WATER QUALITY
CONTROL AND
MANAGEMENT
SNAKE RIVER
BASIN
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United States Department of the In-
terior/Stewart L. Udall, Secretary/
Federal Water Pollution Control Ad-
ministration, Northwest Region/
Portland, Oregon.
September 1968
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 INTRODUCTION
7 SUMMARY
11 RECOMMENDATIONS
15
18
18
18
20
21
23
25
25
26
26
27
28
28
29
31
34
36
37
38
38
39
39
41
42
44
45
45
46
47
47
47
47
47
47
48
48
48
DESCRIPTION
The Basin
The Area
Present Population
The Economy
Future Population
Water Resources
Water Uses
irrigation
fishery
municipal and industrial water
supply
recreation
hydroelectric power
navigation
aesthetics
x
WATER QUALITY
PROBLEMS
Dissolved Oxygen Depletion
Bacterial Pollution
Thermal Pollution
Suspended Solids
Aquatic Growths
Toxic Substances
Radioactivity
EXISTING POLLUTION
CONTROL PROGRAMS
Waste Treatment
Water Quality Standards
FWPCA Activities
program grants
research and demon-
stration grants
interstate enforcement
actions
federal installations
public information
planning
surveillance
Other Federal Programs
financial assistance
land management and
construction
49 REMAINING NEEDS
51 Streamflow Management
Program
52 changes in operation and
maintenance schedules
52 changes to conserve
irrigation water
53 changes in state water law
54 changes in public attitude
51 changes with future water
resource development
57 Other Needs for Water
Quality Maintenance
57 future waste treatment
59 pollution surveillance
59 other control needs
61 thermal pollution
62 research
63 APPENDIX
FIGURES
16 The Study Area
18 Land Ownership and Use
20 Major and Minor Service Areas
20 Generalized Farming
23 Water Resource Projects
26 Estimated Runs of Salmon
and Steelhead
34 Pollution Problem Areas
35 Dissolved Oxygen Profile
36 Bacteriological Profile
37 Temperature Profile
44 Waste Production
58 Water Quality Monitoring
TABLES
21 Projected Output
21 Projected Population
26 Anadromous Fish Activities
26 Sport Fishing Effort,
Harvest and Expenditures
34 Water Quality Problem Areas
64 Water Resource Development
65 Potential Reservoir
Development
66 Water Quality Criteria
69 Fish Kills
70 Major Waste Loading Areas
71 Current Waste Treatment Needs
72 Additional Waste
Treatment Needs
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1. Hells Canyon: the deepest and narrowest velvety gorge in the United States, encloses the
1,000 mile long Snake River
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INTRODUCTION
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•"
2. Many rapids break the Snake River into white water as the river clashes through the
canyon. While landforms guarantee a limited threat of water pollution from population and
industrial concentration, water resource development of the middle Snake could end the
free-flowing of this beautiful river.
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The Snake River is an intensively
used and highly regulated river. As
it sweeps across Idaho, turns north-
ward to mark state boundaries, and
finally bends westward through
Washington, the waters of this river
are controlled, stored and diverted
for a multitude of uses. It will be
even more intensively used and more
highly regulated in the future as
Idaho, in particular, grows in popula-
tion and industrial complexity. It is
a large river that means many things
to many people.
To the people who live in the Snake
Basin, the Snake means irrigation
water to transform over three million
acres of once-arid land into one of
the Nation's most productive garden
areas.
To sport and commercial fishermen
who pursue salmon and steelhead, the
Snake is the most important produc-
tion area in the Columbia River sys-
tem for anadromous fish.
To more than five million visitors
each year, the Snake is a recreational
playground providing swimming,
boating, camping, and sightseeing.
To people who enj oy all these uses,
the Snake means change—change to
accommodate a growing economy and
population, change to improve water
quality, and change to assure more
efficient use of this valuable resource.
Water pollution threatens the present
and future use of the Snake River.
Dense aquatic growths, so heavy in
places that they clog irrigation canals,
flourish throughout the Snake's
length. Fish kills occur nearly every
year. Bacterial contamination occurs
below most major population con-
centrations. Some portions of the
Snake River are aesthetically
offensive.
An opportunity—and a challenge—
is offered to the people of the Snake
Basin to guide the course of intensi-
fying uses as the economy undergoes
expansion and change. If the present
uses and the inevitable changes of the
future are to be endured without the
burden of growing problems of water
pollution, the people and their repre-
sentatives in government and industry
must institute prudent action pro-
grams—action programs supported
by a public fully informed and aware
of the water quality problems and
their alternative solutions.
In the Snake River Basin, any mean-
ingful action program requires hus-
banding of that water resource with
management and regulation of the
river's flow, giving full recognition
to, and provision for, all the many
water uses for which people value the
Snake.
Since the first permanent settlement
of the Snake River Basin, the history
of development and economic growth
has centered in the use of the river
for irrigation and power production.
Management and regulation of Snake
River flows, suggested by custom and
state laws which grew out of that
history, have established these uses
as the paramount criteria governing
utilization of this most important of
all resources in the Snake Basin. Con-
tinuation of these historical prac-
tices to the exclusion of considera-
tion for more recent and emerging
uses can result in significant losses
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to the Pacific Northwest, to the Na-
tion and, most importantly, to the
people of the basin.
In the future, the Snake River must
be utilized to accommodate more
fully the changing emphasis among
the varied uses which will loom large
as economic change marches across
the length and breadth of the Snake
River Basin.
This is the thrust of this report:'
Better and more comprehensive man-
agement to accommodate changing
and multiple uses of the Snake River
water resources.
Although the importance of irrigation
and power as present and future
cornerstones of the Snake Basin econ-
omy cannot be minimized, new de-
mands and expectations preclude
water management programs dedi-
cated solely to these uses. The goal,
to be transformed into a fact ac-
complished, must be a water manage-
ment program to adjust to the chang-
ing diversity and intensity of all
water uses and water-use relation-
ships. Only through a prudent water
management program of action, sup-
ported by the best practicable treat-
ment of wastes prior to discharge,
can the damaging effect of water
pollution and resultant restricted use
be avoided. The right steps must be
taken beginning now.
This report summarizes the findings
of studies which have provided the
inpetus to Federal-State water pollu-
tion control planning in the Snake
Basin since 1962. It tells where pol-
lution exists and why it exists. It
tells what corrective action has al-
ready been initiated. It tells what
further steps must be taken to pre-
serve and enhance the quality of
water resources of the basin. And it
serves as a blueprint from which to
build future programs for the water
quality essential to the many uses
and enjoyment of water in the Snake
Basin.
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SUMMARY
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1. Water quality in the Snake River
Basin and its tributaries is presently
impaired for the uses of municipal
water supply, water-contact recrea-
tion, production of anadromous and
resident fish, and aesthetic enjoyment
in the designated areas. Increasing
quantities of wastes from municipal,
industrial, and agricultural sources
contribute to the restriction of water
use; however, acceleration of water
pollution is largely the result of the
cumulative effects of these discharges
and management practices by which
a complex system of impoundments is
operated primarily for irrigation and
power purposes. Drastic modification
of natural flow patterns when irriga-
tion water is being stored or diverted
too often reduces river flows and the
ability of the river to assimilate
wastes.
2. Fish kills, thermal pollution, and
bacterial contamination are water
quality problems common to the
Snake. But the most chronic problem
jj the dense aquatic growths that in-
terfere with^the use of water for irri-
and thai
.
ally— offensive Many impoundments
and both natural and man-made in-
puts of nutrients make these growths
more prolific.
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POLLUTION PROBLEM AREAS
0
0
©
3. A major step towards abating pol-
lution in the Snake Basin climaxed
with the establishment of Water
Qualify Standards by basin states and
their approval by the Secretary of
the Interior under the Water Quality
Act of 1065. The criteria portion of
the standards fixes objectives design-
ed to upgrade polluted waters and to
protect waters of high quality. They
will be made effective through the
implementation plans which require
secondary treatment or its equiva-
lent for all municipal and industrial
wastes in 1()72. Thus, water quality
in most problem areas will certainly
be improved. However, treatment
alone will not solve all water quality
problems.
•I. Minimum streamflows. established
and maintained lor water uses re-
quiring good water quality, are es-
srritial In water quality maintenam e
In inert expanding multiple u*rs (if
tin- Snake Basin water resources. I n-
less management programs provide
"firm minimum flows, iii-stream water
uses such as fishery and recreation
will be impaired, even with a high
degree of waste treatment. Total an-
nual flows are sufficient in most
1 South Fork Telon R
and Henry s Fork below
the Telon R
2 Snake River below
Idaho Falls
3. Snake River above
American Falls Res
4 Portneut River below
Pocatello
5 American Falls
Reservoir
6 Milner Reservoir
7. Rock Creek
8 Boise River
9 Brownlee-Oxbow
Reservoir
10 Lewiston-Clarkslon
Area
11 South Fork Palouse
River
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years to serve water quality, power,
and irrigation if a management pro-
gram can be designed to minimize
wasteful spillage of flows, to coordi-
nate reservoir releases, and to con-
serve irrigation water.
5. Present thermal pollution in the
Snake Basin has resulted more from
impounding the free-flowing stream
than from waste heat discharged to
the river. High water temperatures in
the lower Snake (a migratory route
for anadromous fish) now limit sal-
mon and steelhead production and
at times actually delay fish passage
into the lower Snake system, the
most important production area for
anadromous fish in the Columbia
Basin. Flow regulation from future
reservoirs may improve the tempera-
ture regimen of the Snake; impacts
on water quality should, therefore,
be a part of future project analyses.
6. Ground water in the upper basin
is a valuable and largely undeveloped
resource consisting of almost 50 per-
cent of the total ground-water re-
serves in the Pacific Northwest. The
quality of this underground reser-
voir must be protected by proper dis-
posal of low-level radioactive wastes
from the National Reactor Testing
Station (NRTS) near Idaho Falls,
which overlies the recharge basin
for the Snake River aquifer.
10
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RECOMMENDATIONS
11
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12
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1. The most critical need in the
Snake Basin, in addition to the ac-
tions already being taken by pollu-
tion control agencies, is the systematic
management of present and future
water resource development projects
to reduce inefficient use of water and
to permit all beneficial uses. The
Idaho Water Resources Board, the
State Reclamation Engineer, the
Idaho Department of Health and tin-
Bureau of Reclamation have already
made initial efforts in this direction.
Strengthening and coordination <>f
these efforts with the efforts of the
FWPCA. other water resource agen-
cies, and the water users will expedite
the following needed actions:
(a I Improvement of reservoir op-
erating criteria and maintenance
schedules to assist in providing a
minimum streamflow from existing
rcsci \oirs for water quality to sup-
port in-stream water uses as well as
In serve the needs for water with-
drawal nse<.
(hi Recommendations for modifica-
tion of existing statutes to recognize
ill-stream water uses as beneficial
uses of the stream and to permit the
establishment of base flows for water
quality control.
(c) Improvement of irrigation con-
veyance systems and methods of ap-
plication to crops to reduce excessive
diversions and promote more effic-
ient use of water.
I d ( Evaluation of future water re-
source projects with respect to their
impact on water quality and develop-
ment of predictive tools to better de-
fine problems of water quality and
flow management. In particular, con-
sideration of water quality control in
planning and design of future pro-
jects to take advantage of tempera-
ture regulation potential could im-
prove water quality.
2. In addition to on-going state pro-
grams, a number of actions by State
water pollution control agencies
would contribute greatly to water
quality maintenance in the Snake
Basin. It is recommended, therefore.
that the states consider the following
needed actions:
I a I Mandatory certification and
training of treatment plant operators
—both municipal and industrial—to
ensure the best possible treatment
plant operation.
ib) Establishment of a waste dis-
charge permit system in Idaho which
would be compatible with those of
Oregon and Washington in defining
the nature and quantity of wastes
being discharged and to set treat-
ment requirements for specific
locations.
(c) Development of regional organ-
izations of city-industrial groups to
plan, finance, and operate waste
treatment facilities in the larger ser-
vice areas.
1111 Development of regulations con-
trolling wastes from concentrated ani-
mal populations such as feedlots and
dairies.
lei Continued action by the State
water pollution control agencies to
assure the establishment of basin-
wide secondary waste treatment by
1(J(2 and the development of infra-
state water quality standards.
3. The Federal government also has
direct responsibility for controlling
pollution in the Snake Basin. The
following actions, taken by the ap-
propriate agency, are a necessary
part of the overall effort of pollution
control:
I a) Secondary treatment, or its
equivalent, should be instituted at
the following Federal installations as
required by Executive Order 11288:
Redfish Lake Recreation Area, USFS
Island Park Recreation Area, USFS
Alturas Lake Recreation Area, USFS
Elk City Ranger Station, USFS
Powell Ranger Station, USFS
Bungalow Ranger Station, USFS
Musse.lshell Work Camp, USFS
Slate Creek Ranger Station, USFS
Mountain Home Air Force Base,
USAF
Anderson Ranch Dam. USBR
Black Canyon Dam, USBR
Black Canyon Dam Power Plt,USBR
Cascade Dam, USBR
Deadwood Dam, USBR
Boise River Diversion Dam, USBR
Lucky Peak Dam, USAGE
Minidoka Dam & Headworks.USBR
Ice Harbor Dam, USAGE
13
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(b) Federal agencies responsible for
managing large portions of the basin
or involved in construction activities
should continue their efforts to im-
prove erosion control practices that
will reduce sediment loads to the
basin's streams.
