By Clark Corbin; Idaho Capital Sun Idaho Capital Sun Idaho state officials are hopeful that the approximately $3 million effort to kill invasive quagga mussels detected in the Snake River in September was successful. But they don’t expect to know if they wiped out all of the mussels until waters warm up and water sampling surveys resume next spring. The plan to kill the mussels involved treating a 16-mile section of the Snake River near Twin Falls with a copper-based chemical that was hazardous to mussels and fish and required state officials to airlift boats into otherwise inaccessible portions of the river. Some state employees even camped on tiny islands and river banks for days on end in an effort to kill the mussels before they could reproduce rapidly, which…
By Jennifer Solis; Idaho Capital Sun California, Arizona and Nevada agreed to collectively reduce water use by at least 3 million acre-feet through end of 2026 The plan by three states to reduce water use by millions of acre-feet is sufficient to keep major reservoirs in the West from reaching critically low levels and prevent additional water cuts — at least temporarily. (Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current) A robust water year for the Colorado River has given states that rely on the mighty waterway a few more years of stability as climate change takes its toll, federal officials said Wednesday. Last year, federal officials gave Western states two options to protect the over-allocated Colorado River from the effects of a two-decade megadrought: Either reach a consensus to voluntarily reduce water use or…
By Jude Binkley; KTVB Quagga mussels. TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Crews are on the Snake River working to treat and eradicate quagga mussels. It has been just over two weeks since the invasive mussels were found in a section of the river near Twin Falls. Since then, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has done extensive sampling around the mid-Snake River, finding veligers - the larval form of the mussels - between the Twin Falls Dam area and Centennial Waterfront Park. A plume with an adult quagga mussel was also found near Shoshone Falls. Crews are working to deploy containers full of a copper-based formulation called "Natrix" as a treatment to eradicate the mussels. The ISDA says they are acting fast and aggressively to stop an issue that has…
By Bill Schaefer; Capital Press POCATELLO, Idaho — A diverse group of 13 water users met Sept. 13 to review the 2015 agreement between groundwater and surface water users and its impact on the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. The group's job is to draft amendments to the agreement or a new management plan that will help restore the aquifer without harming senior or junior water rights holders. IDWR Director Gary Spackman tasked James Cefalo, the IDWR eastern regional manager, with organizing the advisory committee. In 2016, Spackman designated the aquifer as a Ground Water Management Area. A GWMA designates all or part of a groundwater basin that may be approaching conditions of a Critical Ground Water Area. Idaho aquifer Under a GWMA, applications for new water appropriations may be approved…
Magic Valley Times News Salmon spawning. Restrictions on the Upper Main Salmon River within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area begin Aug. 15. These restrictions are in effect each summer to provide spawning salmon their best chance to successfully lay their eggs in the gravels of the Salmon River, over 900 miles from the Pacific Ocean. On Aug. 15, the following stretches of river are closed to boating: Buckhorn Bridge to Stanley, Mormon Bend to Yankee Fork, and Torrey’s Takeout to the Eastern boundary of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. At this time, Indian Riffles and Torrey’s Hole are designated Quiet Zones. Quiet Zones require boaters to seek deep water, remain in their boats, and minimize paddling or other activities that may disturb spawning fish. Lower O’Brien Campground, the river side…
By Clark Corbin; Idaho Capital Sun The south fork of the Snake River runs for more than 60 miles across southeastern Idaho. (Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management) The Idaho Department of Water Resources won’t be shutting off the water for hundreds of groundwater users pumping off the Eastern Snake Plan Aquifer in Idaho at this point in the summer. Last week, Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Gary Spackman found that there was no water demand shortfall for surface water users based on mid-summer water supplies and crop demand, the department announced in a press release issued Thursday. As a result of Spackman’s decision, it will not be necessary to curtail, or shut off the water, for the junior groundwater users, according to the press release. That’s good news…
By Drew Pendleton; Dept. of Health and Welfare As temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of a cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (cyanoHAB). CyanoHABs are caused by cyanobacteria, and the toxins they produce are harmful to humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife. CyanoHABs can change and increase rapidly if conditions are right. They favor warm water, sunlight, and specific nutrients in the water. These blooms can last throughout the summer into fall. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) samples and analyzes Idaho water bodies for cyanoHABs. The test results are provided to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) and local public health districts, and they decide if a health advisory should be issued. For information on advisories, visit the DHW’s Idaho Recreational Water Advisories map for more information. The…
By Mia Maldonado; Idaho Capital Sun The U.S. Geological Survey announced it will soon begin measuring groundwater levels across southern Idaho, according to a Monday press release. Survey employees working with the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation will measure groundwater levels in more than 1,400 private and public wells in the eastern Snake River Plain between April 3-14. The region’s aquifer is the area’s primary source of drinking water and irrigation for 1 million acres of farmland in the state aquaculture industry, according to the news release. The collected data will help water experts understand the status of the aquifer ahead of the irrigation season, and the IDWR will use the data to improve its computer model of the aquifer. Water technicians collect aquifer measurements…
WATERSHED WEEKENDS Free family fun! Go with the flow to the WaterShed every third Saturday of each month from 10AM – 1PM for fun activities the whole family can enjoy! No pre-registration required. BLOCKFest™ SATURDAY, March 18th - FREE ACTIVITIES 10 AM – 1 PM Join us today for free STEM activities at BLOCKFest™ building stations. KEVA® planks, large foam blocks, small counting cubes and more will be available around the exhibit hall for children of all ages to build and play. You can also create fun mosaic art inspired by the blocks and cubes. Finally, enjoy our River Campus water feature as it's turned back on for the season!
By Brad Carlson; Capital Press Palisades Reservoir on the Upper Snake River in eastern Idaho. Comstock Upper Snake River managers are watching the basin’s important east side, where headwater areas so far have seen comparatively less benefit from recent Pacific storms. Snowpack to date for the Oct. 1 water year is looking good, but total precipitation in the east is trailing the other smaller sub-basins, said Brian Stevens, area water operations manager for the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Snake Field Office in Heyburn, Idaho. “The eastern side of the Upper Snake basin is by far the largest contributor to runoff volumes in the system, and we still need above-average precipitation for the rest of the winter and spring — into late June — to have potential to fill the system,”…
