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6 CapitalPress.com February 3, 2017 Excess electricity aids aquifer recharge By DIANNA TROYER For the Capital Press BURLEY, Idaho — South- west Irrigation District near Burley, Idaho, is finishing a winterization project that will enable year-round re- charge of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. A $600,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Water Resources is enabling the district in southeastern Idaho to double its pipeline system from the Snake River at the Milner Pool to injec- tion wells south of the river, winterize pump stations and upgrade them to turn on and off as needed. “We plan to have the proj- ect done by March 1,” says hydrologist Brian Higgs, District 140 watermaster and owner of Water Well Consul- tants. The winterization project came about after the Bonne- ville Power Administration and United Electric Co-op, which provide electricity to the district, launched a suc- cessful pilot program in the spring of 2012. BPA offered a reduced electrical rate to pump water Dianna Troyer/For the Capital Press Hydrologist Brian Higgs is optimistic about an aquifer recharge project involving the Southwest Irrigation District near Burley, Ida- ho. Its system is being winterized so recharge efforts can continue year-round. to recharge the aquifer be- cause it relieved the admin- istration of an oversupply of electricity, especially at night, when power demand declines. The administration must balance electrical generation with demand to keep its sys- tem from being overloaded. At times, BPA faces an oversupply of electricity, es- pecially in spring when high winds generate power at turbines and melting winter snowpack causes high river flows. Also during spring, electrical demand tends to decline before the air con- ditioning and irrigation sea- sons begin. With the recent upgrades, the district’s system will have flexibility and be able to increase pumping during the hours of light electrical demand and decrease pump- ing during hours of heavi- er electrical usage on the grid. The contract with BPA for the 1.8 megawatt project was renewed for four years. “(The district) pumped an average of 1,900 acre-feet of recharge water annually on the old system,” says Higgs. “The district’s new pipe- line will operate throughout the winter and pump more than 10,000 acre-feet to in- jection wells located more than 10 miles south of the river.” The demonstration proj- ect provided numerous ben- efits and could be a model elsewhere, says Higgs. “It helped us maintain our agreement with the Surface Water Coalition,” says Higgs. “Without it, we would have likely faced seri- ous curtailments. In some lo- cations, we’re in good shape, but other areas at a longer distance from the river are still suffering.” The Idaho Department of Water Resources estimates the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer has been losing about 216,000 acre-feet an- nually from aquifer storage since the 1950s, resulting in declining ground water lev- els and spring flows. The de- partment’s State Water Plan set a goal of having managed recharge averaging 250,000 acre-feet annually. The SWID program, along with other major re- charge projects at Lake Walcott and the Raft River Valley and to the north near Idaho Falls, will help the de- partment eventually reach its goal. “The average recharge for the past few years has been about 80,000 acre- feet,” says Higgs. “Eighty percent of that has occurred below American Falls Reser- voir. However, the new Egin Bench recharge project to the north in Fremont Coun- ty is operational. Recharge by the IWRB should top 150,000 for 2017.” Higgs says SWID mem- bers look forward to con- tinuing the recharge efforts near Burley. “Next winter, we’ll be able to run without worry- ing about freeze-ups,” says Higgs. W ATER M ASTER S ERIES AND E VERGREEN S UPERIOR S ERVICE & D ESIGN • All your needs for irrigation parts service • We build custom equipment for your special needs. • Hose replacements & fusion repairs • Transport Tanks • Rental Returns & Used Equipment • Dairy Waste Equipment Truck Equipment 10910 Portland Rd. NE • Brooks, OR Call: 503-792-3739 • Fax: 503-792-3738 W17-2/#7 • Full Service • Alterations • Dump bodies • Hoists • Farmbeds • Flatbeds W17-2/#6
