The Klamath Basin provides a disproportionately high abundance of important habitat for waterfowl and waterbirds during spring and fall migration and the breeding season. The Basin is characterized by a complex set of water-related challenges that require sensitivity to partner readiness and timing. In 2018, the IWJV launched the Water 4 program to bring diverse stakeholders together to address water challenges and achieve multiple benefits.

In the Klamath Basin, that means (among many other things) highlighting the history of collaboration between agricultural producers and refuge managers in sustaining habitat for waterfowl, sage grouse, and a host of other species. A series of articles created in 2020 portrays the connections between local agriculture, wetlands conservation, and wildlife habitat through the lens of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge programs and successful partnerships and agricultural producers.