Transaction Description:
FRIENDS OF THE TETON RIVER (FTR), IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CANYON CREEK CANAL COMPANY (CCCC), WILL RESTORE NATURAL INSTREAM FLOWS TO CANYON CREEK, A DRAINAGE ON THE NORTHERN FLANK OF THE BIG HOLE MOUNTAINS LOCATED EAST OF NEWDALE, IDAHO. CANYON CREEK SUPPORTS A CORE CONSERVATION POPULATION OF NATIVE YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT (YCT) AND IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR RESTORATION DUE TO ITS SIGNIFICANCE AS A PRODUCTIVE SPAWNING TRIBUTARY WITH 45 MILES OF HIGH-ELEVATION HABITAT. THE LOWER 10 MILES OF STREAM TO THE CONFLUENCE WITH THE TETON RIVER CANYON HAS BEEN SEASONALLY DEWATERED AT THE CANYON CREEK CANAL HEADGATE, WHICH DIVERTS UP TO 70 CFS OF WATER (VIA 13.8 MILES OF A CENTURY-OLD CONCRETE CANAL) TO IRRIGATE 10,615 ACRES OF HIGH-VALUE FARM GROUND. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL IMPROVE IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND POINTS OF DIVERSION TO RESTORE UP TO 10,680 ACRE-FEET OF NATURAL STREAM FLOW ANNUALLY TO CANYON CREEK WHILE PROVIDING GREATER WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY FOR THE IRRIGATION COMPANY AS WELL AS DOWNSTREAM WATER USERS. FTR AND THE CANYON CREEK CANAL COMPANY (CCCC) IRRIGATORS STARTED WORKING TOGETHER OVER A DECADE AGO TO REMOVE BARRIERS THAT PREVENTED FISH MIGRATION AND TO RESTORE DEGRADED HABITAT. WITH THE PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT OF THE CCCC AND ADJACENT LANDOWENERS, FOUR MAJOR FISH PASSAGE PROJECTS, A HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT AND A PIT TAG ARRAY WERE COMPLETED INSTALLED BETWEEN 2010-2015 (WITH WNTI SUPPORTING FISH PASSAGE AND RESEARCH EFFORTS 2013-2015). SINCE THAT TIME IT HAS BEEN AN FTR PRIORITY TO BUILD UPON THESE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS WITH THE CCCC TO INVESTIGATE AND IDENTIFY MUTUALLY AGREED UPON STRATEGIES THAT RE-WATER THE LOWER 10 MILES OF STREAM DURING CRITICAL PERIODS FOR NATIVE TROUT. IN 2019, THE CCCC EXPRESSED ITS SUPPORT TO ENGAGE IN A PLANNING AND DESIGN PROCESS, WHICH WAS FUNDED THROUGH A BOR WATERSMART PHASE I GRANT, TO SEEK SOLUTIONS THAT PROVIDE FOR MORE EFFICIENT WATER DELIVERY, IMPROVED WATER RELIABILITY, AND IMPROVED STREAM FUNCTION FOR THE BENEFIT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. AS PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS, FTR AND THE CCCC PILOTED A TEMPORARY WATER TRANSACTION, CLOSING THE CANAL TO TEST LONGER-TERM SOLUTIONS AND MONITOR ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE TO STREAM FLOW RESTORATION. FTR AND THE CCCC PLAN TO MAKE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND MANAGEMENT CHANGES AT TWO MAJOR POINTS OF DIVERSION (PUMP STATIONS) OVER A TWO-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, INCREASING THEIR CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO DELIVER WATER FROM THE TETON RIVER. IRRIGATION CONVEYANCE TO SHAREHOLDERS ON THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO BE IMPROVED TO DELIVER WATER MORE EFFICIENTLY. THESE CHANGES WILL ALLOW CCCC SHAREHOLDERS TO DIVERT THEIR WATER SHARES FROM THE MAIN STEM RIVER, WHICH IS NOT FLOW LIMITED, INSTEAD OF PUMPS ON CANYON CREEK, WHICH IS FLOW LIMITED. ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE, CCCC WILL PERMANENTLY CLOSE THE CANAL HEADGATE AND, IN SO DOING, FULLY ADDRESS FISH ENTRAINMENT, HABITAT CONNECTIVITY, AND WATER QUALITY IMPAIRMENTS (TEMPERATURE AND FLOW) IN CANYON CREEK. THIS PROJECT PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATIVELY ADDRESS WATER SUPPLY AND ECOSYSTEM NEEDS AND COMPLETELY RESTORE THE NATURAL HYDROGRAPH IN A PRIORITY SUB-WATERSHED. THE PROPOSED IRRIGATION AND WATER MANAGEMENT CHANGES WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT FOR CANYON CREEK AND THE TETON RIVER CANYON NATIVE YCT POPULATIONS, AS WELL AS PRESENTING A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT AND FULLY RESTORE ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION ON A LANDSCAPE SCALE.
