November 24, 2017
CapitalPress.com
13
Idaho tops 100,000 acre-feet in fall recharge
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
BOISE — An Idaho De-
partment of Water Resources
official says it’s been a record
fall for the state’s aquifer re-
charge program, which has
already injected more than
100,000 acre-feet of surplus
surface water into the Eastern
Snake Plain Aquifer.
The state has a special wa-
ter right for recharge, which
remains in priority in the
Lower Snake, downstream of
Minidoka Dam, from at least
the end of the irrigation sea-
son in fall until the start of the
new irrigation season the next
spring. Upper Snake recharge
is typically in priority only
during especially wet springs,
when flood-control releases
must be made from reservoirs.
The program pays partic-
ipating irrigation entities to
allow surface water to seep
through their unlined canals
and adjacent spill basins into
the aquifer to help reverse a
long-term trend of declining
groundwater levels.
Wes Hipke, who manag-
es the recharge program, es-
timates the state is on track
to recharge at least 280,000
acre-feet this season, not
counting recharge that is like-
ly to occur in the Upper Val-
ley next spring or in the Big
Idaho Department of Water Resources
Aquifer recharge is conducted in late September at the Aber-
deen-Springfield Canal Co.’s Hilton Spillway, contributing toward
a state fall recharge program that has already topped 100,000
acre-feet.
Wood and Little Wood river
systems. The state has set a
goal of averaging 250,000
acre-feet of recharge annually.
“I’m optimistic of being
able to do as good as last year,
and with the right conditions
I can do better,” Hipke said,
adding he’s already 76,000
acre-feet ahead of last sea-
son’s recharging pace.
Hipke said the state re-
charged 317,000 acre-feet
in 2016-2017, but didn’t top
100,000 acre-feet in either of
the previous two seasons.
During the past three sea-
sons, Hipke said there’s been
500 cubic feet per second of
flows available for Lower
Snake fall recharge, but the
state has had the capacity to
recharge no more than 250
cubic feet per second. This
season, following an abnor-
mally wet winter, Hipke said
reservoirs ended the season
with 70 percent carryover,
and water managers have al-
ready started making releases
to free space for future runoff.
Hipke said the state, which
normally starts with fall re-
charge in November, com-
menced with its program on
Aug. 30 this season. In the
Lower Snake, the state has
been recharging 900 cubic
feet per second, of 2,000 cu-
bic feet per second now avail-
able, mostly using the recent-
ly developed Shoshone spill
basin and expanded Milepost
31 site, operated by American
Falls Reservoir District No. 2.
Hipke said the state may lose
250 cubic feet per second of
capacity if ice blocks access
to the Shoshone site when
freezing weather arrives.
In the Upper Snake, Hip-
ke said the state had already
recharged more than 61,000
acre-feet by the end of Octo-
ber, using storage water do-
nated by the Surface Water
Coalition, which received it
as mitigation for a water call
settlement. Immediately after
the storage ran out, the state’s
recharge right in the Upper
Valley come into priority. At
the peak, Hipke said the state
was recharging 1,300 cfs in the
Upper Snake, but has since cut
back to 700 cfs, as some canal
companies have closed their
systems to make repairs.
Aaron Dalling, assistant
manager with Fremont-Mad-
ison Irrigation District, said
the Egin Bench Canal Co.,
which his district serves,
has lowered its sharehold-
er assessments by about 30
percent, thanks to fees its re-
ceived for conducting Upper
Snake recharge.
“We’re hoping to help the
aquifer, but wheeling fees are
nice, too,” Dalling said.
Officials urge ranchers to report all cattle deaths
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
SUN VALLEY, Idaho —
Coming across a dead cow in
the herd with no outward signs
of what killed her often leaves
cattlemen guessing about the
cause.
But they shouldn’t assume
it was poison, bloat, a broken
neck or that she got stuck on
her back. Her death could have
been caused by a wolf, Todd
Grimm, Idaho state director of
USDA Wildlife Services, said
during the Idaho Cattle Asso-
ciation annual convention.
A wolf’s teeth are blunt and
not meant to rip, puncture or
tear; they’re meant to crush
muscle. Because of their thick
hides, a majority of adult cattle
killed by wolves show no out-
ward signs of the attack. But
they do show subcutaneous
hemorrhaging and bite marks
under the hide, he said.
Those clues can help inves-
tigators confirm a wolf depre-
dation — but only if cattlemen
report the death. The agency is
urging cattlemen to report all
deaths and to leave the carcass
undisturbed to preserve the ev-
idence.
In the past 22 years, the
agency has confirmed 750
wolf depredations in cattle,
affecting 400 producers in 32
counties in Idaho. But deaths
from wolves are likely much
higher, he said, adding that the
science says that for every kill
confirmed, there are probably
six or seven more.
The agency needs addition-
al data to take to the preda-
tor control board to show the
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
Greg Jones, a trapper/gunner for USDA Wildlife Services, updates ranchers on wolf depredation
during the Idaho Cattle Association annual convention in Sun Valley on Nov. 13, while Todd Grimm,
Wildlife Services Idaho state director, stands by.
problem is bigger than esti-
mated to ease the restrictions it
faces on wolf removal.