(c) The Atomic Energy Commission
should assure retention of radio-
active wastes within the boundaries
of the NRTS station by eliminating
discharges to groundwater and by
adopting another method of treat-
ment and disposal that would re-
duce the possibility of a contaminated
ground-water supply. A monitoring
system that will provide adequate
warning of impending danger to
ground-water and surface-water sys-
tems from present and future waste
disposal practices should be
maintained.
(d) Location of any proposed ther-
mal power installation on the Snake
River system should be reviewed to
determine effects of wastes on the
receiving stream. Provisions for con-
trol and adequate treatment of ther-
mal discharge should be a prerequis-
ite to such location in order to pre-
vent irreparable damage to selected
stream reaches.
4. Remaining actions which would
improve water quality may be con-
sidered the joint responsibility of
State and Federal agencies. Coopera-
tion of all levels of government to
bring about the following would im-
prove the basin's water quality
management program:
(a) Control of aquatic growths in
the Snake Basin. The responsibility
for this control extends beyond the
scope of any one agency or organiza-
tion. More information about the na-
ture, causes, and possible methods of
controlling the excessive productivity
of the river is critical to the solution
of the problem. State, Federal and
university efforts should be directed
toward such research. The FWPCA,
through its National Eutrophication
Research Program and its research
grant program, can offer assistance
and participation.
(b) Expansion of cooperative data
collection and analysis programs of
both the State and Federal govern-
ments to provide more complete
knowledge of water quality in the
Snake River system as a basis for
sound decisions on flow regulation
and waste treatment needs.
(c) Improvement of agricultural
practices to ensure the maximum pro-
tection of the waters of the Snake
Basin from adverse effects of ferti-
lizers and pesticides. Careful selec-
tion of types of chemicals to be ap-
plied, determination of optimum ap-
plication levels and sanctions against
applications that occur within the
immediate surface drainage of a
watercourse are essential to a control
program. The control should be in-
stituted through education of indi-
vidual farmers and through grower
contracts covering production condi-
tions and quality specifications for
crops to be processed.
14
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DESCRIPTION
15
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16
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SNAKE RIVER BASIN
(Major Physical Features)
THE STUDY AREA
I
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The Basin
The Snake River begins in the north-
west corner of Wyoming, flows
through southern Idaho where it re-
ceives minor drainage from Utah and
Nevada, travels northward to mark
state boundaries between Idaho and
Oregon and Idaho and Washington,
and then flows through the Palouse
hills to the Columbia River in the
State of Washington. The river is
over 1,000 miles long and drains an
area of nearly 108,000 square miles.
As the largest tributary of the Col-
umbia River, the Snake River con-
tributes one-fifth of the total dis-
charge of the Columbia River system,
about 33 million acre-feet of water
each year.
The Area
Most of the area is mountainous, but
it is the lowlands of the Snake Plain
and the finger valleys like those of
the Boise, Payette, and Weiser Rivers
which provide some of the world's
most fertile farm areas and which
are the focus of the agricultural
economy and the home of most of
the population.
Of the basin's total area, 42 percent
is rangeland; 24 percent is forest; 26
percent is agricultural land; and the
remaining 8 percent is divided among
other uses. Land ownership of the
basin is 66 percent Federal, 4 percent
state and local, and 30 percent
private.
Present Population
In 1965, approximately 729 thousand
people lived within the basin's boun-
daries. For analytical purposes, six-
teen service areas or urbanized-in-
dustrialized locations have been de-
fined. Over 65 percent of the total
population lives in these areas, most
of which are located in the Snake
Plain. Population growth has been
retarded by rural emigration, but the
larger urbanized areas have exper-
ienced very rapid population expan-
sion in the last two decades.
LAND DISTRIBUTION, OWNERSHIP AND USE
.Si|nar<> Mile*
"7%
AlTPS
Fe.lrr.il 45.J37.900 6*%
State ami l.ural 2.04<).bllO 4%
Private 20.203. WO 30%
LAND OWNKKMIIP
Million AITM
Id 24%
Agri.-iiltin.il 18 26%
J.AND I'SK
18
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3., 4. Processing uf millions (if tons n{ potatoes each year requires immense amounts of
water and produces iuitir amounts nf wastes. In most pUuiK the movements of the raw
materials through the factory is conducted liy using water as the medium nf transport.
c>
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The Economy
Agriculture dominates the regional
economy. The farms of the upper
basin and the Snake Plain area of
the central basin produce irrigated
row crops, livestock, and dry farmed
wheat. I nlike the diversified agri-
culture of the Snake Plain, which is
dependent on irrigation, farming in
the Palouse country of the lower
basin produces mostly wheat and
legumes.
The basin has industrialized rapidly
over the last two decades. Potato
prore>»ini:. sugar refining, and other
t\|irs of food processing have ex-
panded rapidly in the upper and
central basins, and the lower basin
has a diversified forest products in-
du>ti>. Indicative of the Snake
Basin's importance to the economy of
the Pacific Northwest and the Nation
is the fact that about 25 percent of
the Nation's potatoes and about 15
percent of the Nation's sugar beets
are gn.wn and processed within the
the basin's boundaries.
Economic projections for the Snake
Basin have been made, based on
recent trends of production, and are
intended to provide a framework for
quantitative examination of the fu-
ture impacts on water quality. Food
processing is expected to remain the
principal manufacturing activity for
the region, with the volume of pro-
'1 potatoes continuing to increase
at a rapid rate. Output of canned.
fro/en, and otherwise prepared foods.
other than potatoes and animal pro-
ducts, is projected to achieve the most
marked growth in the future. In ad-
dition, phosphates and pulp and
paper may also be expected to under-
go increased production.
SUBBASINS AND SERVICE AREAS
Lower Basin
Middle Basin
Upper Basin
Major Service Areas
Minor Service Areas
GENERALIZED FARMING PATTERNS
GENERALIZED FARMING PATTERNS
Wh««t SPtot
mini
rPoTi'ott, SuQ«r Bt«tt,
Ll-ivf«toch, Dry B»«n1
S»I« Bfltt. LIIIXOU
Wn«0t a Gtntral Farming
L'tnitock
Mount »nt 8 Fortftf
Summer Grannf
20
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PROJECTED OUTPUT — MAJOR MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS
Product or Process
Phosphate products
Fertilizer
Wood pulp
Particle board
Sugar refining
Upper basin
Central basin
Potato processing
Upper basin
Central & lower basins
Milk products
Meat
Misc. canning & freezing
Projection Expressed in
tons/year output
tons/year output
tons/day capacity
tons/day capacity
tons/day capacity
tons/day capacity
million Ibs/yr output
million Ibs/yr output
production index
1960
165.000
360.000
650
500
18.700
(9,600)
(9.100)
5.775
(4.275)
(1.500)
435
150
100
1965
270.000
700.000
650
550
24,600
(13.700)
(10.900)
7.225
(5.425)
(1.800)
485
180
130
1980
390.000
870.000
950
750
27.400
(15.300)
(12,100)
9,200
(7,300)
(1.900)
670
320
235
2000
720.000
1,615,000
1.400
1.100
39,100
(21.850)
(17,250)
14.600
(10,400)
(4,200)
950
460
460
.
1 .020.000
2.300.000
2.100
1.700
55.500
(31.000)
(24,500)
20.800
(14.700)
(6.100)
1 350
520
780
POPULATION — 1965-2020
Thousand* of inhabitants
1965 1980 2000 2020
SNAKE RIVER BASIN 729
Upper Basin 2M
Onirtl Bairn 2M
Lower Bfttin ifil
MAJOR SERVICE AREAS 401
Idaho F.II, $2
Pocatallo 47
Burley 24
T«,n Fans 40
Bon* 146
Ontario 34
(.•wiiton 3fl
Pullman 27
A* s. Basm Total Si
MINOR SERVICE AREAS 81
R*nbu'g 15
Rflby 9
Black toot IS
American Falls 4
Mountain Homa 12
Emma it 4
Bi**f to
La Grande 10
At V Bom Tola! 11
33 Uppe< Basin Communities 23
20 Caniral Ba»n Commumiias 19
44 Low*' Basin Commurutiat 40
At % Basm Total 11
RURAL 162
Upper BkSin 65
Central Basm 51
Low*' Basin 44
Ai % Basin Total 22
r 934 7 1324
3955 571
345 0 4BT
1942 ?M
M6» W1
833 139
747 i?«
356 M
61 0 97
2030 313
357 57
55 2 90
34< 58
N (W8% 71
1025 135
174 22
11 ? 15
202 27
40 e
164 21
52 fl
134 17
134 17
% 110% 10
280 34
230 2*
476 M
% >0.5% 9
1467 126
S88 49
483 42
396 33
% 157% 9
1908
ass
70S
340
1482
228
211
86
ISO
4S4
68
148
86
% 77
179
30
20
37
28
8
23
23
% 9
43
34
61
% 7
108
41
38
29
% 5
-
-
-
•
The economic projections presented
in this report are deemed adequate to
project impact of developments on
water quality. Additional studies are
under way by the Office of Business
Kronornics of the Department of
Commerce and will be used in the
Columbia • North Pacific Region
Framework Study, which is bein-;
made under the auspices of the Paci-
fic Northwest River Basins Com-
mission and the Water Resources
Council. The Idaho Water Resource
Board is making technically sophisti-
cated studies of agricultural, munici-
pal, industrial, and other water needs.
Projections from these studies and
those of projects proposed by the
Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps
of Engineers will be evaluated as to
their effects on water quality as part
of the continuous planning process to
provide and maintain water quality
for intended uses.
Future Population
Based on projected output and cur-
rent population trends, the popula-
tion for the basin was projected to
2020. It is estimated that by that
time there will be two million people,
most of whom will live in the major
and minor service areas. The project-
ed distribution of future population
continues the established pattern.
1965
1980
2000
2020
21
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5. Below Milner Dam a slim, uncharacteristic flow passes down the natural channel of the
Snake River. Through the irrigation season little water reaches the channel, most of the
flow of the Snake River being diverted to giant irrigation canals radiating out from the dam.
22
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WATER RESOURCE PROJECTS
Includes: Reservoirs: 5,000 acre ft
Power: 1.000 KW rated raparily
Projects: Existing. Under Construction,
Authorized, Licensed
1. lei Harbor
2. Loner Monumental
3. Loiter Granite
4. Lawistin
5. Duorshak
6. Asotin
7. Penny Cl 11fs
6. Grsngevi! le
9. High HI. Sheep
10. fallowa Lak>
II. He Ms Canyon
18. Little Payette
20. Cascade
21. C. Ben Ro s
22. Crane Cre
ItJ
• k
12. Th
13. Has
15. Bro nlee
16. Oib m
17. Los
I Valley
Vslley
23. Paddock V
24. f i Mow Cr
25. Bully Cri
26. ifency Valley
27. Warn Spr ings
28. Owyhee
29. Black Canyon
30. Qesdwood
31. Afrovrock
32. Pleasant Y«lley
33. Swan Fal Is
34. Hnbbard
35. Lake Lowe II
36. Snckar Creek
37. Antelope
31.
38.
42.
43'.
44,
4S.
46.
* .
41.
41.
90.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
C. ]. Strike
Little Caias
Anderson Ranch
lacks,
Fish Creek
Little food
llfU
n Lakes
d (uppe
d (I owe
-
on Fall
on FalI
sand "Gp
IN ho f SB
(uppe
(I owe
Inis
on Falls Creek
hone Falls
58.
57.
Si!
10.
I I.
'2
13.
14.
18,
66.
) 87.
68.
C-
7t,
78.
73,
s Fal Is
augh
at: ill
kfoot
Grays
Palisades
Idaho Fal Is
(upper liddle lower)
Hud Lake
Asll on
nd
ys Fork
Water Resources
Although at least twenty-one major
tributaries may be distinguished, al-
most two-thirds of the Snake's total
flow at the mouth is provided by-
three lower basin tributaries—the
Salmon, Clearwater, and Grande
Ronde—which enter well below the
principal concentrations of popula-
tion. Streamflow fluctuates greatly
over the passage of the Snake with
stream management strongly influ-
encing flow in about two-thirds of
the total drainage area. At Heise,
the Snake carries about 4.7 million
acre-feet in the average year. In the
250 miles from Heise to Milner Dam,
irrigation withdrawals offset tribu-
tary inflows of 4.6 million acre-feet.
At Milner, another 3.0 million acre-
feet are withdrawn, virtually deplet-
ing the river's flow. Below Milner,
substantial inflows from tributary
springs augment mean flow to 6.2
million acre-feet at King Hill. The
flow of the Snake is almost doubled
as it passes through the central basin
where it receives six important tribu-
taries; of these, the Malheur.
