Water Rich

Water Rich

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
A chat with Brian Olmstead, Exec. Director Twin Falls Canal Company.

So Brian, what a year we have had in terms of aquifer and water. Try and surmise the year so far. “unbelievable. For starting out on the aquifer agreement, These first two years we could not have possibly asked for better. Last year was the biggest snowpack ever and this year was the 14th or something so they were both in the top 10% of years to start out. We recharged over 1/2 a million last year and over a million this year and the aquifer is responding. All of the hydrologists predicted it would take three years of the recharge to breakeven because we had a hole to fill. We are already going up and just doing great. The reservoirs are in great shape and we are going to carry over a lot again this year which means with any kind of a snowpack at all we will recharge a bunch again this winter and spring. Most of the recharge in the upper Valley stays above American Falls and most of the recharge in the lower Valley really helps on the Hagerman Springs and not so much in filling the reservoirs so that’s number one for everybody. Groundwater users, surface water users, everybody wants those reservoirs fold because that is our bank eventually.” So we’ve got money in the bank. “Yep we’ve got money in the bank.”

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