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10 CapitalPress.com July 21, 2017 Idaho Subscribe to our weekly Idaho email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Judge to decide on vote to save farm ground By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press John O’Connell/Capital Press The American Falls Reservoir in southeast Idaho remains full on July 13 even though most farmers in the area have passed their period of peak demand for water, thanks to abundant natural Snake River flows. Upper Snake irrigators pass peak demand with full reservoirs By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Most Upper Snake River irri- gators are past their peak pe- riod for water usage, but they still have a full reservoir sys- tem to work with, water man- agers said on July 12. Lyle Swank, watermaster for the Upper Snake District, explained the Bureau of Rec- lamation stopped releasing flood-control water below Mil- ner Dam on July 6 to top off the reservoirs, effectively ending a prolonged spring aquifer re- charge program following one of the wettest Idaho winter’s in recent memory. Looking ahead to this fall and winter, Swank said con- ditions may again be well suited for additional recharge — which entails intentionally injecting surface water into the aquifer through unlined canals and spill basins to address a long trend of declining ground- water levels. Swank anticipates the sys- tem’s reservoirs will finish the year at half to 60 percent of capacity. He explained the reservoirs recently reached “surcharge” levels — meaning they tech- nically peaked briefly at more than 100 percent full, but were still within a safety margin requiring no “additional ac- tion.” Jackson Lake Reservoir reached 100.5 percent full, Palisades Reservoir was 100.4 percent full and American Falls Reservoir peaked at 100.3 per- cent of capacity. The day of allocation — when snowpack runoff begins to decline from its peak, flow augmentation to benefit en- dangered fish begins and the system’s most junior natural flow water rights holders start drawing from storage — was declared on July 10. The sys- tem was down to 99.8 percent full by July 12, with natural flow rights with priority dates beyond 1921 shut off. Luke Hicks, director of the Burgess Canal Co., said most of his grain growers have al- ready shut off irrigation, and his company recently reduced its deliveries from 1,100 cubic feet per second to 1,000 cubic feet per second, due to the drop in demand. “Our goal would be to carry over about 50 percent (of stor- age),” Hicks said. “If we carry over more, then we’ll look to recharge or some way to use that.” Aberdeen-Springfield Ca- nal Co. has also started reduc- ing its diversions due to grain acres coming off the system. General Manager Steve Hows- er said his company’s deliver- ies peaked at 1,250 cubic feet per second — roughly 100 cubic feet per second below the usual peak level due to the combination of new liner in a leaky reach of canal and heavy silt from flood-control releases helping to “seal the bottom.” BOISE — The fate of a proposed petition to ask vot- ers to save 1,400 acres of farmland from being devel- oped could be decided during an Aug. 8 court hearing. Farmers and other resi- dents of the Dry Creek Val- ley five miles north of Boise are attempting to use a little known section of Idaho code to stop the Dry Creek Valley Ranch planned development from moving forward. The $100 million project would build 1,800 homes and 85,000 square feet of com- mercial space on the area. Members of the Dry Creek Valley Coalition last month filed a petition with the Ada County clerk’s office that seeks to put to a public vote an Ada County Commission ordinance adopted earlier this year that allows the project to move forward. Idaho Code 31-717 pro- vides a mechanism by which people can put a county com- mission decision to a vote during a special election. Ada County Clerk Chris- topher Rich sent a letter to petition supporters saying his office could not accept the Sean Ellis/Capital Press The Dry Creek Valley north of Boise would be turned into homes and businesses unless a petition that seeks to ask voters to over- turn a county ordinance is successful. A district judge has ordered the Ada County clerk to accept the initial petition for filing, but that decision is being challenged. petition for filing “because it was not submitted within 30 days of final publication of the ordinance.” Petition supporters say Idaho Code actually says the petition can’t be submitted until 30 days after the ordi- nance is passed and they filed a complaint against the clerk’s decision in district court. District Judge Jonathan Medema issued a writ or- dering Rich to accept the petition for filing or appear before him Aug. 8 “to show cause why he has not accept- ed that petition for filing.” The judge’s order is en- couraging, said Brian Ertz, an attorney for the development opponents. “The fact that the judge issued a writ is a good sign,” he said. However, the developer, Boise Hunter Homes, has filed a petition with a different judge that asks the court to is- sue a writ preventing the clerk from filing the petition. The clerk’s office has filed a motion to consolidate the two competing complaints. Medema will also hear that motion during the Aug. 8 hearing. Phil McGrane, chief depu- ty of the Ada County clerk’s office, told Capital Press that the clerk’s office is waiting for the court to rule on the matter. Given the competing com- plaints, it would be premature for the clerk to file the petition before that happens, he said. “We want the court to tell us what the right course of action is and we’re happy to execute it,” he said. “We want to do the right thing.” Opponents of the planned development will file a mo- tion to intervene in the devel- oper’s complaint “just in case the consolidation doesn’t hap- pen,” Ertz said. If the court does agree with development opponents and the petition is filed, they will have 180 days to collect the estimated 40,000 signatures it will take to prompt a special election. Although getting the ini- tial petition filed is only the beginning of the process, “We’re hopeful and optimis- tic we’ll be able to push (the petition) through that pro- cess,” said Stephanie Rael, a farm hand who is leading the effort. Breeders tout new cereal lines in Aberdeen trials By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press ABERDEEN, Idaho — Several new wheat and bar- ley varieties that have been outstanding performers