11/12/09

The Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer is recharging today, thanks to above-normal reservoir storage levels.

Larry Pennington, and Ted Diehl are standing at a cross-points at North Side Canal Company's waterways in Jerome. More than 3,600 acre-feet of donated Snake River water has begun flowing through these canals.

Diehl says, "Last year was a good water year, because of all the rainy weather we had in the spring, and we had a good snow in the winter, so the reservoirs came in pretty full."

Above normal storage levels make it possible for Clear Springs Foods and the Surface Water Coalition to recharge the aquifer, donating water to the Idaho Dairy Water and Land Trust.

Diehl says "When the water becomes available, they come talk to us about delivery in the fall."

The water is being diverted from the Snake River at Milner Dam into the North Side Canal Company's system. None of the water is headed to the Snake River, it's all being run through the canals to the aquifer.

According to Pennington, "We are containing it well within the boundaries of the North Side Canal, so that as much of it as possible is finding it's way down to the aquifer."