Friends Of The Teton River

FRIENDS OF THE TETON RIVER, LOCATED IN TETON COUNTY, IDAHO, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CANYON CREEK CANAL COMPANY, WILL IMPROVE AGRICULTURAL WATER RELIABILITY AND RESTORE INSTREAM FLOWS TO CANYON CREEK BY RELOCATING DIVERSIONS FROM THE CREEK TO THE LARGER TETON RIVER. CANYON CREEK SUPPORTS A CORE CONSERVATION POPULATION OF YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT AND IS A HIGH-PRIORITY FOR RESTORATION DUE TO ITS SIGNIFICANCE AS A PRODUCTIVE SPAWNING TRIBUTARY WITH 35 MILES OF HIGH-ELEVATION HABITAT. THE LOWER 10 MILES OF STREAM TO THE CONFLUENCE WITH THE TETON RIVER HAS BEEN SEASONALLY DEWATERED AT THE CANYON CREEK CANAL, CAUSING ECOLOGICAL AND WATER QUALITY ISSUES. TO DISCONTINUE DIVERSION AT THE CANYON CREEK CANAL, THE PROJECT PARTNERS WILL MAKE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND MANAGEMENT CHANGES AT THREE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, INCREASING THEIR CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO DELIVER WATER FROM THE MAIN-STEM OF THE TETON RIVER, WHICH IS NOT FLOW-LIMITED, RESULTING IN A WATER SAVINGS OF 2.16 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND AND IMPROVED WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY FOR IRRIGATION AND DOWNSTREAM USERS. UP TO 10,680 ACRE-FEET OF WATER WILL BE RESTORED ANNUALLY TO CANYON CREEK. ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE, THE COMPANY WILL CLOSE THE CANAL, ELIMINATING FISH ENTRAINMENT, HABITAT CONNECTIVITY CONCERNS, AND WATER QUALITY IMPAIRMENT. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE CANYON CREEK WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN, DEVELOPED THROUGH A WATERSMART COOPERATIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PHASE I GRANT, AND IS ENDORSED BY A BROAD RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING OTHER IRRIGATION DELIVERY ENTITIES, CONSERVATION GROUPS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND WATER USERS. WATER SAVINGS FOR THIS PROJECT HAVE BEEN REVISED. ORIGINAL TEXT OF ATTACHMENT A TO THE SELECTION MEMO PROPOSED 4.73 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND OF WATER SAVINGS.

TETON BASIN AQUIFER RECHARGE DEMONSTRATION: EXPANDING INNOVAIVE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES,EVALUATING ON-FARM, ECOSYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CIG-20-GEN0010808

THE FRIENDS OF THE TETON RIVER, LOCATED IN DRIGGS, IDAHO, WILL PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF DRIGGS, GRAND TETON CANAL COMPANY, AND OTHER LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNIZATION PROJECTS, IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, AND ADDRESS AQUATIC RESTORATION OBJECTIVES. THE FRIENDS OF THE TETON RIVER IS A WATERSHED GROUP THAT WAS FORMED THROUGH A 2016 WATERSMART COOPERATIVE WATERSHED RESTORATION PROGRAM GRANT BY A DIVERSE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING FARMERS, ANGLERS, SCIENTISTS, LOCAL AGENCIES AND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED BY THE DECLINES IN THE HEALTH OF THE TETON RIVER. THE TETON RIVER HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY DECLINING AQUIFER LEVELS, LAND USE CHANGES, AND STREAM FLOW ALTERATION, RESULTING IN CHRONIC STREAM DEWATERING, HIGH LEVELS OF SEDIMENT MOBILIZATION, AND VULNERABILITIES IN YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT POPULATIONS. THE PARTNERS WILL CONDUCT DETAILED RESEARCH, AND ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND COSTS, AND LEGAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PRIORITIZED PROJECTS. THE PARTNERS WILL SEEK INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH FACILITATED MEETINGS. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, THE TETON CREEK FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, LEGACYWORKS GROUP, AND THE PROJECT PARTNERS.

