Is rebuilding Teton Dam still considered a viable
alternative? Could new reservoirs be
constructed on Canyon Creek, Badger Creek, or in the area of Hog Hollow? Will the Island Park Reservoir or Ashton
Reservoir be expanded? Could water
conservation in the cities of Driggs and Victor, aquifer recharge, and on-farm efficiency
projects substantially increase available water? These questions will be the
focus of Friends of the Teton River’s next Water Wise presentation, on Wednesday,
February 26th. The presentation
will begin at 7:00 PM, with opportunity for questions following.
Sarah Lien, of Friends of the Teton River, will
present the newest information available on the Henry’s Fork Basin Study. The Bureau of Reclamation recently released the
Final Report, which catalogs the various water supply alternatives
that the Bureau of Reclamation and State of Idaho, as co-founders of the study,
have studied throughout the past two years.
These include
projects such as rebuilding Teton Dam; enlarging Island Park Reservoir and
Ashton dam; building an off-stream reservoir in the Hog Hollow area with water
supplied by the Teton River and the Falls River; building a new 180-foot tall
dam in the Canyon Creek area, with water supplied by Spring Creek and Canyon
Creek; and building dams on Moody Creek and Badger Creek. Additional alternatives are also being
considered. These include managed ground
water recharge projects, agricultural conservation and management, municipal
and industrial water conservation alternatives, and market based alternatives.
The Henry’s Fork Basin Study investigates water
supply options aimed
at replacing the water storage lost when the Teton Dam failed in 1976. The study
was funded with a $400,000 appropriation from the State of Idaho, plus a $400,000
federal WaterSmart grant from the Bureau of Reclamation, and has been ongoing
since June 2010. While diverse
public input has been encouraged throughout the course of the study, the
schedule and location of meetings has been prohibitive for many Teton Valley
residents. February 26th will
provide an opportunity for Teton Valley residents to be informed about the
study, ask questions, and learn how to provide input.
The
presentation will be held at the Driggs City Center Building, in the Senior
Center, located at 60 S. Main Street in Driggs, on February 26th. The presentation will begin at 7:00 PM, with
a question and answer period to follow. For
more information on this presentation or the Water Wise Community Education
series, please call Friends of the Teton River at 354-3871 or visit www.tetonwater.org.
More information about the Henrys Fork Basin Study is available at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/studies/idaho/henrysfork/.
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