Owyhee, and Boise are heavily de-
pleted by irrigation withdrawal.
while the Payette, Weiser, and Pow-
der Rivers discharge substantial por-
tions of their waters to the receiving
stream. Averaging 11.8 million acre-
feet as it passes from the central
basin at Brownlee Dam, the Snake
flow triples in the terminal fifth of
its course.
Occurrence of low flows critical to
quality control is largely a function of
the management regimen of the
basin's waters. Low flows are most
frequently the result of withholding
water to build up storage for irriga-
tion or of the actual diversion of a
significant part of a stream to the
fields. An exception to this rule exists
in the Palouse River of the lower
basin, where naturally low summer
flows exist. The Portneuf River of
the upper basin also suffers from
intermittent low summer flows. To
encompass both present water man-
agement capabilities and low flows
which may be anticipated to recur in
a cycle of dry years, hydrologic
analysis in this report has been based
upon the one-in-ten year recurrence
of low flows.
25
-------
Over 70 major impounding struc-
tures—existing, under construction,
or authorized—act to modify natural
flows and hundreds of additional
project sites have been studied. Ac-
tive storage capacity of these im-
poundments totals 11.6 million acre-
feet or about 35 percent of the aver-
age annual Snake Basin contribu-
tion to the Columbia River. Through
the upper and central basins, regula-
tion is the principal determinant of
streamflow; existing or authorized
storage capacity here amounts to
about 86 percent of average runoff.
Development has been directed large-
ly to the benefit of irrigators. There
are 36 single-purpose irrigation dams
in the basin, and 15 multi-purpose
impoundments include irrigation
among their functions. The high level
of irrigation storage capabilities
is accompanied by corresponding
diversion capacity. There are 140
major gaged diversions of the flows
of the upper and central basins. A
substantial portion of the total water
that is diverted is not gaged, par-
ticularly in the central basin.
Flows of the Snake River above
Milner are regulated primarily
by four Bureau of Reclamation reser-
voirs—Lake Walcott, American Falls,
Palisades, and Jackson Lake—with
active capacities totaling 3.8 million
acre-feet. Over 97 percent of this
storage is earmarked for irrigation
use. and the regulation of the reser-
voirs is designed primarily to bene-
fit irrigators.
There is no systematized body of
rules governing storage and release
decisions relating to irrigation flows
except an agreement with the Corps
of Engineers to provide flood control
on a forecast basis. Actual practice
has been to fill the reservoirs in the
early winter and allow surplus flows
to spill in the spring. Stored flows
are then released as needed for diver-
sion during the irrigation season.
The actual responsibility of regula-
ting storage and release schedules
from the reservoirs rests with the
Bureau of Reclamation. Once the
water reaches the stream, a water-
master, elected by representatives of
the irrigation districts, has the titular
responsibility of regulating diver-
sions. A unique group, the Com-
6. American Falls Dam and reservoir, filled in this photograph, provides 1.7 million acre-
feet of storage that is the key element in upper basin water management. In late summer
much of the broad, shallow reservoir is empty, after downstream irrigation withdrawals have
occurred.
7. The boat launching ramp of a private boating club located at American Falls Reservoir
runs down to dry dust in August. The nearest water—the channel of the Snake River—is
almost a mile away.
24
-------
vl J»—
8. Irrigation is the lifeblood to the agriculture of the Snake Plain, but also
of pollution. Here ridge and furrow irrigation is used to grow sugar beets.
»
a major cause
mittee of Nine, made up from the
membership of the districts, has the
responsibility of advising water com-
panies with regard to water distribu-
tion questions. The system is ap-
parently operated much more inform-
ally than defined responsibilities
would indicate. Storage and release
decisions are often discussed with and
strongly influenced by the water-
master and the Committee of Nine.
Ground water is a valuable resource
in the Snake Basin. The estimated
supply of ground water constitutes
well over half of the Pacific North-
west's total ground-water reserves,
amounting to perhaps 160 million
acre-feet of recoverable storage and
11 million acre-feet of annual re-
charge. Principal aquifers are in the
lowlands, with the Snake Plain in
the upper basin providing one of the
world's outstanding water-bearing
formations. Individual wells situated
in this basaltic layer commonly yield
more than 1,000 gallons per minute,
some have achieved yields of 9,000
gpm. Ground-water problems include
hardness, local mineral excesses, and
degradation of quality as a result of
irrigation and subsurface disposal of
wastes.
Water Uses
Irrigation
Irrigation far outweighs any other
use of Snake River waters. In 1965
almost 3.4 million acres of the basin's
lands were irrigated, an increase of
one and a half million acres over the
level existing 15 years ago. The
economic patterns that have caused
the Snake Basin to produce and pro-
cess a steadily growing portion of
the Nation's food supply maintain a
steady pressure on irrigation capac-
ity, because irrigation is a pre-
requisite to agricultural production
in the Snake Plain. The water needs
imposed by the level of irrigation
development are enormous. The aver-
age water diversion rate in the area
has been estimated at over four feet
per acre. With the 1967 level of
development, a total demand of 15 to
20 million acre-feet is indicated. With
potential irrigation development, an
eventual water need for irrigation
purposes of up to 40 million acre-
feet would be required.
'-.J> £.t
25
, -. . &> T STT'WVS-
-------
Fishery
Several distinct and significant fish-
eries exist in the Snake Basin and are
a unique and valuable resource of
the area. Most important of these in
terms of broad economic impact is
the migratory salmon fishery of the
lower basin. The watershed's resi-
dent fish include salmonid and warm-
water game fish. Both classes are
intensely sought by sport fishermen.
The anadromous fishery, in addition
to being a source of recreational fish-
ing, is also an important source of
the commercial salmon catch of the
Pacific banks and the Columbia
River, contributing an estimated
eight million pounds annually. Qyer
300,000 fish—abnnf 61 p«"Tpt nf
the anadromous fish other than blue-
back passing McNary Dam—enter
the Snake system each year and make
the lower Snake the most important
production area in the Columbia
River system. While summer runs
are the largest upstream migration,
migrant salmon utilize the waters of
the lower basin throughout the year.
By far the most important tributary
for fish production is the Salmon
River.
Resident salmonids abound in the
Snake River Basin and provide a
high quality game fishery. Trout of
various species occur throughout the
basin and Kokanee, a prized type of
landlocked salmon, is found in a few
lakes. Warm-water game fish, though
generally considered less desirable
than the salmonids, are nevertheless
intensively pursued by sportsmen,
particularly in the reservoirs and in
those areas which are suited to pro-
duction of salmonid fish.
Municipal and Industrial
Water Supply
There are roughly two hundred in-
dividual municipal water supply sys-
tems and an additional one hundred
industrial plants which provide their
own water supplies in the Snake
Basin. These cities and industries,
together with the unincorporated
population of the basin, require over
360 million gallons of water a day
(mgd). Ground water is the princi-
pal source supplying municipal and
and industrial water requirements in
the basin; over 70 jercent of the
municipal population is served by
ground water only, another 25 per-
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM RUNS OF SALMON
AND STEELHEAD TO THE
SNAKE RIVER SYSTEM *
Species
Columbia River
Put McNary Dam
Snake River
% of Columbia
Fall Chinook
Spring Chinook
Steelhead
303.300
Data Source: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
ESTIMATED SPORT FISHING EFFORT: HARVEST AND EXPENDITURES
Activity
Adults upstream
Holding
Spawning & egg
incubat ion
Juveniles in
streams
Finger Hngs
downstream
J
...
r'
—
sr
M
-
h
SCh
A
...
Sk
FC
M
SCh!
S_H
i Sk
r"
j
Cc
rcp.
J
"si
ho
wS.
A
"•
S
FC
tj
-
C
0
1
:°::
H
<
H
N
...
1
[c.
•I)
—
--
Location
Main st m & Salmon R.
Main st m & Grande Ronde R.
Main st m & tribs. below Oxbow Dam.
Tribs o Salmon R. & Snake R. below Oxbow Dam.
Redfish Lakes.
Tribs. below Oxbow Dam & main stem Snake R.
Main stem below Oxbow.
Redfish Lakes.
Grande Ronde R.
Tribs. of Clearwater, Salmon & Snake below Oxbow.
LDUtari.es.
Main stem and tributaries.
Species legend: SCh—Spring Chinook; FCh—Fall Chinook; Sk—Sockeye; Coho--Coho; SH—Steelhead.
ANADROMOUS FISH ACTIVITIES
Study Areas
Salmon River
Grande Ronde River
Imnaha River
Snake River c/
Pine Creek
Asotin Creek
Other Tributaries
Resident Fish a/
Days
Catch
71,500 290,000
86,000 243,000
7,000
4,500
2,400
--
d/
235,400
a/ Includes immature anadromou
b/ Rate of S5.78 per
Circular 120,
27,000
25,000
10,000
6,000
"•
809,000
s fish.
tures b_/
$ 413,270
497,080
40,460
26,010
23,120
13,870
—
$1,360,610
angler-day derived from data
USDI. 1960
Angler-
Days
110,000
11,000
5,300
25,000
1,200
--
--
23.5,500
in Nation
Catch
27,000
3,000
1,300
11,000
300
--
--
60,600
Adult Anadr
Expendi-
tures £/
$ 635,800
63,580
30,630
144,500
6,930
--
--
$1,361,180
al Survey of Hunting
omous Fis
Angler-
Days
136,000
4,800
1,600
4,000
260
• --
--
146,660
i
Catch
40,000
1,200
400
1,100
65
-.
--
42,765
Expendi-
tures d/
8786,080
27,740
9,250
23,120
1,500
__
--
$847,690
and Fishing.
d/ No data available.
Source: r. S. Fish
nn,l VUJlife Service. Survey
of Middle Sn.ike :
asin. November 1964.
26
-------
9. The mailboat, Idaho Queen, carries passengers up the Snake River where they enjoy
and fishing.
10. Hot, dry summers in the Snake Valley make boating and recreation popular on the
Snake River.
cent is served by a combination of
surface and ground water, and only
four communities are served li\ MII
face water alone. Most significant in-
dustrial water users have developed
adequate independent ground-water
supplies, though a few are served by
municipal systems. Ground-water
supplies are generally of suitable
quality and require only disinfection.
Further treatment is generally associ-
ated with surface sources.
Municipal and industrial water re-
quirements have been projected by
applying the factors for use per capita
or per unit of output to projected
population and output levels. The
demand for municipal and industrial
waters in the Snake is expected to
increase more than threefold by 2O20.
amounting to 512 mgd by 1'JHU, 811T
mgd by 2000. and 1.110 mgd by
2020. Municipal and industrial de-
mands are expected to remain nearly
equal throughout the planning period.
\\ater >upply needs of the Snake
Basin arc becoming increasingly con-
centrated. At the present time. o\er
three-fourths of the total municipal
and industrial requirements occur in
the eight major service areas; and
this percentage is expected to in-
crease >teadil\.
Recreation
The waters of the Snake support a
\ariet\ of t\pes of recreation. Inten-
sil\ .if use i< generally unmeasured:
but recreational sites are numerous
and observation indicates that these
sites are used extensively. Perhap-
the most obvious indication of the
generally felt need for water-related
recreational sites is the streamside
municipal park: almost every town
has such a site. Moating and swim-
ming are popular in the river and the
reservoirs. In fact, the average num-
ber of \isitor days on publicly ad-
ministered reservoirs offering boat-
ing and swimming opportunities has
averaged 1.6 million in recent years.
Sport fishing is an even greater at-
traction in the basin than boating.
The I . S. Fish and Wildlife Service
has estimated that the anadromous
27
-------
fishery resource of the lower basin
is primarily responsible for ap-
proximately 2.7 million angler days
of sport fishing in the Pacific North-
west. Scattered surveys at other
places indicate 20.000 fisherman
days for American Falls and Pali-
sades Reservoirs, and up to 12,000
fisherman days for Wallowa Lake.
Outdoor recreation contributes sub-
stantially to the economy of the basin.
Each fall the Twin Falls area ex-
periences an influx of hunters in
pursuit of migratory waterfowl. The
high Wallowas in Oregon and the
Clearwater drainage in Idaho have
experienced considerable recreational
development, with guides and sup-
pliers serving the large numbers of
campers, hikers, fishermen, and
hunters who annually make use of
the outstanding forest and water re-
sources of these areas.
Hydroelectric Power
A number of hydroelectric power
dams impound the Snake River and
its tributaries, and construction of
several mammoth generating facili-
ties is scheduled before 1980. While
electric power production does not
constitute a depletion of the resource.
it does have effects on water quality.
Impounding the waters usually has
both beneficial and detrimental qual-
ity-modifying effects, while the op-
eration of turbines to meet integrated
power system schedules may impose
irregularities in streamflow.
Navigation
With completion of a scheduled ser-
ies of Columbia and Snake River
dams, the Columbia's navigational
pool for barge traffic will extend to
Lewiston and Clarkston on the lower
Snake River. Quality requirements
for navigation are insignificant, and
the quality effects of navigation are
generally not severe. Accidental
spills, unregulated bilge pumping, and
deposits of silt and sand from channel
dredging, however, bear the potential
for localized and intermittent quality
degradation.