in University of Idaho field tri- als should soon provide area growers with improved yields and disease resistance, as well as specialized traits address- ing several critical needs. Public and private breed- ing program representatives highlighted their top new cereal lines during a July 13 Local Money Working For Local People Contact a Loan Officer Today to Discuss Your Financing Needs! Adrian Harguess Joseph, OR Mollie Hulse La Grande, OR Cliff Schoeningh Baker City, OR 541-432-9050 541-963-3434 541-524-7667 Christina Smith Pendleton, OR John Ngo Hermiston, OR Todd Wood College Place, WA 541-278-9000 541-289-4480 509-525-9860 field day at the University of Idaho’s Aberdeen Research and Extension Center. Earlier this year, Gongshe Hu, barley breeder at USDA’s Aberdeen Agricultural Re- search Service, released Kar- dia, a two-row, hulled spring barley for use in the burgeon- ing human food barley mar- ket. Kardia contains 13 per- cent of a heart-healthy fiber called beta glucan — a higher amount than other available food barley lines without sac- rificing yields. Hu said several groups in Washington and Oregon are interested in Kardia. Hu ex- plained his program should also soon release the first of its winter food barley lines. A spring malt barley line from Hu’s program, ARS 10- 65, should be ideal for craft brewing, and its low protein level may enable southeast Idaho dryland farmers to start raising malt barley. Protein levels in most barley lines generally rise above malting specifications under water stress. “We hope we can find some varieties for dryland growers so they may be able to grow some malting barley,” said Hu, who believes ARS 10-65 could fill the niche, if the industry accepts it. Hu explained he presented some of his elite lines with desirable craft brewing char- acteristics for evaluation by the American Malting Barley Association, and ARS 10-65 has emerged as the top option. Frank Curtis, of Limagrain Cereal Seeds, believes a Eu- ropean two-row spring barley he’s introduced in the U.S., called LCS Odyssey, will solve a challenge for south- east Idaho barley growers, Capital Press Darrin Eberhardt Clarkston, WA John Gass The Dalles, OR 509-525-9860 509-758-6878 541-296-0779 www.communitybanknet.com 1-800-472-4292 who struggle with cereal cyst nematodes. Odyssey, a craft variety that’s commonly used in whiskey production abroad, provides the only strong resis- tance to the nematode, Curtis said. The Limagrain hard red winter wheat, LCS Jet, was the top yielding variety in its class in the Aberdeen trials. Curtis said the variety was distributed in Washington and Oregon in 2016, and its first Idaho distribution will be this fall. “I think it’s got potential to become a market leader,” Curtis said. Curtis believes UI Mag- ic, a new Clearfield Plus soft white wheat developed in a partnership between UI and Limagrain, is widely adapted for the Northwest, has strong disease resistance and good yields. It was conventionally bred to resist the active ingre- dient in Beyond herbicide. Trenton Stanger, of West- Bred, said a new soft white winter wheat, WB 1783, had the top yield in its class in last year’s Aberdeen trials, as well as excellent stripe rust resis- tance, and should be com- mercially available to Idaho growers in the fall of 2018. UI wheat breeder Jianli Chen said seed of her new soft white winter wheat, UI Spar- row, is now being expanded and should be available com- mercially in the fall of 2018. It’s high yielding, ideal for dryland, resists stripe rust and is among the few soft white winter wheats with dwarf bunt resistance. Chen plans to release two soft white spring wheats in 2018 — IDO 1405, which has head blight resistance, and IDO 1403, which is less susceptible to low falling number, referring to a test measuring increased activ- ity of an enzyme that breaks down starch and reduces grain quality. Teton County 4-H student efforts benefiting needy By JOHN O’CONNELL Tyler Fenn College Place, WA John O’Connell/Capital Press University of Idaho wheat breeder Jianli Chen discusses her top new varieties during a July 13 field day at UI’s Aberdeen Research and Extension Center. Member FDIC 29-3/#17 DRIGGS, Idaho — Teton County 4-H students are using their agricultural projects to help feed local people in need. Jennifer Werlin, Univer- sity of Idaho’s Teton County Extension educator, said the county’s 4-H program re- ceived a $2,500 grant in the spring from the Community Foundation of Teton Valley to start a gardening and beekeep- ing club. In mid-May, the program built a pair of 8-by-4-foot raised garden beds on the grounds of the UI Teton Coun- ty Extension office. The grant also funded the purchase of two beehives, housed at a lo- cal organic produce farm, and beekeeping equipment. A local nonprofit that works with other county ser- vice organizations, called the Community Resource Center of Teton County, will identify recipients of honey and pro- duce raised by the 11 students participating in the club. “Hunger and food security is a big issue in our commu- nity,” said Werlin, who’s posi- tion has a focus on community food systems. “While we have a lot of wealthy people, there’s a huge disparity between the haves and the have-nots, and I think healthy, locally grown food should be accessible to all.” Werlin said vegetable starts planted in the garden were raised under a grow-light in the extension office. 4-H students involved in animal projects will also sup- port locals in need this sum- mer. Werlin said 4-H received a $550 grant through the Com- munity Foundation of Teton Valley Youth Philanthropy Grant program to buy one stu- dent’s pig project to donate to the local senior citizens’ center. Students enrolled in a Teton High School government class selected the grant recipient. Winning bidders of 4-H an- imal projects usually pay well above market value to support the youths who raise the live- stock. Tammy Sachse, office manager of the Teton County Extension office, said the grant will cover the market value of the chosen pig, and the pro- gram will seek a buyer willing to pay a premium above the market rate and return the pig. The grant will also cover costs of slaughtering and pro- cessing the pig, which should yield about 280 pounds of pork. Sachse’s eighth-grade son, Tyler, is raising three 4-H pigs, as well as sheep, and devotes about seven hours per week to his 4-H projects. “Some of the (seniors) prob- ably don’t get very much mon- ey, and some of them might need a little help,” Tyler said.