And it’s had success in do-
ing that in the McCall zone,
a chronic depredation area,
where ranchers have respond-
ed to the agency’s request to
report all livestock deaths.
This year, the agency has
confirmed 70 wolf depreda-
tions of cattle in the region,
compared to 32 in 2016. The
increase in confirmed deaths
is not just from more wolf ac-
tivity, but also from the agen-
cy paying more attention and
ranchers calling the agency to
look at every carcass, Grimm
said.
“We realize there are a lot
more kills that cattleman aren’t
identifying,” said Greg Jones,
a trapper-gunner with USDA
Wildlife Services.
The agency has found
many of those mysterious
deaths show signs of exertion-
al myopathy, which could be
caused by the stress of being
chased by a wolf.
It’s found dead cows with
grass or dirt pushed up in
their nostrils, indicating a face
plant. Other signs are animals
with nose in legs out, buckled
hoofs, legs straight out and no
ground disturbances around
the carcass, which would sig-
nify a struggle — such as be-
ing stuck in the mud or trying
to get up.
“She’s dead on her feet be-
fore she hits the ground,” he
said.
While there might be no
external signs of a wolf attack,
investigators can skin the car-
cass to look for subcutaneous
hemorrhaging with associated
bite marks that can confirm
wolf depredation.
If ranchers find a dead ani-
mal, the agency wants to look
at it, he said.
“We need to look at it so we
can confirm. If you see some-
thing, don’t just run on by,” he
said.
The only way to reduce
wolf depredation is to remove
more wolves, and the agency
needs the data to do that, he
said.
Increased
depredations
in chronic areas have led the
agency to look at more animals
it can confirm, and myopathy
is playing a part, Grimm said.
“The bottom line is it
doesn’t cost anybody any time
or money to have us come out
and look at it at the least,” he
said.
Even if it’s in backcountry,
cattlemen can report the death
and GPS coordinates of a dead
animal and the agency will in-
vestigate. It has also been able
to confirm wolf depredation on
scavenged carcasses, he said.
John O’Connell/Capital Press
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little addresses potato growers during
a forum for Idaho gubernatorial candidates hosted Nov. 14
during the Idaho Potato Commission’s Big Potato Harvest
Meeting in Fort Hall.
Candidates for Idaho
governor address
potato growers
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
FORT HALL, Idaho —
Two Republican candidates
for Idaho governor shared
their visions with potato
farmers Nov. 14 on topics
such as helping rural Amer-
ica, providing relief for
small business owners and
reversing the trend of Idaho
youths leaving the state to
start careers.
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad
Little, a third-genera-
tion rancher, and Tommy
Ahlquist, a developer, busi-
ness owner and emergency
room doctor, spoke during
the Idaho Potato Commis-
sion’s Big Idaho Potato
Harvest Meeting, hosted at
the Shoshone-Bannock Ho-
tel and Event Center.
Rep. Raul Labrador,
R-Idaho, is also among the
front-runners in the race for
governor but couldn’t at-
tend the forum due to votes
in Washington, D.C.
Little emphasized that
Idaho leads the nation
in both job and income
growth, and he believes the
state’s large cities are ben-
efiting from increasingly
diversified economies.
“We’re on a pretty good
trajectory,” Little said.
“Idaho has one of the most
solid fiscal positions of all
50 states, and vastly supe-
rior to the federal govern-
ment.”
But Little said he’s
concerned about rural Ida-
ho, and described how his
hometown, Emmett, lost its
major employer when its
sawmill closed.
Little said the potato
industry has been “in the
lead” of adding value to its
commodity in Idaho, pro-
cessing potatoes into fro-
zen products at local plants,
and he believes other Idaho
commodities must follow
suit. Little said he’s par-
ticipated in foreign trade
missions to develop new
foreign markets for Idaho
agricultural products. He
also emphasized the need
to better prepare students as
early as seventh grade for
careers that may not require
a college degree, such as
working in a modern Idaho
food processing plant.
Ahlquist, who grew up
on a small farm in Hunt-
er, Utah, has worked as an
emergency room doctor, is
chief operating officer of
the real estate development
company Garden Co., and
is a founder of Stat PADS,
a major manufacturer of
medical defibrillators.
“Idaho feeds the world,
and I want you to know
that I understand that,” said
Ahlquist, who has chosen
an Oakley farmer, Todd
Cranney, as his “right-hand
man” for his first campaign
for public office.
Ahlquist said he empa-
thizes with farmers, who
run small businesses, be-
cause he’s encountered
“stifling” state and federal
regulations as a business
owner. He hopes to change
the state’s business culture.
“In Idaho, if you are a
special interest group or a
big company, you will be
taken care of,” Ahlquist
said. “But if you are a fam-
ily or small business in Ida-
ho, you won’t be.”
Ahlquist believes the
state is too focused on col-
lege education and ought
to place greater emphasis
on preparing students for
“the jobs sitting all around
us,” including appren-
ticeships and work-study
programs.
