational use values (RUV).
- If posting occurred due to exceeding a toxin concentration guideline – lift the posting if cyanotoxin results are below RUV and either there is a commitment to continue bi-weekly sampling until the bloom is gone or bloom is visibly gone.
- California
- Quantitative samples confirm that all cyanotoxins are below all threshold levels AND declining bloom conditions continue for a minimum of two weeks.
- If posting was based on a Secondary Trigger, then either the secondary trigger OR primary triggers should no longer be exceeded (cell densities of toxin producers are below 4,000 cells/mL and no scums are visible.
- All evidence indicates the bloom is ending and favorable conditions are decreasing.
- Yurok Tribe
- Toxin Analysis- Two consecutive toxin sampling events (minimum of 1 week apart) with results below posting guidelines. (If the blue-green algae present is known to produce microcystin and anatoxin-a, it is recommended that both toxins be tested prior to lifting an advisory).
- No visible scums present.
- In some situations there may be reason, such as reported illness, to prolong the advisory beyond the recommended waiting period.
-
Blue-green Algae Public Health Monitoring
Blue-green algae is monitored for potential risk to public health and to establish baseline condtions for Microcystis aeruginosa cell counts and microcystin toxin levels. Public health monitoring is conducted by PacifiCorp, Karuk Tribe, and Yurok Tribe. Public health monitoring occurs within the reservoirs (Copco and Iron Gate) and Klamath River mainstem from May - November. Copco and Iron Gate reservoirs are monitored once a month in May and twice per month from June through November (omitting August and September).The Klamath River mainstem from below Iron Gate dam to the estuary are monitored twice per month in June, July and October and weekly in August and September. Baseline monitoring is conducted by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp, Karuk Tribe, and Yurok Tribe from below Link Dam to the estuary. Baseline monitoring occurs monthly and seasonally from May - November. The blue-green algae tracker consists of both public health and baseline monitoring data. This monitoring effort is part of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) monitoring funded by PacifiCorp.
(Click on map to enlarge)
-
Statewide Guidance on Harmful Algal Blooms recommends the following
-
Health Advisory Posters
-
Microcystin Toxin in Fish and Freshwater Mussels
Background
In an effort to better inform the public and tribal communities regarding potentially toxic algae (cyanobacteria) blooms, and toxins affecting fish and freshwater mussels, the Klamath Basin Monitoring Program has developed an on-line interactive map for tracking blue-green algae and toxins throughout the Klamath Basin. This work is supported by the Public Health component of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) funded by PacifiCorp. The public health monitoring region encompasses the mainstem Klamath River from Link Dam in Oregon to the estuary, in California including several mainstem tributaries. The monitoring is part of a multi-agency effort by the Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp, Karuk, and Yurok Tribes to provide data on cyanobacteria and related toxins to support public health decisions.
During the summer months in the Klamath Basin blooms of toxigenic algae (Microcystis aeruginosa) and other related species of algae (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Anabaena flos-aquae, and Oscillatoria sp.) are common in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs. M. aeruginosaproduces a toxin, microcystin, a hepatotoxin which affects the liver. The toxigenic algae has been documented hundreds of miles downstream and in some years is found near the mouth of the Klamath River. Large blooms of M. aeruginosa create surface scums which may cover the entire surface of a waterbody (For a detailed map of monitoring locations and bloom conditions, please refer to the Blue-green Algae Tracker). Organisms such as fresh water mussels and yellow perch can ingest M. aeruginosa and there is the potential that the toxin can bioaccumulate in the tissue.
Freshwater Mussels
In 2007 and 2009, the Karuk and Yurok Tribes conducted tissue analysis of fresh water mussels collected from the Klamath River mainstem. The results indicated a seasonal pattern of microcystin congeners beginning in July and persisting through December. In 2009 levels of microcystin congeners found in fresh water mussels frequently exceed the lifetime* total daily intake for a child weighing 22 pounds. In some cases, a single meal of fresh water mussels posed an acute* exceedance of toxin. The 2009, study also revealed that, while concentrations of microcystin in the water column were below levels of concern, substantial microcystin bioaccumulation occurred at all study locations. The results of this study, partially funded by the KHSA monitoring, suggest that consumption of freshwater mussels from the Klamath River mainstem should be exercised with extreme caution.
For more information please refer to the following report:*Acute Total Intake (250 ppb): single exposure event (e.g. week-end fishing trip). Seasonal Total Daily Intake (40 ppb): ongoing, “daily” exposure for several weeks during the cyanobacterial season. Lifetime Total Daily Intake (4 ppb): ongoing “daily” exposure for many months in settings where microcystin-producing cyanobacteria proliferate perennially.
