Friday, February 14, 2020
CapitalPress.com
7
January storms boost Idaho water supply
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Above-normal
precip-
itation in January boosted
water supplies for the irri-
gation season in much of
Idaho, the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Ser-
vice reports.
January precipitation in
many basins was 25% to
75% above normal, follow-
ing a below-average Decem-
ber and record-dry Novem-
ber, NRCS said in its Idaho
Water Supply Outlook
Report for Feb. 1.
Snowpack in most basins
is within 10% of normal in
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press File
The Snake River runs downriver from Shoshone Falls at
Twin Falls, Idaho.
much of the state. But many
storms have been coming
from the west-northwest,
leaving less snowfall in the
Wood River and Lost River
basins in the state’s east-cen-
United Grain Corp. purchases
Treasure Valley facilities
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
ONTARIO, Ore. — United
Grain Corp. is expanding its
holdings into the Treasure
Valley with the purchase of
two grain storage and ship-
ping facilities in Ontario,
Ore., and Notus, Idaho.
The Vancouver, Wash.-
based exporter announced the
deal on Feb. 2.
Jason Middleton, region
manager of United Grain,
said the properties will add
more than 1.6 million bush-
els of capacity for wheat and
corn. They were bought from
Scoular, a grain handling
company headquartered in
Omaha, Neb. Terms were not
immediately available.
“They’re great facilities,”
Middleton said. “It fits well
into our program.”
United Grain operates an
export terminal in Vancouver
with a capacity of 8 million
bushels — the largest on the
West Coast.
Another part of United
Grain’s business model is
owning “origination assets”
including grain bins, piles
and upcountry elevators
Capital Press File
United Grain Corp. has purchased facilities in Ontario,
Ore., and Notus, Idaho.
where farmers deliver their
grain after harvest. Middleton
said that gives them a handle
on the entire supply chain,
increasing speed, space and
service to the grower.
United Grain now owns
15 upcountry locations in
five states — Washington,
Oregon, Idaho, Montana and
North Dakota. Perhaps its
biggest splash came in 2016
when the company purchased
nearly all grain assets from
Pendleton Grain Growers in
Eastern Oregon, an 86-year-
old farmers’ co-op that voted
to dissolve after suffering
major financial losses.
Wheat from the Trea-
sure Valley has already
been sent to the Columbia
River for years, Middleton
added, making the Ontario
and Notus facilities a natu-
ral fit. “Moving wheat is like
moving water. Grain wants
to move in the path of least
resistance.”
United Grain says it will
immediately have bids at the
facilities for soft white, hard
red winter, club and spring
wheat. The company will
also continue to partner with
Scoular on its corn program
for the next year to ensure a
seamless transition.
tral mountains. Snowpacks
range from 65% to 80% of
normal in those basins.
Danny Tappa, with NRCS
Idaho Snow Survey in Boise,
said the Wood and Lost
River Basin snowpacks typi-
cally peak sometime in April.
The last two years saw these
basins’ snowpacks exceed
normal by the peak after
recording
below-average
levels at the start of February.
Above-normal amounts
of water left in many reser-
voirs after last irrigation sea-
son — carryover storage —
implies less runoff is needed
to ensure adequate supplies
for irrigation and other uses
this year. NRCS said res-
ervoir storage in the Upper
and Middle Snake River
basins on Feb. 1 was 144%
and 131% of normal, respec-
tively. Median streamflow
forecasts range from about
85% to 105% of normal.
Southside Snake basins
also had above-average
reservoir storage, includ-
ing Owyhee at 147% and
Salmon Falls at 189%.
The Boise River Basin on
Feb. 1 had reservoir storage
of 117% of normal, while
storage in the Payette sys-
tem was around normal.
NRCS expects runoff in both
regions to range from 70% to
105% of normal.
The Owyhee, Salmon
Falls and Snake basins are
among those where NRCS
currently expects water
availability above the long-
term median based on its
Surface Water Supply Index.
The index combines stream-
flow forecasts and reservoir
storage. Boise and Weiser
basins are approaching the
median.
Current near-term out-
looks from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
show
increased likelihood of
above-normal precipitation
in February.
Lower Owyhee River flow boost comes early
leave some space available for spring runoff.
We are trying to slow things down.”
The reservoir on Feb. 10 was 73% full
Irrigation managers have raised flows from and the snow-water equivalent in the Owyhee
the Owyhee Reservoir to midseason levels two River Basin was around 118% of the long-term
months earlier than usual.
median, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and
The reasons, Owyhee Irrigation District USDA Natural Resources Conservation Ser-
vice reported, respectively.
Manager Jay Chamberlin
Many of Bruce Cruick-
said, include an above-aver-
shank’s farm properties are irri-
age snowpack, limited room
gated by Owyhee Reservoir,
to store more water behind the
which he said had above-aver-
dam and the as yet-unknown
age carryover storage follow-
impacts of expected runoff.
ing the 2019 irrigation season.
“We’re trying to slow
The reservoir can hold up to a
things down so we don’t
two-year supply of irrigation
impact farm ground along the
water.
Lower Owyhee River later in
“I think there’s enough
the spring,” Chamberlin said.
Owyhee Irrigation District water in there right now to get
“If we can release it now and
Irrigation us through at least this next
leave a cushion in the reser- Owyhee
voir, when we get spring run- District Manager Jay year, even if we didn’t get any
off, we can take the top off and Chamberlin.
more water,” he said.
Chamberlin said the timing
have more available space to
and extent of any future increases
have those bigger (reservoir-in-
flow) runs. That would help minimize what in river flow will depend on spring runoff. “The
we would have to release down the river.”
(flow) amount could come up, and probably
Nyssa, Ore.-based OID increased river will.”
He said runoff can be tough to forecast in
flows from the typical winter level of about
30 cubic feet per second to 253 cfs, usually the 11,000-square-mile basin that includes
not seen until irrigation season ramps up parts of Idaho and Nevada. He flew over parts
each spring. The boost occurred over about of the basin Feb. 10.
“If we don’t get a wet spring, we’ll man-
a week, with incremental stops at about 60
and 125 cfs, to accommodate fisheries and age it well,” Chamberlin said. “If we get rain
on snow like some other areas, that gets a lit-
recreation.
“Based upon current reservoir storage and tle dicey because we only need about 200,000
forecast snowpack runoff, the decision was acre-feet of runoff to fill (Owyhee Reservoir)
made to go ahead and start the Owyhee Dam and they are predicting 500,000” for February
power plant to kind of slow down storage” through June.
Irrigation supplies are adequate already, he
from reservoir inflows, Chamberlin said. “The
inflow picked up considerably. We’ve got to said.
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
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