Idaho - Restoring Stream Flows in Key River Basins

 
TU has focused on local stream restoration efforts that include water conservation or stream flow protection components and on developing working partnerships with landowners, water users, and state and federal agencies. These parties now recognize TU as a collaborative partner contributing to innovative solutions and a leader committed to improving Idaho's water policies.

On the South Fork of the Snake River, TU is expanding its work along two major tributaries to the South Fork-Garden Creek and Rainey Creek. In 2005, TU reconnected Garden Creek, which irrigators had completely de-watered for more than 100 years. Garden Creek is now accessible as spawning habitat to the Yellowstone cutthroat trout. This success has also led to landowner-driven restoration of Rainey Creek, another important spawning stream for Yellowstone cutthroat trout. TU is pursuing a congressional appropriation to replace multiple diversions that are fish barriers and to improve irrigation systems to conserve water for Rainey Creek. TU is actively working with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to monitor the effects of the newly implemented flow modifications from Palisades Dam. Only two years into the implementation of a more natural flow regime, Yellowstone cutthroat trout are showing signs of successful population recovery, and irrigators have not lost any water.

In central Idaho, TU successfully worked with traditional farming families to remove all but two barriers for ESA-listed bull trout on the Little Lost River. The barriers prevent bull trout from migrating into colder tributaries to spawn. In the next two years, TU plans to remove the remaining barriers in the Little Lost River watershed. In addition, TU is currently working with landowners on Badger Creek to reconnect the stream with the Little Lost River and to restore a half-mile section of Badger Creek. Badger Creek landowners historically diverted all the water for agricultural operations. TU worked with a major producing family to change their point of diversion from Badger Creek to the Little Lost River, which restored flows in Badger Creek. This water right transfer allowed water to remain in Badger Creek and reconnected 6.4 miles of spawning habitat. In addition, TU identified funding that enabled the landowners to convert from flood to sprinkler irrigation. This has resulted in less water diverted for irrigation while increasing the farmer's productivity. To reduce some of the landowners' new costs for pumping, TU hopes to convert their pumps to gravity-fed systems, eliminating tens of thousands of dollars each year in fuel and electricity expenses for the irrigators.

TU is also collaborating with irrigators to initiate flow protection and restoration projects throughout the Big Lost River basin. The Big Lost River is home to a unique subspecies of whitefish, and is a recreational fishery for wild rainbow trout. TU is working with irrigators to provide fish passage around Chilly Diversion, the largest and the last diversion before reaching the headwaters of the Big Lost system. Additionally, TU successfully received funding for two other major cooperative efforts that will be completed in 2006 and 2007. First, the Big Lost River Irrigation District and Water District #34 are partnering with TU to complete a hydrologic assessment on the lower Big Lost, which will help identify ways to get water further downstream for both fish and senior water rights holders. TU is also working with landowners and the irrigation district to put fish ladders or fish bypass channels around five diversions in the lower Big Lost River basin. With these projects, TU will continue building partnerships with irrigators and water user groups in central Idaho.

Finally, TU is working with the City of Pocatello to acquire senior water rights at the headwaters of the Portneuf River, which flows through downtown Pocatello. The city's interest in the water is to dilute its effluent into the river downstream of town and to offset some of its groundwater pumping for domestic purposes. TU's goal is to restore flows to the Portneuf River, a native Yellowstone cutthroat trout fishery that is almost completely diverted 20 miles east of Pocatello. This would be the Idaho Water Project's first collaborative project with a municipality where diverse goals are reached through a water acquisition or leasing project.

These are only a few examples of our ongoing endeavors. TU's Idaho Water Project is focusing both on-the-ground and legislative efforts in headwater streams that offer the most habitat improvement for coldwater fisheries. We are building strong coalitions with irrigators, local lawmakers, and agencies as we work to find ways to provide meaningful protection to Idaho streams.

Idaho Water Project Reports:

Idaho Crossroads, Part I

Idaho Crossroads, Part II

Upper Big Lost River: Finding opportunities to recover a fishery and restore a watershed

Bull Trout Recovery in the Little Lost Basin

Darlington Sinks