A controversial project that fired up the national debate between farmer's water rights and the protection of endangered fish is up and running for this year's irrigation season.

The new fish-screening system at the Klamath Reclamation Project's A Canal is an important first step in solving ongoing issues related to water allocations for the region's farmers and the protection of endangered fish, according to authorities at the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which administers the region's water resources.

Slayden Construction Inc. of Stayton worked against time, a difficult construction site and public scrutiny to finish the $10.8 million project before April 1. The new A Canal is located on Upper Klamath Lake where it meets the Link River, about 2 miles northwest of downtown Klamath Falls.

"This project was really a unique challenge for us because of the tight construction timeline, the restricted site and the potential for winter weather that could have disrupted the process," said Slayden President Todd Woodley. "Luckily, the weather cooperated and we actually finished a few days ahead of schedule."

Dennis Dorratcague, project manager for Montgomery Watson Harza Inc., which partnered with Slayden on the effort, said the firm initially designed the project to be completed by July. However, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton's resolution that the A Canal be fully operational by April 1 meant designers had to work extra hours.

The job involved replacing the 95-year-old headgates at the A Canal with a new irrigation system that will prevent endangered suckers from being killed in the canals. Slayden replaced the worn steel and concrete structure with new headgates that will block adult fish and debris.

Fine-meshed screens installed downstream will prevent sucker larvae from entering the canals. Instead, a 24-in. bypass pipe will carry them back to Klamath Lake.

Construction began in October with the demolition of the old headgates and the excavation and removal of about 25,000 cu. yds. of dirt in less than a week. Concrete construction took place throughout November, with more than 6,000 cu. yds. poured during the holidays. Metals installation occurred throughout January and into late February.

The project was completed March 20, leaving just 10 days for testing before the irrigation season began.

"The project moved so quickly that it was amazing to see the changes that took place from day to day," Woodley said.

As part of the testing period, a 500-ft. section between the old headgates and the new screen was filled with water for a wet test of the screen cleaners, which sweep algae and other debris from the fish screens. The trash rake and pump were also tested.

The new headgates were lifted slightly and closed during the wet test to ensure they operated correctly.

Since the region's farming community receives all of its irrigation water from the 220,000-acre federal Klamath Project, the improvements carried significant weight, according to Alan Stroppini, project manager for the Bureau of Reclamation. Stroppini said issues related to water use for farmers and the protection of fish continue to cause concern for the bureau, but completion of the fish-screening system is an important start in addressing such concerns.

"The good news is there are efforts to mitigate problems downstream of the project," he added. "The improvements we've made in screening fish through the A Canal appear to be a successful start to solving those problems.

"One of the things that was stellar about this project was the cooperation between the public and private sectors. We had an excellent contractor and engineer come in, and we were able to meet 18 months ago and make this happen by April 1."

Along with the rigorous construction timeline, the project's proximity to residential areas meant the site was too confined to for workers to use a stationary crane.

"There wasn't a lot of room to move heavy items and we needed to bring in a tower crane instead," Woodley said.

Environmental impacts were a concern as well. Slayden dumped 1,500 cu. yds. of gravel to create a cofferdam to isolate the Upper Klamath Lake from the headgates of the A Canal during construction, and silt screens were incorporated to minimize the impact of the logboom.

Stroppini said efforts to mitigate environmental concerns reflect a new era at the Bureau of Reclamation.

"One of the things the bureau gets beat up for quite a bit is that there's a perception that we're a water resource organization with this attitude of, 'Damn the torpedoes all the way,'" he added. "To some extent, that perception was true during the 1990s. We've made some adjustments in the way we do business. We still have obligations in terms of providing water and energy resources, but we really try to accommodate the environmental issues as well."

During summer 2001, the controversial project made headlines across the country when the Bureau of Reclamation reduced irrigation for farms to protect suckers listed under the Endangered Species Act. The water reduction ignited a series of protests by local farmers during one of the worst droughts in the region's history.

Federal guards eventually were called in to prevent farmers from illegally opening the headgates to release irrigation water. The protests initiated a scientific review of the government's decision to conserve the water for fish, which eventually was reversed so that farmers received their full allotments of irrigation water in summer 2002.

That memorable summer is preserved in an exhibit at the Klamath County Museum, which includes artifacts such as concrete and steel pieces of the old headgate.