11. Capable of generating more electricity than any other plant in Idaho is the 450,000
kilowatt Brownlee Dam powerhouse, completed in 1959 by Idaho Power Company. The
huge rockfill embankment that stores Snake River water for the powerhouse was the world's
second-highest such structure at the time of its completion.
28
-------
Aesthetics
The importance of the aesthetic qual-
ity of water has been demonstrated
by the inhabitants of the Snake River
Basin who have concentrated beside
the Snake River and a few major
tributaries. All but two of the larger
communities of the basin—Nampa
and Mountain Home—are located
along the banks of a river. The
Snake River has historically been—
and continues to be—the main east-
west line of passage between the
northern Pacific Coast and the re-
gions of the Nation lying beyond the
Rockies. Thus, those who live in the
area and those who pass through it
are constantly in view of water.
Intensity of water-based recreation,
increasing prevalence of streamside
residence, and ubiquity of the stream-
bank park all testify to the growing
appreciation of the importance of
water's presence to the social well-
being of the basin's inhabitants. The
nature of the physical environment
is recognized, locally as well as na-
tionally, to be important in terms of
community feeling, productivity, and
personal satisfaction.
12. An unpolluted river, the Lochsa, exemplifies the scenic and recreational resources of the
non-irrigation watercourses of the Snake River Basin.
29
-------
13. Water skiers enjoy the placid waters of Wallowa Lake, situated in the center of a vast
recreational region east of La Grande. Swimmers and fishermen are also attracted to the
lake. Nearby are picnic and overnight camping units, and in the towering Wallowa Moun-
tains is the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, which may be reached only by hiking or horseback.
30
-------
WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS
31
-------
Water quality problems exist in the
Snake River system in the form of
impaired uses of water or of poten-
tial uses lost because of degraded
water quality. The most dramatic
problem has been the loss to the
fishery. Fish kills have occurred at
Milner Reservoir in 1960,1961, 1962,
and 1966; at American Falls Reser-
voir; and in the Portneuf and lower
Boise Rivers. In each case the cause
has been a combination of in-
adequately treated toxic or oxygen-
demanding wastes and low stream-
flows. The fishery has also been af-
fected by occasional high water tem-
peratures in the lower Snake, pre-
venting the migration of salmon up
the system for several weeks.
Other problems have been less inten-
sive but have also resulted in im-
paired water use. For example, the
City of Twin Falls was forced to
abandon its Snake River water supply
as a result of tastes and odors associ-
ated with decay of aquatic growths
and other waste loads in Milner
Reservoir. Bacterial contamination
has also made water-contact recrea-
tion undesirable in several stretches
of the river.
The most chronic problem in the
Snake River is the damages caused
by aquatic growths which break loose
from the rocks or shallow stream
beds and float downstream in rafts or
sink in deep, slow-moving pools to
create bottom oxygen demand. Ir-
rigators have suffered increased costs
and inconvenience when these dense
masses of aquatic vegetation have in-
terfered with water transmission,
recreationalists have abandoned cer-
tain areas because of the disagree-
able appearance of aquatic growths,
and the fishery in American Falls
Reservoir has been adversely affected
by heavy algal blooms.
32
-------
14. Milner Reservoir was the scene cif recurring fish kills in the early nineteen-sixties, the
result of tilt- discharge of untreated industrial wa-te,. streamflow interruption by upstream
storage reservoir-, and iiv cover. •riiands of fi-h w.-r<- piled in windrows tiluli..n of primary waste treatment by potato
processor* provid.-.l a ihree-yeai r.-lief from fi-h kill-. Uul in the early winter of .966 a
fourth massive kill oivurred.
33
-------
Water quality problems in the
Snake are best described in terms of
the water quality standards which
prescribe the criteria for each use
and serve as a guide in defining
problem areas. A detailed discussion
of these criteria will not be presented
in this report; a table in the appendix
shows the specific levels of criteria
required for each use in the Snake
River.
Dissolved Oxygen
Depletion
Dissolved oxygen (oxygen held in
solution in a given amount of water)
provides the basic respiratory supply
for most living aquatic organisms,
including not only fish and other
higher life forms but also the bacteria
which consume organic matter. When
oxygen levels are depleted, fish and
other desirable organisms are in-
hibited or killed and the stream or
reservoir can be converted into an
odor-producing nuisance.
Instances of low dissolved oxygen
occur intermittently in the South
Fork Teton River and Henrys Fork
below the Teton River; in the Boise
River; and in American Falls, Mil-
ner. and Brownlee Reservoirs. A gen-
eralized dissolved oxygen profile of
the main stem Snake under summer
and winter conditions shows severe
depressions occurring at Brownlee
and Milner Reservoirs. The levels of
oxygen are at times substandard (be-
low 5 ing/liter) in other reaches of
the lower river. Levels in irrigation
drains and in the lower Boise River
have approached zero. Fish kills have
occurred in Milner and American
Falls Reservoirs and in the lower
Boise River because of depleted oxy-
gen levels.
The principal causes of dissolved
oxygen problems are the extreme low
flows caused by the operation of stor-
age reservoirs, by irrigation with-
drawals, and by untreated or in-
adequately treated wastes. Because
organic wastes also use up oxygen
when they decompose, the small
quantity of oxygen which exists under
low flow conditions is quickly de-
pleted; even with a high degree of
waste treatment, enough water must
be available to assimilate residual
loadings to the stream. The principal
source of organic wastes causing dis-
solved oxygen depletion is potato and
sugar processing, but inadequately
POLLUTION PROBLEM AREAS
1. South Fork Teton R.
and Henry's Fork below
the Teton R.
2. Snake River below
Idaho Falls
3. Snake River above
American Falls Res.
4. Portneuf River below
Pocatello
5. American Falls
Reservoir
6. Milner Reservoir
7. Rock Creek
8. Boise River
9. Brownlee-Oxbow
Reservoir
10. Lewiston-Clarkston
Area
11. South Fork Palouse
River
Problem Conditions
Low dissolved oxygen (DO)
High bacterial counts
Low 00.
High bacterial counts
High bacterial counts
Low pH. high POjt sludge
beds & high bacterial
counts.
Aquatic growths. DO. de-
pression. High pesticide
levels High sediment con-
centrations.
Low winter DO.
High bacterial counts.
Aquatic growths.
Turbidity. High bacterial
counts. Odor problems.
Low DO. Sludge beds.
High pesticide levels.
High bacterial counts.
Low DO. Aquatic growths
Odors.
High bacterial counts.
High sediment concentra-
tions. High bacterial counts
Low DO.
Causes
Flow depletion due to irrigation withdrawals. Flow
interruption due to diversion structure maintenance.
Roger's Bros, potato wastes (Rexburg). Rexburg
municipal sewage.
Streambed dried by irrigators withdrawing water
prior to discharge from upstream reservoirs. Flow
interruption due to diversion structure maintenance.
Municipal and industrial wastes.
Blackfoot municipal wastes.
Phosphate processing by J. R. Simplot & FMO Co.
Septic tank drainage. Untreated dairy waste. Flood-
ed pastures.
High nutrient levels. Algal decomposition. Agricul-
tural runotf. Residual waste loads.
Municipal wastes—Burley. Heyburn. Food process-
ing waste—J. R. Simplot, Ore-Ida Foods. A & P
Streamflow depletion due to irrigation storage.
Amalgamated Sugar Co.. leedlots. municipal wastes.
Municipal & industrial waste.
Flow interruption (or Lucky Peak Dam maintenance.
Algal decomposition. Residual wasteloads.
Inadequate municipal & industrial waste treatment.
Low (lows coupled with municipal waste discharge
from Moscow and Pullman.
34
-------
GENERALIZED DISSOLVED OXYGEN PROFILE
Atailal.lr Data 1<(62 . I9bl>
-
15. Organic sludge deposits, such as these on the Boise River below Nolus, were common a
le\> years ago, a result of the discharge of untreated wa«tr« "( food processing. Such sights
have largely disappeared hum tin- Itni-r Kivrr. but are not infrequent at other main Mem
Snake locations in the central basin.
-
-------
treated municipal wastes contribute
to the problem, as do decomposing
aquatic growths.
Bacterial Pollution
The coliform group of bacteria is
used to measure the bacterial de-
terioration of water quality because
these bacteria occur in the fecal
matter of all warm-blooded animals,
including man. Although these may
also be found in plants or in the soil,
their presence in a body of water is
usually considered evidence of fecal
contamination. Such contamination
is an indication of a possible health
hazard from accompanying patho-
genic bacteria and viruses and re-
stricts the use of that water for
water-contact recreation or drinking
water supplies.
In general, coliform densities below
service areas or population centers
in the Snake Basin are high enough
that the water is considered unsuit-
able for water-contact recreation.
High bacterial concentrations are
found in the Burley and Idaho Falls-
Shelley areas and in the central basin
below the mouth of the Boise River.
The Boise River has consistently dis-
played high bacterial counts. Gener-
ally, levels above 1,000 MPN are con-
sidered too high for water-contact
recreation.
The cause of bacterial pollution in
the Snake Basin poses a difficult
problem of evaluation. Discharges of
sanitary sewage are unquestionably
responsible for many of the problems.
particularly below population concen-
trations. However, a significant por-
tion of the problem is derived from
the large animal populations and
from runoff from the heavily irrigat-
ed agricultural basin.
Animal populations are concentrated
to the extent that their wastes exert
a distinct effect on water quality in
several stream reaches. Half of the
basin's cattle are found within twenty
miles of either side of the Snake and
Boise Rivers in three areas: (1)
along the Snake River between Lake
Walcott Reservoir and the mouth of
the Big Wood (Malad) River, (2)
in the lower Boise River Valley, and
131 in the central basin between
Adrian and the head of Brownlee
Pool. In these three areas about
800.000 cattle—and significant num-
GENERALIZED BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILES
I Median Most Probable Number No./100ml
| Mean Membrane Filler No./100ml
100,000
10,000
16. Thousands of beef animals are fenced into these fields outside Burley, Idaho. Drainage
from lands containing such concentrated animal populations constitutes a significant source
of water pollution.
36
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GENERALIZED TEMPERATURE PROFILE
EXTREME MONTHS—EXISTING CONDITIONS
bers of the other farm animals—are
clustered in about 5,300 square miles.
Their relative closeness to the rivers
in areas laced with irrigation drains
ensures that the wastes of these ani-
mals constitute a significant source
of bacteria.
Thermal Pollution
Water temperature is critical to the
anadromous and resident fisheries of
the Snake Basin and to the aesthetic
quality of many of the system's
streams. Anadromous fish require
relatively low temperatures to mi-
grate, spawn, and develop; higher
temperatures delay migration, ac-
celerate disease, and generally re-
duce the survival rate of young fish.
In addition, high temperatures stim-
ulate the productivity of aquatic
plants, act as a catalyst to algal
blooms, and reduce the dissolved
oxygen resource of the stream.
High temperature levels—above the
68° F. criterion set for anadromous
and resident fish—exist in the central
and lower main stem Snake River
each summer. High water tempera-
tures also plague the many reservoirs
of the system, particularly Brownlee.
where stratification occurs and top
layers are thoroughly warmed by
solar radiation. A most dramatic
temperature problem occurred in the
fall of 1967 when the Chinook salmon
run remained in the cooler waters of
the Columbia River at the mouth of
the Snake for almost a month until
temperatures in the lower Snake
River dropped several degrees.
The cause of temperature problems is
related to the impoundment of the
free-flowing stream and the use of
the system for irrigation. Flow de-
pletion due to storage and diversion
and the surface return of irrigation
waters warmed on fields combine
with solar radiation to increase
temperature levels.
Disposal of cooling waters used in
nuclear power generation may cause
additional thermal pollution in the
Snake River system. Battelle-North-
west has proposed the western side
of American Falls Reservoir on the
Snake River as a typical site for a
nuclear power installation. The ad-
dition of any heat burden to this
stretch of the river would raise water
temperatures even higher during
summer months.
37
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Suspended Solids
Sediment and suspended solids result
in turbid conditions which hamper
fish spawning, recreation, and the
aesthetic beauty of the river. In the
spring, turbidity is particularly no-
ticeable in the main stem in the lower
basin and in lower basin tributaries
such as the Palouse, Tucannon, and
Asotin Rivers. During periods of
high runoff, sediment concentrations
reach objectionable levels through-
out the basin. Inorganic materials
are visible in the waters of the Port-
neuf River below the J. R. Simplot
phosphate - processing plant near
Pocatello and result in thick, unsight-
ly bank and bottom deposits. In ad-
dition, irrigation returns are a
summer source of localized turbidity.
Aquatic Growths
Perhaps the most characteristic water
quality problem of the Snake River
Basin is the excessive aquatic growths
which detract from the beauty of the
streams, clog irrigation canals, and
eventually die, creating sludge de-
posits and oxygen demands. Thick
blooms of algae make the waters of
the upper and central basins a char-
acteristic opaque green. Floating
rafts of algae are prevalent on the
surface of the Snake and form cling-
ing slimes where they adhere to
rocks and banks. As these growths
die and decay, they release nutrients
for new growths and become a prin-
cipal source of oxygen demand in the
basin. They cause a noticeable fluc-
tuation in dissolved oxygen levels
during night and day as the plants'
respiration and transpiration pro-
cesses alternate. An August 1967
fish kill in American Falls Reservoir
was attributed to algal oxygen
demand.
