BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Water Resource Board (Board) voted to authorize $1.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to establish a brand-new aquifer-recharge website near Idaho Falls as part of efforts to increase Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) recharge capability in the Upper Snake River location above Milner Dam.
Known as the “55th Road” recharge website, the job lies around 7 miles northeast of Idaho Falls beside Highway 26. It would make use of an old, 8.6-acre gravel pit that has actually been bought by the Enterprize Canal Co. The website is approximated to have a recharge capability of 45 cubic feet per second. About half of the recharged water would stay in the ESPA for an approximated 1.5-2 years prior to going back to the Snake River as “reach gains” in between Idaho Falls and Neeley, authorities said.
Partners in ESPA healing efforts were welcomed to comment at the Board conference on aquifer recharge activities. Officials with the Twin Falls Canal Company, an essential gamer in the Surface Water Coalition, advised the Board to do more aquifer-recharge in the Upper Snake area and in the Blackfoot-to-Neeley river reach to increase Snake River surface area water streams and “reach gains.”
“That part of the river is critical to us – it’s a hot spot that needs to be addressed,” said John Simpson, a lawyer for Twin Falls Canal Co. “Shorter aquifer-retention times are OK in that area because it will add to surface water flows.”
More surface area water streams for Snake River irrigators might help in reducing dispute with ground water irrigators, too, Simpson said.
Wesley Hipke, recharge program supervisor for the Board, noted he and IDWR staff have actually been actively searching for more trustworthy aquifer-recharge websites in the Upper Snake River Valley for the last 8 years. Many of the possible websites depend on the schedule of surplus tank storage in the Upper Snake system. During dry years, there is no surplus water for aquifer-recharge when the Bureau of Reclamation is working to store every drop of water to fill up the tank system for watering requirements, he kept in mind.
Idaho Ground Water Appropriators (IGWA) authorities likewise provided to the Board and revealed assistance for advancement of extra recharge websites to increase yearly recharge quantities beyond the 250,000 acre-feet yearly typical target each year. Idaho Power Co. authorities advised the Board to think about the value of winter season surplus streams for other river requirements such as water quality, leisure and hydropower.
“We feel you need to focus on more than just the volume of recharge,” said Kresta Davis of Idaho Power.
In other action, the Board got an update from IDWR hydrogeologist Mike McVay about the status of various ground water circulation designs in the state. McVay reported a brand-new Treasure Valley Ground Water Flow Model has actually been finished and is available for public usage. The design utilizes an upgraded water spending plan for the Treasure Valley, that includes discharge information for farming drains pipes – a significant source of recharge for Treasure Valley aquifers – and it can be utilized as a tool to comprehend local effects positioned by brand-new water jobs, real estate advancements, or big industrial and commercial jobs, to name a few things, McVay said.
IDWR is working to build, preserve, improve and utilize ground water circulation designs for the Spokane-Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, the ESPA (ESPAM 2.2), Wood River Basin, Big Lost River Basin, Raft River Basin, and the Mountain Home aquifer system, McVay said.
“I am in awe of what the Water Board and IDWR staff are doing to maintain all of those models,” IDWR Director Gary Spackman said. “It’s imperative we have that information because it provides scientific support for decisions about water rights and water management.”
In other action, the Board:
- Approved a $200,000 loan at 7.5 percent interest to the Boise City Canal Company. The loan is to change the canal business’s primary headgate and make other enhancements. The overall job cost is $422,000. The canal business likewise got a $122,000 aging facilities grant from the Water Board for the job. Boise City Canal Company serves about 750 city houses in the Boise location.
- Received an update on the Mountain Home Air Force Base Water Resiliency Project. The job is a collaboration in between the U.S. Air Force and the Board to supply a brand-new long-lasting water system to the Mountain Home AFB. The Board will finish building and construction of a pumpstation at C.J. Strike Reservoir and 14.4-mile pipeline from the Snake River to the base. The Air Force will build a water-treatment plant at the base to treat water provided by the pipeline. The existing schedule consists of issuance of a Request for Proposals for the style-build agreement in August 2023, professional choice in February 2024, and job conclusion in November 2025.