Ahlquist also supports
“rolling back regulations
that have destroyed medi-
cine” and suggests the state
needs a “crash course on
ethics in politics,” especial-
ly pertaining to campaign
finance laws.
Labrador, who has been
invited to address potato
growers during the Uni-
versity of Idaho’s late-Jan-
uary potato conference
in Pocatello, submitted a
statement to Capital Press
highlighting his efforts
on behalf of agriculture.
Labrador said he intro-
duced legislation that has
streamlined grazing permit
renewals, and he’s pro-
posed legislation to force
environmentalists to pay
legal fees for “frivolous
lawsuits.”
Extension of farm bill expected No quick Hirst fix, Farm Bureau told
By DAN WHEAT
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
Capital Press
SPOKANE — An econ-
omist and a consultant say
they expect the current farm
bill to be extended for a year,
and farmers ultimately won’t
see much change when new
legislation passes.
Washington State Uni-
versity small grains econo-
mist Randy Fortenbery said
he expects at least a year ex-
tension of the current farm
bill.
Even with a new bill,
Fortenbery said, the pro-
grams will likely be similar
to the current farm bill.
Fortenbery expects some
budget cuts, which will im-
pact the redesign of the bill’s
Agriculture Risk Coverage
program, or ARC.
Issues will include wheth-
er switching between ARC
and the Price Loss Coverage
program will be allowed, or
if those programs will even
survive, Fortenbery said.
Farm groups so far disagree
on which changes should be
made, Fortenbery said, add-
ing that agriculture should
YAKIMA, Wash. — Ru-
ral Democrats may join Re-
publicans on specific issues
but don’t expect them to give
Republicans a majority in the
state Legislature, a legislative
watcher says.
Democrats will control the
state Senate by one vote start-
ing in January and already
control the House by one
vote. While such thin margins
have caused switch overs in
the past, don’t expect it next
year. That’s what Todd Myers,
director of the Center for the
Environment at the Washing-
ton Policy Center, told attend-
ees at the Washington Farm
Bureau annual meeting at the
Yakima Convention Center.
Democrats are talking
about passing a state capital
budget but they still need 60
percent of the vote so it prob-
ably will remain in stalemate
over the unpopular state Su-
preme Court Hirst ruling on
water, said Myers, a former
executive team member of the
state Department of Natural
Resources and author of “Eco-
present a unified voice to
Congress.
ARC and PLC provide
farmers with protection
against market downturns,
according to USDA. The in-
dividual or county ARC pro-
tects farmers against revenue
drops either at the individual
level or based on county pric-
es and yields as published by
USDA. PLC provides pay-
ments when the market year
average price for an eligible
commodity falls below the
crop’s reference price in the
2014 Farm Bill.
Crop insurance will re-
main the primary safety net,
Fortenbery said, but rates of
return for insurers and par-
ticipation restrictions may
be on the table.
Economics research and
training consultant Matt
Roberts, founder of the
Kernmantle Group, also ex-
pects a one-year extension
with small changes, and then
“the real bill” will be written
in 2019 and will be a “rela-
tively minor update” of the
2014 bill.
“We don’t have wide-
spread dissatisfaction with
the Farm Bill like we’ve had
in some previous years,”
he said. “There are some
groups that are unhappy with
it — cotton’s very unhappy,
dairy’s very unhappy. Most
others may not love it, but
we’re generally not seeing
hatred of it.”
Fads:
How
the Rise of
Trendy Envi-
ronmentalism
is Harming the
Environment.”
The Hirst
Todd Myers decision
is
shutting down
development by requiring
studies for authorization of
new wells. Senate Republi-
cans, in control until they lost
a seat in the Nov. 7 election,
refused to pass a capital bud-
get without relief from the
Hirst decision.
“Will it be the fix we all
want? It will not. I can tell you
that right now. There will be
elements we will all cringe at
but it will be better than what
it is now,” Myers said of any
legislative Hirst resolution.
He also said it won’t happen
anytime soon.
Myers said he and a couple
other members of the Puget
Sound Salmon Recovery
Council were able to dissuade
the council from working for
legislation to codify the Hirst
decision. He mentioned that
as an example of what the
Washington Research Coun-
cil, an independent, nonprofit
think tank, is doing through
its new agricultural compo-
nent.
He said the Building In-
dustry Association of Wash-
ington estimates a $37 billion
loss in property values in the
state due to the inability to
drill wells because of the Hirst
decision.
“Even if the number is half
that, it’s a huge cost and com-
pared to the benefit is exces-
sive,” he said.
The state Department of
Ecology has said domestic
well use is about 1 percent of
total consumptive water use
in the state so curtailing well
expansion doesn’t save a lot
of water, he said. While more
water in streams helps reduce
water temperature for fish, it’s
hard, he said, to evaluate the
connection between wells,
streams, temperatures and
fish, making it hard to abide
by the ruling.
“The frustrating thing to
me is the ruling is very di-
visive and has set us back in
working to solve water issues.
That’s as high a cost as the fi-
nancial cost,” he said.