The cause of these excessive aquatic
growths is related to the high con-
centrations of basic nutrients—nit-
rogen and phosphorus— in the Snake
system. The main sources of waste
phosphorus in the basin are the J. R.
Simplot Company and the FMC
Corporation near Pocatello. Phos-
phate concentrations rise steadily
through the upper basin, then jump
enormously at the head of American
Falls Reservoir, where the Portneuf
River deposits these wastes. In ad-
dition, natural phosphate levels, ir-
rigation return flows, municipal
wastes, animal wastes, and the decay
17. Aquatic vegetation manifests itself throughout the southern sweep of the Snake River
in the form of rooted growths, uprooted and floating growths, algal slime clusters, and
water of the color and seeming consistency of pea soup.
L
38
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of aquatic biota all contribute to the
nutrient balance which stimulates
aquatic growths.
Another factor compounding the
problem is the system of impound-
ments on the Snake River. When a
free-flowing stream is changed into
a series of pools, the aquatic en-
vironment becomes more susceptible
to algae and other plant productivity.
Temperature, stratification, and de-
tention time all serve to increase bio-
logical productivity.
Toxic Substances
Toxics have resulted in intermittent
water quality problems at several
points in the basin. Highly acid
waste discharges to the Portneuf
River have been reported to result in
a pH low enough to kill fish. A brief
survey of incidence of pesticides in
the Boise River by the USGS during
the summer of 1965 showed that
concentrations of dieldrin in the
lower river were at a level generally
intolerable to fish. Fall 1964 fish
kills at C. J. Strike Reservoir were
attributed to pesticides when chlorin-
ated hydrocarbons \vere found in the
fish. Dead fish in American Falls
Reservoir in 1966 also showed lethal
levels of pesticides. Thus the evidence
that there is a continual, and not al-
ways sublethal. presence of pesticides
in the waters passing through major
agricultural areas of the watershed
continues to accumulate.
Radioactivity
The Atomic Energy Commission's
National Reactor Testing Station
INRTS I at Arco. Idaho dispose-* of
low-level liquid radioactive wastes by
discharging to ponds for seepage into
the ground or by discharging direct-
ly to the ground beneath the NRTS.
Since a major portion of NRTS lies
within the ground-water recharge
area for the Snake River Plain
aquifer, the most productive aquifer
in the I nited States and the largest
ground-water reserve in the Pacific
Northwest, the potential for ground-
water contamination has concerned
water resources agencies since the
installation was established. The
monitoring system maintained by the
AEC has not shown dangerous levels
of radioactivity in ground water ex-
cept direct!) below the installation.
The FWPCA has recommended, how-
ever, that injection of these wastes
be eliminated to safeguard the
ground-water reservoir—so vital to
the State of Idaho and to the Pacific-
Northwest.
18. Tile National Reactor Testing Station near Idaho Falls is lite world's largest anil most ad-
vanceel niu-lear testing complex. The cooling towers shown are an example of adequate
treatment of waste heat. Low level radioactive wastes at this station are injected directly
into the ground water and could threaten the Snake Plain aquifer.
39
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19. The use of high quality water extends beyond the bounds of physical contact with the
resource. Here towering cliffs channel spectacular rapids and provide scenic enjoyment.
40
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EXISTING POLLUTION CONTROL PRACTICES
41
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The existing programs to control
water pollution in the Snake River
Basin range from energetic state ac-
tivities to Federal financial assistance
to broad interagency planning. Pri-
mary responsibility rests with the
state agencies: other programs are
designed to offer assistance and pro-
vide capabilities beyond the scope of
state water pollution control budgets.
The following section summarizes
the many activities directed toward
abating pollution in the Snake Basin.
Waste Treatment
Cities, states. Federal agencies, and
industries have exerted increasing ef-
forts in recent years to control pollu-
tion in the Snake River Basin. Initi-
ally the principal pollution control
efforts were made by cities and
states in developing and improving
facilities for the treatment of
municipal wastes. As the industrial
activities in the basin grew, indus-
tries joined in pollution control ef-
forts. Three factors have led to the
growth of treatment capabilities: (11
public awareness of the threat of
water pollution has created a climate
of opinion favorable to advancing
waste treatment; (21 energetic activi-
ties of state agencies have provided
the impetus for programs to control
waste discharge; and (3) Federal
construction grants have helped to
make treatment plants available to
communities.
Before 1954 the Snake River Basin
was largely agricultural; the only
points in the stream system receiving
concentrated wastes were those at or
below municipalities. After 1954,
however , there was a rapid increase
in industrial activities in the basin.
with concurrent increases in popula-
tion density and waste production.
Consequently, more than half of'the
existing municipal treatment facilities
were constructed after 1959. Between
1959 and 1965 the total population
served with municipal waste treat-
ment facilities rose from 88.000 to
over 380,000. Although pollution was
not entirely prevented by this ener-
getic construction program, greater
problems would have occurred in
many more areas if action had not
been taken.
Treatment facilities for industrial
wastes also have been increased and
42
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20. Under construction here, the Nampa, Idaho sewage treatment plant provides secondary
waste treatment for the City of Nampa, for the giant Amalgamated Sugar Company refinery
at Nampa (clarified wastes are piped through the conduit crossing Indian Creek), for the
General Foods Company vegetable freezing plant, for the Western Idaho Potato Growers
potato processing plant, and for several smaller food processing firms. The combined treat-
ment facility achieves a considerably higher than average waste reduction efficiency while
lessening construction and operating costs of waste treatment for all participants in its use.
43
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improved in recent years. Indus-
trial waste treatment has, for the
most part, come into being since 1960
and, because of the complex nature
of industrial wastes, lags somewhat
behind municipal waste treatment.
Through the combined efforts of
state pollution control agencies and
industries and despite the problems
of having to develop new, specific
treatment methods for potato, sugar
and other food-processing wastes, the
overall level of industrial waste treat-
ment has risen rapidly. Although
there are still problems to overcome,
many technical obstacles to effective
treatment have been solved with
commendable competence and in-
genuity by state and industrial
personnel.
Total organic wastes generated in
1967 were equivalent to that pro-
duced from a population of 6.4
million people*; after treatment
about 2.6 "rmTlion population equiva-
lents (P.E.) were discharged to the
basin's streams—a reduction of al-
most 60 percent. Of the discharged
load, over 90 percent or~2mnillion
P.E. were from industrial sources, of
which half emanated from potato pro-
cessing. A summation of major waste
loading sources by area can be found
in the appendix. Seventy-five percent
of the basin's discharged wastes occur
in the Idaho Falls, Burley, Twin Falls,
and Lewiston service areas.
Water Quality
Standards
The concept of water quality stan-
dards is not a new idea to the Pacific
Northwest states. Water quality ob-
jectives were established and adopted
in 1952 by an interagency group,
the Pacific Northwest Pollution Con-
trol Council. This group, consisting
of representatives of both Federal and
state agencies, established criteria for
evaluating water quality requirements
for the uses occurring in the Snake
Basin. These criteria were revised in
1959, 1965, and 1966 to account for
changes in water uses and waste load-
ings. The objectives provided the
basis for the formulation of water
quality standards as required by the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
as amended by the Water Quality
Act of 1965.
* Population equivalent equal to 0.17 lb.-5-
day biochemical oxygen demand per
person per day.
21. The Amalgamated Sugar Company's Paul, Idaho refinery achieves a reported waste
reduction efficiency equal to that of secondary treatment through use of an ingenious
system of primary treatment and waste water recycling.
1967 WASTE PRODUCTION
Equivalents (Ft)
68,440
44
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The adoption of water quality stan-
dards by the Snake River Basin states
is probably the most significant ac-
tion taken in recent years to combat
pollution. Water quality standards are
composed of two parts: the criteria
designed to protect present and fu-
ture water uses of interstate waters
through establishment of quality
levels which must be maintained;
and a plan of implementation which
outlines the necessary pollution abate-
ment procedures which will be taken
within the next five years to ensure
that these criteria are met on a con-
tinuing basis. In addition to pollution
control programs for domestic and
industrial wastes, the implementation
plans have recognized other pollution
problems such as combined sewer
overflows, agricultural waste waters,
vessel and marina pollution, animal
feedlots, land erosion, and mine
drainage. As an added impetus to the
standards program, the Secretary of
the Interior and most states have in-
stituted a basic policy requirement
for all water quality standards which
states that the highest and best prac-
ticable treatment available under
existing technology will be applied
for all sources of pollution. In addi-
tion, the Secretary has stated that all
standards will contain an anti-degra-
dation provision which ensures that
interstate waters whose existing qual-
ity is better than the established stan-
dards as of the date on which such
standards became effective will be
maintained at that existing high
quality. These very important consid-
erations will ensure a forward-thrust
program of pollution control and
tend to enhance the quality of our
water resources.
Water quality standards for Idaho,
Oregon, Washington and Nevada
have been substantially approved by
the Secretary of the Interior. Stan-
dards for Wyoming and Utah are
currently under review by the Secre-
tary. Once the standards are accept-
ed by the Secretary, they become
Federal as well as state standards.
As part of the formal adoption pro-
cedure, public hearings were held in
each state to solicit public view of
the proposed standards and to enlist
the support of various citizen groups
and public agencies for established
water uses and criteria. Comments
and suggestions from these groups
and other Federal agencies were in-
corporated into each water quality
standards package. A copy of the
complete set of each state's water
quality standards is available to the
public upon request from the follow-
ing state agencies: Oregon State Sani-
tary Authority, Washington Water
Pollution Control Commission, and
the Idaho State Board of Health.
Minimum waste treatment require-
ments calling for secondary treat-
ment of all municipal wastes and
secondary treatment, or its equiv-
alent, of all industrial wastes have
been established in all water quality
standards for the interstate waters of
the Snake River Basin. The plan of
implementation emphasizes that such
degree of treatment will be placed in
operation at the majority of projects
by 1972. Waste treatment needs for
the basin and established time
schedules for meeting these needs as
outlined in the state water quality
standards implementation plans are
summarized in the appendix.
FWPCA Activities
/>
The Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration has provided assis-
tance in the pollution control activi-
ties in the Snake River Basin. The
Administration, as directed by Con-
gress in the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act. is dedicated to a strong
program of pollution control and
abatement throughout the Nation.
The Pacific Northwest Regional
Office of the Administration provides
these functions in the Snake River
Basin. A description of the actions
taken by the Regional Office to con-
trol pollution in the Snake River
Basin is provided below.
Construction Grants
With the enactment of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act, revised
in 1965. the Federal government pro-
vided for a Federal sewage treat-
ment works construction grants pro-
gram to help finance the building of
local sewage treatment plants. The
Federal government recognized that
wastes discharged from municipal
sewers are one of the major causes
of water pollution. The rapid growth
of population and its continuous trend
toward urban centers have resulted
in a tremendous increase in the vol-
ume of such wastes.
Since the 1956 Act, a total of 111
Federal grants have been made in
the Snake River Basin to help com-
munities build needed sewage treat-
ment facilities. Grant funds involved
in these projects have totaled over
$6 million in support of total eligible
project expenditures in excess of $21
million. Almost three-fourths of the
111 grant projects have already been
completed and placed in operation.
The remaining projects are either
under construction or preparing to
go under construction in the very
near future.
The construction grants section of the
Federal Act has been amended three
times since its initial passage in 1956.
The trend of financial assistance has
provided greater flexibility and
broader coverage each time the Act
has been amended. Today's legisla-
tion allows municipalities to qualify
for a basic Federal grant of 30 per-
cent of the eligible cost of a project.
A grant of 40 percent can be made
in those states which agree to match
the basic 30 percent Federal grant.
The Federal grant may be increased
to 50 percent if the state agrees to
pay at least 25 percent of the project
cost and if enforceable water quality
standards have been established for
the waters into which the project dis-
charges. A grant may be increased
by 10 percent—to 33. 44, or 55 per-
cent, as appropriate—if the project
is certified by an appropriate metro-
politan or regional planning agency
as conforming with a comprehensive
metropolitan area plan.
The States of Washington and Ore-
gon have enacted legislation to quali-
fy their municipalities for considera-
tion for the higher Federal grant per-
centages. The State of Idaho has not
yet considered cost-sharing legisla-
tion to achieve higher Federal grant
percentages. Oregon and Idaho have
provisions for tax allowances on
waste treatment facilities.
Program Grants
Section 7 of the Water Pollution Con-
trol Act authorizes an appropriation
of $10 million annually for fiscal
years 1968 through 1971 for grants
to state and interstate agencies to
assist them in meeting the costs of
establishing and maintaining ade-
quate pollution control programs.
Each state is allotted $12.000, and
45
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the remainder of the funds is dis-
tributed on the basis of population,
financial need, and the extent of the
water pollution problems facing the
state.
By June 1968, the fiscal 1968 alloca-
tion to states of the Snake River
Basin totaled $255,886, distributed
as follows: Idaho, $41,337; Oregon,
$91,445; Washington, $123,104.