Fish Tissue
In contrast to fresh water mussels, yellow perch sampled in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs in 2009 had no detectable levels of microcystin. However, the results from yellow perch sampled from Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs have varied for microcystin over the past few years. Sampling conducted in the summer of 2007, found levels of microcystin in yellow perch fish tissue collected from Copco and Iron Gate reservoirs, exceeding the advisory level of 26 nanograms total microcystin/gram tissue. In 2008 PacifiCorp sampled yellow perch and crappie from Iron Gate and Copco Reservoirs, and rainbow trout from the Klamath River before, during, and after the bloom season; all tissue samples were non-detect for microcystin.The presence of microcystin in fish tissue remains a health concern for the public and tribal communities.
Related Links
Want to learn more about the Klamath but without reading? There are a growing number of great podcasts that have covered issues like water quality, fisheries recovery, and restoration in the Klamath Basin.
Listen at the links below or on your favorite podcast app.
The Evergreen
Oregon Public Broadcasting's weekly podcast The Evergreen has a few episodes on the Klamath River
- The Largest Dam Removal Project in the US (March 11, 2024)
- What Klamath Dam Removal Means to Tribes (March 18, 2024)
What it Takes to Take Down a Dam
A podcast about the context, science, and engineering of the Klamath Dam Removals. This podcast series was produced by Desiree Tullos and Miranda Bour with Oregon State University as part of the project Water Quality, Ecology, and Equitable Decisions in the Klamath. (August, 2023)
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Episode 1: Why did we do this??
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Episode 2: I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing this for my kids (with Barry McCovey of the Yurok Tribe)
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Episode 3: The healing process has begun (with Mark Bransom of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation)
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Episode 4: Getting to the dam removal decision (with Bob Gravely of PacifiCorp)
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Episode 5: How Gwen sleeps at night: communication, expertise, and partnering in the project of a career (with Gwen Santos of Resource Environmental Solutions)
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Episode 6: The fish will figure it out (with Tommy Williams of NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center)
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Episode 7: Lessons in adaptive environmental permitting (with Chris Stine of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality)
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Episode 8: There will be mud! Sediment and water quality in the Klamath River following dam removal (with Chauncey Anderson of the US Geological Survey- retired)
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Episode 9: A lot to celebrate: Whitewater guides talk Klamath dams and dam removals (with three guides from Indigo Creek Outfitters)
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Episode 10: It feels like we have no control (with Francis Gill and Danny Fontaine - Copco Lake landowners)
Fish Water People
California Trout's Fish Water People podcast series talks to the individuals involved in science, policy, restoration, and community engagement, with the occasional fish story. Klamath-relevant podcasts below:
- Breaking Barriers: Inside the Klamath Dam Removal Project, with Mark Bransom (April 16th, 2024)
- Win-Wins for Rivers and Ranches, with Mike Belchik, Damon Goodman, and Gareth Plank (March 15th, 2024)
- Undamming the Klamath, with Amy Cordalis and Mark Bransom (August 10, 2023)
Beaver State Podcast
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlfe's Beaver State Podcast covers hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing in Oregon.
Podcasts about Dam Removal
- The Story Behind the Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History (Science Friday Podcast on October 9, 2025)
- A Watershed Moment (Undammed: The Klamath River Story by American Rivers on September 9, 2024)
- That Dam Removal Project (Unfold, a podcast by UC Davis on July 15, 2024)
- Restoring the Klamath River and a Way of Life (The Excerpt Podcast on February 22, 2024)
- Restoring the Klamath River Basin: The Largest Dam Removal Project in the World (NOAA Fisheries Podcast on August 4, 2023)
- Klamath Dam Removal with Ann Willis- American Rivers, Snake River, Salmon (Wet Fly Swing Podcast on September 11, 2023)
- Lessons from the Klamath Dams (The River Rambler Podcast on January 24, 2023)
Other Related Podcasts
- The Klamath River Water Crisis and its Lessons on Climate Change (WBUR Podcast on September 2, 2021)
- Living Downstream: The Klamath Water Wars (Northern California Public Media Podcast recorded in 2018)
- Water Talk: A podcast series for the water curious (Water Talk Podcast - Four seasons available)
- Klamath Lake Redband Trout (Beaver State Podcast on May 28, 2021)
- The Water We Eat: Tackling the Groundwater Dilemma (Unfold podcast on April 25, 2023)
- How to spot harmful algae blooms in Oregon lakes and rivers (Jefferson Public Radio on May 13, 2026)
Many documents can be found in the pages below, including research, KBMP's guiding documents, presentations, and many others.
KBMP Meetings
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Presentations, agendas, etc. from KBMP meetings. Great resources!
KBMP Documents
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Guidance documents for KBMP membership, monitoring plan, QA/QC, etc.
Document Library
- Peer-reviewed and agency literature relating to the Klamath River and water quality
- Also includes links to document libraries compiled by other organizations
Monitoring Plan
- Foundation for collaborative water quality monitoring among KBMP members
Water Quality Status and Trends
- Assessment of nutrient and continuous water quality data
Program information coming soon!
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