FRIENDS OF THE TETON RIVER WILL WORK WITH THE TETON WATER USERS ASSOCIATION AND THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT TWO PRIORITY WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECTS ADDRESSING WATER SUPPLY NEEDS, WATER QUALITY CONCERNS, AND CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES FOR NATIVE YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT IN THE TETON RIVER BASIN IN IDAHO. THE GROUP WILL REVEGETATE A HISTORICALLY GRAZED HALF-ACRE OF RIPARIAN AREA ALONG THE MAINSTEM OF THE TETON RIVER AND WORK WITH THE LANDOWNER TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT LIVESTOCK WATERING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO REDUCE EROSION AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND HABITAT. IN ADDITION, THE GROUP WILL INSTALL A FISH SCREEN AT THE DIVERSION POINT FROM SOUTH LEIGH CREEK, A TRIBUTARY OF THE TETON RIVER, INTO AN IRRIGATION CANAL, WHICH WILL PREVENT FISH ENTRAPMENT IN THE CANAL. SOUTH LEIGH CREEK IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST GEOGRAPHICALLYDISTINCT POPULATIONS OF YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT. THE PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE 2016 TETON WATER USERS ASSOCIATION WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN, FUNDED THROUGH A RECLAMATION COOPERATIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PHASE I GRANT. IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE EFFORTS WILL BRING TOGETHER DIVERSE INTERESTS TO ADDRESS HABITAT DEGRADATION, SEDIMENTATION, ELEVATED STREAM TEMPERATURES, AND FISH ENTRAPMENT AND IS SUPPORTED BY CANAL COMPANIES, FARMERS AND RANCHERS, COUNTY GOVERNMENT, STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGERS, RECREATIONISTS, AND THE CONSERVATION INTERESTS IN THE WATERSHED.

IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE THROUGH WATER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE TETON RIVER WATERSHED

WORK TO FURTHER DEVELOP AN EXISTING COOPERATIVE, SELF-SUSTAINING WATERSHED GROUP TO IDENTIFY, EVALUATE AND RESOLVE WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY ISSUES WITHIN THE CANYON CREEK SUB-WATERSHED BASIN IN IDAHO OF THE TETON WATERSHED WITHIN IDAHO AND WYOMING WATERSHED.

THIS PROJECT WILL EDUCATE STUDENTS AND ADULTS IN TETON COUNTY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING CLEAN DRINKING WATER AS PART OF A WATERWISE COMMUNITY

FISH SCREEN OR MODIFICATION TO IMPROVE FISH PASSAGE

THE TETON COUNTY FARMS AND FISH INITIATIVE PROJECT WILL INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AGRICULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSERVATION ISSUES IN THE TETON RIVER WATERSHED BY PROVIDING FREE CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, FIELD TRIPS, ON-FARM TESTING PROCEDURES, AND KNOWLEDGE-SHARING ABOUT COVER CROP USAGE, CONSERVATION TILLAGE, GRAZING MANAGEMENT, AND INNOVATIVE WATER MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES.

""IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL LAKE TROUT SPAWNING HABITAT IN LAKE ERIE""

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.

TETON RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT

EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING WATERSHED GROUP: IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE, CONSERVING WATER, AND REDUCING CONFLICTS THROUGH FORMATION OF THE TETON RI

CONNECTING TETON CREEK: GREEN PROPERTY HABITAT AND STREAMFLOW RESTORATION

FTR IS PARTNERING WITH IRRIGATORS TO IMPROVE A FISH SCREEN AT THE BADGER CREEK SPLITTER DIVERSION AUTOMATING THE FISH SCREENS AND INSTALLING REMOTE TECHNOLOGY AT THE HEAD GATE AND FISH SCREEN WILL REDUCE ENTRAINMENT IN THE CANAL BY GREATER THAN 2 OF THE UPPER BADGER CREEK YCT POPULATION AN ESTIMATED 125 INDIVIDUALS , WHICH WILL INCREASE NATIVE YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT YCT SURVIVAL AND MIGRATION TO 15 MILES OF UPSTREAM HABITAT, THEREBY SUPPORTING THE SUCCESSFUL LIFECYCLE SPAWNING AND OUTMIGRATION OF THIS NATIVE TROUT

IMPROVING PASSAGE AND SURVIVAL OF YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT IN SOUTH LEIGH CREEK (ID)

ID-SE ID NWRC FRIENDS TETON RV 2018 PROJ

IMPROVE YCT IN CANYON CREEK

CANYON CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT

FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE DEOB OF F11AP00043

GRAND TETON CANAL FISH SCREEN