Research and
Demonstration Grants
The Federal Water Pollution Control
Act authorizes the Federal Water
Pollution Control Administration to
conduct research directed toward con-
trolling water pollution problems. It
also provides for grants to public or
private agencies and individuals
demonstrating new and improved
methods of water pollution control.
Major water quality problems in the
Snake River Basin have been at-
tributed to the large waste loads dis-
charged by its many potato-process-
ing plants. Federal research and
demonstration grants have, therefore,
been aimed at new methods of provid-
ing treatment for such wastes.
The FWPCA Pacific Northwest Water
Laboratory at Corvallis has been par-
ticipating in pilot plant studies for
the secondary treatment of potato
wastes at Burley, Idaho for the 1966-
67 and 1967-68 potato-processing
season in cooperation with the State
of Idaho and the Idaho Potato Pro-
cessors Association. This research is
aimed at demonstrating successful
secondary treatment of potato wastes
through primary treatment and either
completely mixed anaerobic lagoons
followed by mechanically aerated la-
goons in series or mechanically aer-
ated lagoons alone.
The demonstration grant program is
also involved in the problem of
potato wastes through a grant to the
R. T. French Company for demonstra-
ting full-scale aerobic secondary
treatment of potato-processing wastes
with mechanical aeration. The grant
of about $480,000 of the $700,000
total cost will cover two years of op-
eration. It is hoped that the study
will demonstrate aerobic biological
treatment of potato wastes, develop
22. Sediment control structure in small draw. Flagstaff watershed improvement project,
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. By means of sharp-crested weir and crest gage, peak water
flows can also be calculated. Extensive contouring and grass seeding has been done in this
area to reduce surface runoff, erosion, and stream sedimentation.
46
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design criteria for such treatment
plants, and establish construction and
operation costs.
Further research on potato wastes
might include methods for secondary
treatment of potato starch plant
wastes and treatment of solids re-
sulting from secondary treatment
plants developed for potato wastes.
Other research applicable to the
Snake River Basin should include
the study of wastes from feedlots,
water quality impacts of irrigation
return flows, and water quality as-
pects of algal ecology.
Interstate Enforcement
Actions
Despite efforts by cities, states and
industries to control and to prevent
pollution, serious pollution problems,
as described previously, have develop-
ed in the basin. Increased efforts to
combat these problems have stimulat-
ed increased involvement of the Fed-
eral government in pollution matters
of the basin. Significant elements of
the involvement include the calling of
a "Conference in the Matter of Pollu-
tion of the Interstate Waters of the
Snake River and its Tributaries
(Idaho-Washington)," on January
15, 1964.
Results of the conference were in-
creased awareness of the need to
correct pollution-creating problems
in the Lewiston-CIarkston area and
the development of a plan of action
to correct the existing pollution. En-
suing action led to some improve-
ment in waste treatment practices and
plans to improve other practices
when the Lower Granite project is
completed.
Federal Installations
There are over 800 Federal installa-
tions in the Snake River Basin, rang-
ing from a complex industrial-re-
search operation of the Atomic Ener-
gy Commission to Forest Service
campgrounds and local post offices
in small towns. Wastes from these
installations have a significant im-
pact on the water quality of the
Snake River Basin. Under Execu-
tive Order 11288, these installations
have been ordered to literally clean
house as an example to others in the
basin and to the rest of the Nation.
The Order directs each agency to
present to the Bureau of the Budget
each year a phased and orderly plan
that shows measures and facilities
needed by the agency to correct or
prevent pollution. These plans are
reviewed by the FWPCA and project
priorities are established on the basis
of the severity of the pollution prob-
lem in regard to legitimate water
uses, enforcement actions, and applic-
able water quality standards. Second-
ary treatment or its equivalent is the
minimum treatment that is acceptable
under the order for all projects.
Other Federal activities must also
comply with Executive Order 11288
to reduce pollution from such activ-
ities to the lowest practicable level.
The head of each Federal department,
agency, or establishment must con-
duct a review of loan, grant, and con-
tract practices of his own organiza-
tion to determine what water pollu-
tion requirements set forth in the
order must be met by borrowers,
grantees, or contractors. As a result
of such reviews, pollution control
practices are incorporated in many
programs involving Federal partici-
pation. Urban renewal projects now
require the construction of separate
storm and sanitary sewer systems
rather than combined sewers. The
nationwide highway construction pro-
gram, financed with Federal funds
and administered by the Bureau of
Public Roads, is now being conduct-
ed in accordance with practices aim-
ed at preventing water pollution
either during construction or during
periods of operation and mainten-
ance. The various agencies consult
with the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Administration in an effort to
ensure maximum consideration of
water quality in their activities.
Public Information
The public information program of
the Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration is designed to pre-
sent facts about water pollution con-
trol to the news media, interested
groups and organizations, and the
public in general. The program serves
the public's right to know what the
FWPCA is doing and trying to ac-
complish. It also serves those who
need particular information in order
to participate effectively in water
pollution control programs.
Planning
Under the Water Pollution Control
Act, the Secretary of the Interior is
charged with the responsibility of
preparing comprehensive programs in
cooperation with the states to elimin-
ate pollution of interstate waters.
Under the direction of the Secretary,
the FWPCA has been conducting
studies in the Snake Basin to develop
a program to delineate water supply
and water quality requirements for
the present and the future.
The FWPCA also has the responsi-
bility of participating in the Water
Resources Council Task Force Study
of the Columbia-North Pacific Re-
gion. Such participation adds to the
awareness of all Federal and state
agencies concerning water quality
and pollution control problems and
the importance of water quality con-
trol in the planning of land and
water resource development projects.
Since enactment of the flow regula-
tion amendment to the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act in 1961, over
20 construction agency projects have
been reviewed by FWPCA in the
Snake River Basin. Each has been
examined for its water quality regula-
tion capability and/or its diversion-
ary and land waste impact on water
quality. A list of potential reservoir
developments can be found in the
appendix.
Most recently, the FWPCA has been
involved with other bureaus and
offices of the Department of the In-
terior in studying the resources po-
tential of the Middle Snake River.
The study included several alterna-
tive hydropower dam and reservoir
sites, including High Mountain Sheep,
Appaloosa, and Pleasant Valley.
Each alternative was evaluated to
determine its beneficial and detri-
mental effects on all water uses.
Surveillance
In addition to the water quality data
collected under programs of the state
pollution control agencies, the U. S.
Geological Survey, the agencies of
the Department of Agriculture, the
state and Federal fishery agencies,
and the colleges and universities,
FWPCA has maintained monitoring
stations on the Snake River at Payette
in the central basin and at Wawawai
and Ice Harbor in the lower basin
47
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23. Automatic water quality monitors.
maintained by the FWPCA, provide a
continuous record of such criteria as
dissolved oxygen and temperature. The
most recent installation in the Snake
Basin has been at Milner Reservoir.
and has made several seasonal sur-
veys to identify water quality con-
ditions, waste sources, and correct-
ive measures required to achieve de-
sired water quality.
Other Federal Programs
Financial Assistance
In addition to construction grants
made available through the FWPCA,
other Federal agencies assist states
and local communities in funding for
facilities to handle domestic wastes.
The Department of Housing and Ur-
ban Development is able to make
loans for water and sewer facilities;
the Department of Commerce can
provide grants and loans for public
works in economically distressed
areas; and the Farmers Home Ad-
ministration can provide grants and
loans for water supply and waste
treatment and disposal systems for
rural communities.
Land Management
and Construction
One of the undesirable impacts on
water quality is production of sedi-
ment and resultant turbidity from
construction activities such as those
of the Federal Highway Administra-
tion, Bureau of Public Roads, De-
partment of Defense, Bureau of Re-
clamation, Forest Service, Soil Con-
servation Service, and other agencies
involved in disruption of the surface
soils. Guidelines have been developed
by each agency to control production
of unwanted sediment. Executive
Order 11288 requires agencies in-
volved in construction activities to
prevent pollution from their activ-
ities.
Even more significant in the Snake
Basin are the effects on water quality
resulting from management of land
and water resources under Federal
ownership. Since about 67 percent of
the basin is owned by the Federal
government, the responsibility, also
covered by Executive Order 11288,
of taking the lead in improving water
quality through better management
rests in Federal hands. The various
land management agencies have
developed required treatment and
management procedures to reduce the
impacts on water quality from land
runoff.
A few examples of ongoing programs
typify the concern of land manage-
ment agencies for water quality. The
Agricultural Research Service has a
watershed study on Reynolds Creek
designed to identify the meteorolog-
ical, soil, water, and management
relationships. In addition, a labora-
tory facility is located at Twin Falls
to research soil, water, and plant re-
lationships. Two areas of concern
are the high sediment yields from
erosion of the Snake Plains in the
upper and central Snake basins and
the Palouse soils in the lower basin,
which are the subject of studies by
the Agricultural Research Service,
Soil Conservation Service, Agricul-
tural Extension Service, and Wash-
ington State University at Pullman,
Washington. Because of the large
percentage of rangeland, erosion
control by reseeding, grazing control,
removal of brush by herbicides and
road building practices of the Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Manage-
ment are important. The Vale Pro-
ject, under the sponsorship of the
Bureau of Land Management, is a
good example of developing a system
involving irrigation to provide vege-
tation for soil stability as well as for
forage for both domestic animals and
wildlife.
The Corps of Engineers provides
specifications in construction con-
tracts to minimize adverse effects on
water quality and fishlife. The
Bureau of Public Roads under the
Federal Highway Act of 1966 has
developed, with the assistance of the
Soil Conservation Service, guidelines
for minimizing erosion effects on
streams, lakes, and reservoirs. Most
of the basin is included in soil and
water conservation districts, and
there are five small watershed pro-
jects completed under P.L. 566 with
Soil Conservation Service sponsor-
ship; many more are in various
stages of planning and investigation.
48
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REMAINING NEEDS
49
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24., 25. The Boise River in spring and in winter: the point is immediately below th<- City
of Boise, a major waste source. Contraction of winter flows as a result of upstream reservoil
storage and dam maintenance has been a prime cause of stream pollution.
50
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Many actions—both state and Feder-
al—have already been taken to abate
pollution in the Snake Basin. Other
actions are planned and will be made
effective through the state implemen-
tation plans which require secondary
treatment of all municipal and in-
dustrial wastes by 1972. These actions
will certainly improve water quality
in most problem areas. But these
programs are directed principally to-
ward one phase of water pollution
control—waste treatment. And waste
treatment alone will not solve the
existing or future problems of water
quality in the Snake Basin.
The need that remains is an action
program, instituted by the state and
Federal governments as partners,
which will guarantee minimum
streamflows necessary to maintain
the water quality required for full
utilization of the water resource.
This chapter describes the essential
elements of such a program. It enum-
erates how present use and manage-
ment have denied the necessary mini-
mum flows; it prescribes the adjust-
ments which must be made to ac-
commodate all water uses; it recog-
nizes some of the difficulties in mak-
ing these changes; and it details
other measures required for present
and future water quality mainten-
ance.
Streamflow
Management Program
Flow management is the key to any
meaningful program for present and
future water quality control in the
Snake Basin because the river is in-
tensively developed and highly regu-
lated by impoundments. Minimum
streamflows are essential for main-
taining water quality even with a
high degree of waste treatment.
Secondary treatment can be expected
to lessen oxygen demand from or-
ganic materials by 85 percent or
more with reductions nearing 100
percent achieved with some methods
of advanced waste treatment. But
even if the wastes are provided com-
plete treatment, including removaj of
nutrients, minimum streamflows will
stiirbe required to assimilate residual
waste loads and other organic loads
from uncontrollable sources.
Water quality has been largely neg-
lected in the operating regimen of the
present regulatory system. Require-
ments for irrigation, power pro-
duction, and local flood control have
generally been met without reference
to possible effects on water quality.
Consequently, radical alterations
have been imposed on the natural
flow pattern of the Snake River sys-
tem with two significant detrimental
effects on quality: winter flows are
sorely diminished as reservoirs are
filled for the irrigation season; and
summer flows are radically depleted
at points below irrigation diversions.
The history of development and
economic growth in the Snake Basin
has centered in the use of the river
for irrigation and power production.
The laws and the customs founded on
this heritage have established man-
agement and regulation practices
which use the river for these purposes.
Early reservoir operation schedules,
established before the expansion of
water resource development and be-
fore the technology of predicting
low flows had advanced, were de-
signed to fill reservoirs early in the
winter as insurance against unexpect-
ed low flows in the spring. Spring
flows were then spilled during most
years. But while the science of fore-
casting drought flows by use of com-
puters has advanced and while water
uses patterns have changed, bringing
recreation, fisheries, and aesthetic
enjoyment into prominence, the old
laws and customs of operation re-
main. Although the importance of
irrigation and power as present and
future cornerstones of the Snake
Basin economy cannot be minimized,
water management programs cannot
be dedicated solely to these uses. The
continued expansion of the Snake
Basin economy will depend on the
full utilization of its water resource.
What is needed is a management
program, supported by legislative
changes, which recognizes the need
for, and the value of, minimum
stream flows for water quality
maintenance.
Such management programs are al-
ready being explored by the Idaho
Water Resources Board, the State
Reclamation Engineer, and the Idaho
Department of Health. Under the pro-
posed network analysis, water quality
needs would be considered along
with other water needs. It is par-
51
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ticularly appropriate that Idaho take
the lead in developing a management
program for the Snake since most of
the basin is within that state and
since the impoundments so critical
to the management system are all in
Idaho. The responsibility of develop-
ing a program, however, does not
rest entirely with the State of Idaho.
Federal agencies, in particular the
Bureau of Reclamation and the
FWPCA of the Department of the
Interior, are in a position to lend
valuable assistance to the State's
efforts. The Bureau of Reclamation
controls most of the existing reser-
voirs in the basin and is planning
much of the future development; and
the FWPCA has been closely in-
volved with water quality mainten-
ance in the Snake since 1962. Co-
ordination and cooperation among
these and other state and Federal
agencies is essential to formulate and
establish a new streamflow manage-
ment program for the Snake Basin.
The new program will require
changes—changes which will lead to
better and more efficient use of the
water resource.
Changes in Operation and
Maintenance Schedules
The quickest and most economic
means of providing minimum flows
for water quality maintenance is to
change present reservoir operational
procedures. Under present levels of
water resource development and
waste loadings, minimum required
flows could be maintained in most
problem areas by simply altering
reservoir filling schedules to allow
base flows to pass during the fall and
winter. The reservoirs would not fill
as quickly but, nevertheless, would
fill with spring flood waters that
normally are allowed to spill.
Specific operating criteria—a system-
atic scheme which considers water
quality in operational schedules—
must be established to minimize
wasteful spillage. The techniques to
forecast flow patterns are developing
rapidly and can be applied to reser-
voir operation in the Snake Basin.
The Idaho Water Resources Board,
the Bureau of Reclamation, and the
FWPCA are all working on models,
adaptable to the computer, which
will better define the river's flow and
drought probability and relate stream-
flow, wasteloadings, and water
quality. Use of such tools will permit
a more systematic operation of ex-
isting reservoirs to serve all uses with-
in the annual water budget. Past flow
records show the value of improved
operation. In the last twelve years of
record, including several moderately
dry years, flows passing Milner Dam
have been more than adequate both
to maintain water quality and to
furnish the allocated irrigation water.
But because of present regulation,
these flows did not occur on the re-
quired time schedule and spring
flows were wasted as they spilled over
upstream storage reservoirs. If some
flow had been allowed to pass up-
stream reservoirs in the fall and win-
ter, spring flood flows would have
filled the reservoirs, thus providing
for both instream and withdrawal
uses.
Reservoir maintenance and coordina-
tion of reservoir releases and diver-
sions are other management practices
which have prevented stream flow
maintenance. When flows are cut off
so structures may be repaired, water
quality suffers drastically. If large
diversions are made before the re-
leased water reaches the point of di-
version, flows are also interrupted.
Both practices must be changed as
part of a management program to
maintain flows for water quality.
Provision of minimum flows for
quality through operational and
maintenance changes in existing res-
ervoirs is particularly appropriate to
Milner Pool and the lower Boise
River. In neither case is it necessary,
under present conditions, for water
to come from storage; sufficient flow
is available in all but the most critical
years with prudent water manage-
ment above Milner Dam and with
physical alterations to Lucky Peak
Dam to allow passage of flow past
diversions in times of maintenance.
Streamflow regulation requirements
also exist in the Snake River above
American Falls Reservoir and on the
South Fork of the Teton River. In
both streams, water quality has been
degraded when flow was interrupted
for maintenance of diversion struc-
tures or when large scale irrigation
diversions have occurred before up-
stream storage reservoirs began their
release. In all of the problem areas,
alteration of schedules and pro-
cedures in a manner that would recog-
nize water quality requirements would
do much toward correcting the
problem.
Changes to Conserve
Irrigation Water
The second element of the proposed
management program for the Snake,
and perhaps of equally high priority
as the first one, is conservation of
irrigation water. Streamflows for
water quality can be substantially in-
creased by improvement of irrigation
conveyance systems and methods of
application to reduce excessive div-
ersions and to promote more efficient
use on the fields.
During the 1065 irrigation season,
diversions by the upper Snake Basin's
62 irrigation companies amounted to
6.55 million acre-feet of water—an
average of 6.5 acre-feet per acre. The
maximum withdrawal per irrigated
acre was 15.7 acre-feet and the major-
ity of irrigation companies used more
than the average application. Even
considering the substantial losses
that often occur in transmission,
these figures are inordinately high.
Experience elsewhere indicates that
when careful application and trans-
mission procedures are used, ridge
and furrow irrigation on the soil
types that exist in the basin should
require withdrawals of no more than
4 to 4.5 acre-feet per acre and
sprinkler irrigation should require
even less.
Irrigation withdrawals of these
dimensions contribute to water
quality degradation for at least two
reasons: they unnecessarily deplete
the stream; and they cause signifi-
cant increases in sediment, mineral,
and nutrient loads. Such diversions
reflect again the customs that develop-
ed when there was plenty of water and
few competitive uses in the Snake
Basin, thus allowing the use of
water without regard to the re-
quirements of other users. The in-
creasing water resource development
in recent years and the development
of recreation and tourism as import-
ant industries necessitates changes to
reduce losses in canals and ditches
and to promote better and more ef-
ficient application of water to the
land—if less water needs to be with-
drawn from the stream, more water
is available for these other expanded
uses.
52
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2n. Ridge and furrow irrigation m.-thnil- arr thr norm in Snake Basin agricultural areas.
When rnmpareil in -prinklrr irrigalinn. (lie praili.r i- wa-trtnl in it- u-e ..I water, fai ili-
late- rrosion, and promotes leaching.
7. Sprinkler irrigation i- l.,-in» u-.-il on al l.-a>t half of the lands currently lieing brought
undiT irrigation in ihr Snak.- Kiu-r l!a-m. Though equipment n.-t- -ir.- high, mer-all <"-!-
an- Ir-- than lhn-r ..f ridge anil furrow inilh.nl- in . a-r- wlu-n- pumping i c.-t- for wal.-r
deliveries ar.- -ignifirant. Th.- nn-thod i- in !»• pr.-l.-rn-.l. Inr it- t-ffr.-t in , mi
walt-r anil h> r.-a-.m nf tin- lr--n ilamagf In watrr qualil\ il inflirt-.
Present regulation of diversions can
be improved by complete gaging of
all diversions. Conveyance systems
should guarantee that the gaged
withdrawal is drlivrml to the farmer
and not lost riinnitr through evapora-
tion and seepage. To mlui-r such
losses, canals should be lined or
closed system transmission and pipe-
lino should be substituted for open
canal systems.
Application of (he water to the land
is equally important to its efficient
tisr. The fact that a fe\s of the laruci.
newer irrigation projects in the basin
lia\c been extrenielx economical in
their use of water is significant.
These projects employ the use of
sprinkler methods of application.
\\hile the i nst nf sprinkler equip-
ment has retarded the widespread
adoption of this method In establish-
ed irrigators. it has notable advan-
tages that have led to its use on
newly irrigated land. Careful sprink-
ling obtains equivalent yields with a
third less water than ridge and fur-
row application, a method practiced
l>> about .'!() percent of the basin.
Sprinklers can be used on hillsides
and broken country while ridpe and
furrow irrigation requires a gentle,
regular gradient. And perhaps most
importantly, sprinklers minimize
leaching and reduce the amount of
eroded material, nutrients, and bac-
teria that find their way to the
streams due to land overflow or
runoff.
As the Snake Basin adjusts to the
changing times and a diverse enm-
omy. the conservation of irrigation
water occupies a critical place in the
order of requirements for maintain-
ing minimum slreamflows for water
quality in the Snake system.
Changes in State
Water Laws
Modification of the reservoir manage-
ment svsietn of the upper Snake
River to provide minimum stream-
flows for water quality has been pro-
posed as an economical and reason-
able .solution to mam of the Snake's
water pollution problems. Yet these
changes conflict sharply with pre-
vailing interpretations of the western
water rights doctrine and Idaho's
water law.
Idaho's water law traces to an 1881
irrigation enactment of the territorial
-------
legislature that largely expresses an
underlying assumption that water is
basically an agricultural-industrial
tool. All surface and ground waters
are constitutionally defined to be
public waters and the constitution
provides ". . -that the right to divert
and appropriate the unappropriated
waters of any natural stream to bene-
ficial uses, shall never be denied . ."
Beneficial uses recognized by the
constitution are domestic, mining,
agriculture, and milling—having that
order of priority of allocation estab-
lished in the event of shortage. Power
is recognized as a non-withdrawal
use.
Clearly the constitution does not
recognize the establishment of in-
stream water rights for water quality
as beneficial. As late as 1965, in an
Act establishing the Idaho Water
Resources Board, the statute reads:
"Subject to the primary use of water
for the beneficial uses now or here-
after prescribed by law, minimum
streamflow for aquatic life and the
minimization of pollution shall be
fostered and encouraged and con-
sideration shall be given to the
development and protection of water
recreation facilities." The implication
is that if there is plenty of water
to satisfy all beneficial uses listed,
minimum flows for water quality
will be encouraged.
Like the reservoir operation and
maintenance schedules and the in-
efficient use of irrigation water, this
water law reflects the past. It should
be modified to recognize the necessity
of minimum streamflows for instream
uses and the water quality needed to
support those uses.
Such a modification will not be easy,
but without the change there is not
now, and never will be, any assurance
that the Snake will remain a river in
the true sense of the word. No
matter how much holdover storage
is developed to provide flow for in-
stream uses, that flow could be ap-
propriated and removed, leaving the
stream dry.
The change in the Idaho water law to
recognize instream uses as beneficial
uses of water and to permit the es-
tablishment of firm, undeniable base
flows is the third element of the
basin's proposed water management
program, giving legal basis to the
other changes prescribed. But while
the modification of the law will re-
quire time—time to inform the people
and their representatives of the need
and impact of the change or the con-
sequences of no change—other uses
must be served through management.
The right to the use of water does
not mean that the use cannot be regu-
lated so other users can benefit from
the same water resource.
Changes in
Public Attitude
By far the most important task in
establishing a new management pro-
gram for the Snake water resources
is convincing the people of the basin
that changes are essential to their
present and future economy and that
the proposed changes will not damage
or inconvenience their present activ-
ities. It is easy to understand the con-
cerns of irrigation and mining in-
terests to whom water is so necessary
for existence; these industries, along
with power, have made the Snake
Basin what it is today. The purpose
of the proposed management pro-
gram is not to sacrifice these uses—
ample water will be made available to
serve and expand these cornerstones
of the Snake's economy. But the
people involved in these same in-
dustries must recognize the shifting
emphasis in water use patterns and
relationships and the importance of
these new uses to the basin's present
and future well-being.
In recent years, the basin has sup-
ported runs of various species of
fish which, combined annually, con-
tribute over 8 million pounds of
commercial fish and over 2.7 million
angler days of sport fishing; these
uses will expand with establishment
of minimum flows. Recreation, par-
ticularly in the upper basin, is be-
coming bigger each year—and it will
one day be a major resource in the
region if water quality is maintained.
And most important, people and in-
dustry are coming to the basin, at-
tracted either by the aesthetic quali-
ties of the region or by the avail-
ability of water.
The opportunity—and the challenge
—is offered to the people of the
Snake Basin to guide the course of
intensifying uses as the economy
undergoes expansion and change. If
the basin economy is to grow with-
out the burden of growing water
pollution problems, the people and
their representatives in government
and industry must adjust their atti-
tudes which put water as basically an
agricultural - industrial tool. They
must recognize that a management
program which accommodates the
full utilization of the water resources,
minimizing waste and inefficiency,
will not only make the expansion of
instream water uses possible but will
also improve withdrawal uses, in-
creasing the potential for future
development.
Achievement of good water manage-
ment and the flows needed to support
all uses can only succeed with the
support of the people, fully informed
and aware of the basin's problems
and their solutions.
Changes With Future
Water Resource
Development
Future regulation, developing to a
point far beyond that existing today,
will impose even stronger require-
ments for consideration of water
quality in the planning and manage-
ment of the Snake system. Planning
for future development and flow
regulation is a fifth element essential
to the basin's water management
program.
Although sufficient water is now
available through the system to pro-
vide water quality protection, future
storage developments will diminish
that protection. Ambitious proposals
for additional water development and
management include: a series of
power and navigation dams which
will convert the lower basin into a
series of deep, slow-moving pools;
subsurface storage of flood flows in
the upper basin; inter-basin diver-
sions; and carry-over storage in the
upper basin to provide for a dry
period equal to the 1931-1942
drought.
Some 23 reservoir projects with a
total storage capacity of 8.4 million
acre-feet or about 25 percent of the
total Snake Basin runoff appear to
be feasible under current economic
conditions. Potential projects in the
central and upper basins would store
6.5 million acre-feet—about half the
average runoff from these two basins.
54
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Additional reservoir projects are in
various stages of planning, and
several large-scale irrigation projects,
which would utilize both surface and
ground-water supplies, are being in-
vestigated. In addition to the increas-
ing storage capabilities and result-
ant increases in irrigation, there have
been proposals for future inter-basin
diversions to the southwest from the
Columbia River watershed, including
the Snake system.
The effects of future water resource
developments in which water quality
impacts are ignored are obvious; the
problems created by past manage-
ment of the Snake River regulatory
system will intensify, and water
quality will deteriorate throughout
the basin. Increased storage capaci-
ties will allow flow curtailments for
longer periods; more irrigated acre-
age will result in increased comsump-
tive water use, further depleting
downstream flows; inefficient irriga-
tion practices will add nutrients, salts,
and organics to basin streams, fur-
ther degrading water quality; and
impoundments, located primarily for
one use, will have increasing detri-
mental effects on water quality.
As holdover storage is developed with
construction of Lynn Crandall and
other smaller dams, and with em-
placement of the various facilities
envisaged in the Southwest Idaho
Water Development Project, guaran-
teed flows for water quality protec-
tion will have to be maintained
through the inclusion of water quality
as a project function in Federal res-
ervoirs. Essentially complete control
of Snake River flows will be possible
under the level of development con-
sidered and proper utilization of stor-
age capacity could result in consider-
able benefit to present and future
water quality. By recognizing down-
stream flow requirements and water
quality impacts in project develop-
ment plans and by providing water
quality control storage when needed
in future storage developments, high
quality water can be maintained in
most areas of the Snake Basin. Close
coordination between construction
agencies and water quality manage-
ment agencies is required as future
development is planned. Each project
must be evaluated for both its good
and bad impacts on water quality
and water use. Storage to provide
minimum streamflows or a project's
design and operation to improve
water quality are two facets of future
development which must be consider-
ed by the proposed management
program.
Specific storage requirements and
quality impacts have been made by
the FWPCA in cases where planning
is well advanced. In some cases these
needs are presented as an alternative
to changes in management or to ad-
vanced waste treatment. In others,
the flows and storage required are
necessary with proposed development
and increased waste loadings. In a
third category are the quality impacts
and benefits which could be derived
from future developments, both public
and private.
FUTURE FLOW REGULATION.
Places in which minimum stream-
flow requirements or regulation for
quality control could be provided out
of proposed storage reservoirs in-
clude the South Fork Teton River,
the upper Snake River from the
Idaho-Wyoming border to Milner
Dam, the middle Snake, the Portneuf
River, the Boise River, the Grande
Ronde River, Palouse River and the
Payette River. Water quality control
studies of individual reservoir de-
velopment proposals have been con-
ducted by the FWPCA in several of
these areas to determine minimum
flows required to maintain acceptable
quality conditions. In most areas,
proper management of the existing
regulatory system would provide
flows to maintain satisfactory quality
under present loadings. Under future
waste loadings and flow conditions
imposed by future reservoir develop-
ment, however, proper management
alone will not satisfy flow require-
ments, and reservoir releases specific-
ally for water quality control will be
required. Flow regulation needs,
based on maintaining quality under
low flow conditions expected to recur
on a l-in-10 year frequency interval
have been computed for several of the
problem areas mentioned above.
Because of the absence of gaging
records on South Fork Teton, it has
not been possible to determine in-
cremental flows required on a l-in-10
year frequency interval to maintain
acceptable DO concentrations in the
reach below Rexburg. Computations
of the dissolved oxygen profile of
the reach indicate that about 11,000
acre-feet annually should be allowed
to pass Rexburg under projected 1980
loading conditions. If management of
present flows is not changed, this
11,(XX) acre-feet annually could be
provided from upstream storage ear-
marked especially for water quality
control. Teton Reservoir, which is
presently under construction by the
U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, is
ideally located to provide this stor-
age. Unfortunately, water quality
control has not been included as a
project function in this 315,000 acre-
foot reservoir development, and un-
less the storage can be secured from
this reservoir in the future, alterna-
tive means of maintaining South
Fork quality must be utilized.
In the Portneuf Basin, water quality
deficiencies that may be alleviated
by flow regulation occur in Portneuf
River between the mouth of Marsh
Creek and the town of Pocatello.
Marsh Creek Project, a 40,000 acre-
foot reservoir development under
consideration by the U. S. Army
Corps of Engineers, could regulate
runoff to maintain flows in Portneuf
River. An estimated 3,600 acre-feet
of storage at Marsh Creek site would
be required in the Portneuf River to
maintain summer flows above the
20 cfs required to maintain satisfac-
tory quality for fishery and recrea-
tion purposes.
Flow requirements to maintain dis-
solved oxygen levels above 75 percent
saturation or no less than 5 mg/1
based on a 600 cfs minimum flow in
Milner Reservoir have been comput-
ed for projected 2020 waste loadings,
assuming that ill-plant controls and
waste treatment will be provided to
remove 90 percent of the oxygen de-
mand. The computations indicate that
600 cfs would barely maintain dis-
solved oxygen concentrations at 5.0
mg/1 under ice cover conditions and
2020 loadings. Dissolved oxygen con-
centrations would approach 75 per-
cent of saturation during some
months with minimum flows of 600
55
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cfs. At no time, however, would dis-
solved oxygen standards criteria be
met with flows below 600 cfs. Lower
treatment efficiencies attainable by
present methods dictate an immed-
iate need for the 600 cfs minimum
flow through Milner Pool. Even with
improved treatment levels expected
to be implemented within the next
few years, minimum streamflows of
600 cfs will be required because of
the growth of raw waste production.
As an alternative to adjusting the
management system and in order to
evaluate conditions imposed by fu-
ture water resource projects, storage
requirements to maintain 600 cfs
minimum flow through Milner Reser-
voir have been estimated. The amount
of water needed, based on a l-in-10
year recurrence interval under exist-
ing regulation practice, is an estimat-
ed 1 10.000 acre-feet annually. This
volume is the actual amount needed
in Milner and does not reflect in-
stream losses or carryover require-
ments which would increase the re-
quired storage -purr substantially.
I'nlisade- and American rail* \'<
\oir.- are ideal sources of flow regula-
tion for the Milner reach. The space
in these reservoirs is completely al-
located to other purposes I primarily
irrigation i. however, and it is doubt-
ful that any reallocation of storage for
water quality could be accomplished
in these existing developments. The
most likely potential source of quality
control storage is Lynn Crandall Res-
ervoir (1.620.000 acre-feet I which is
now in the planning stages. Other
reservoir sites no\\ under investiga-
tion that could furnish this storage
are Granite Creek (430,000 acre-
feet) and Alpine (878,000 acre-feet).
Water quality control studies of the
Hoise Basin were conducted in con-
nection with the Corps of Engineers'
investigation of the potential Twin
Springs Reservoir 1000.000 acre-
feet i. Flows required to maintain
minimum dissolved oxygen 'levels to
support proposed uses of the lower
Boise River under 2020 waste load-
ing conditions {about 100 cfs I could
be provided by an annual draft-on-
storage of 98.000 acre-feet.
Flow regulation in the South Fork
and main stem Palouse Rivers could
be used to alleviate low DO and as-
sociated quality deficiencies caused
28. The gateway to Hells Canyon and the middle Snake where private and public power
groups vie for the chance to build hydro power projects. Planning of am projects mu»t con-
sider impacts on quality and the pos.j|ijlit\ ,,( regulating temperature with cold water
relea-e>.
56
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by land drainage and treated waste
discharges from the cities of Moscow
and Pullman. Storage in the Pot-
latch Reservoir site on the main stem
Palouse River could be released
downstream to control quality in the
main stem Palouse, but some means
of transporting flows from the reser-
voir to the headwaters of the South
Fork Palouse would be required to
alleviate the effects of the Moscow-
Pullman waste discharges. Prelimin-
ary studies indicate that an annual
draft-on-storage of about 56,000 acre-
feet would be required to maintain
DO levels in the South Fork Palouse
River above 6.5 mg/1 under pro-
jected 2020 loading conditions. Be-
cause of the high cost of transporting
quality control flows to the South
Fork Palouse Basin, however, it ap-
pears some alternative means of at-
taining quality objectives, such as
tertiary treatment of collectable
wastes or transporting of these
wastes to the main stem Palouse
River, would be more economical.
Water quality control studies of the
Grande Ronde River Basin were con-
ducted in connection with the Corps
of Engineers' investigation of flood
control storage at the lower Grande
Ronde and Catherine Creek reservoir
sites. About 15,000 acre-feet of stor-
age space for water quality control
would be required in Catherine
Creek Reservoir to maintain DO
levels above 6 mg/1 in Catherine
Creek and the Grande Ronde River
below Catherine Creek under 2020
waste loading conditions.
Studies on the resources potential of
the middle Snake River have recently
been conducted by the U. S. Depart-
ment of the Interior. These studies
were initiated because of the pro-
posed High Mountain Sheep Dam,
a private power project of~"Pacific
Northwest Power Company. This
study evaluated the impacts of sev-
eral alternative potential dam and
reservoir sites between the existing
Hells Canyon Dam and the conflu-
ence of the Grande Ronde River with
the Snake on other uses of the Snake
River and the Columbia River. Three
reservoir sites — Appaloosa, High
Mountain Sheep, and Pleasant Valley
—were considered.
The study concluded that only the
Appaloosa site with a re-regulating
reservoir would meet the acceptable
criteria for balanced multiple-purpose
development in the middle Snake
River. Although the annual energy
generation from this project would
be slightly less than that from the
other proposals, the Appaloosa Dam
and Reservoir have the capability to
improve water quality and thus the
anadromous fish passage and pro-
duction of the lower and middle
Snake.
Principal water quality benefits
would be streamflow regulation for
temperature improvement. The power
penstocks for the Appaloosa power-
plant would be served by multi-level
intake structures which could with-
draw water from selected depths
within the reservoir for temperature
control.
The foregoing discussion on flow reg-
ulation to provide minimum stream
flows for water quality shows only a
few alternatives for the basin's fu-
ture water resource development. It
does point out, however, a fifth and
last element of the proposed manage-
ment program—that, as future de-
velopments are planned, the water
quality impacts, both positive and
negative, must be considered.
Through proper coordination and
planning, future development can
improve water quality by providing
storage for minimum flows and by
regulating temperature with cold
water releases from purposefully de-
signed projects.
Other Needs for Water
Quality Maintenance
Although streamflow management is
the key to water quality maintenance
in the Snake Basin, other needs do •
remain. Most of these are planning
needs required to keep pace with the
expanding population and economy
with their attendant waste production.
As the basin becomes more complex
pollution control agencies must in-
stitute systematic methods to control
pollution and expand control to en-
compass all forms of pollution.
Future Waste Treatment
Waste treatment requirements will
maintain a constant pressure on facil-
ities into the foreseeable future. Con-
tinued construction and expansion of
treatment facilities at rates equal to
or exceeding those of the last decade
will be required in the future, even
after the present treatment needs
have been met. Additional plants
will have to be built as a result of
three kinds of processes—municipal
and industrial growth, plant obso-
lescence, and higher treatment level
requirements.
Growth of population and industry
will involve a steady rise in the level
of waste production. The oxygen de-
mand of municipal and industrial
wastes is anticipated to rise three-
fold during the period from 1960 to
2020 in spite of a considerable in-
crease in manufacturing efficiency
that should lead to a noticeable de-
cline in the waste-to-product ratio
for almost every significant class of
product.
Replacement of plant and equipment
will become an increasingly signifi-
cant element in assessing waste treat-
ment requirements after 1980. Aver-
age plant life for conventional plants
is about twenty-five years; well-main-
tained waste stabilization ponds, a
treatment method prevalent in the
basin, may be expected to operate
efficiently for a somewhat longer
period. Thus extensive plant con-
struction that occurred in the late
nineteen-fifties and early nineteen-
sixties indicates the need for exten-
sive replacement by the nineteen-
eighties.
The need for treatment beyond the
level of secondary depends almost
entirely on the availability of stream-
flow to assimilate residual wastes. If
dependable base flows can be es-
tablished and maintained, the cost of
advanced waste treatment may be
foregone. On the other hand, if flows
are allowed to diminish when reser-
voirs are filling and when irrigation
water is being diverted, tertiary treat-
ment of municipal and industrial
wastes being discharged to the Boise
River and to Milner Pool may be
necessary. There will also be a rapid-
ly developing need for some form of
advanced waste treatment in a por-
tion of the Palouse River watershed.
The growth in population of the cities
of Moscow and Pullman will almost
inescapably involve the two cities in
expanded waste control investments.
Availability of water to augment
streamflow is slight and extremely
expensive. In addition to the advanc-
ed waste treatment mentioned above,
57
-------
other needs may arise in locations
where flows are depleted. New indus-
tries locating in the Snake Basin will
have to face the high cost of advanced
treatment if base streamflows are not
established.
CREATION OF POLLUTION CON-
TROL DISTRICTS. Pollution of
water courses tends to occur at speci-
fic points and the conditions which
result in pollution tend to be as-
sociated with concentrations of waste
sources. The traditional method of
dealing with the problem has been to
require that every polluter remove
his own pollutants. Thus every
municipality and every industry is in
the position of negotiating with the
regulatory authorities with respect to
its own waste handling responsibili-
ties. The obvious alternative is the
banding together of a group of waste
producers in a metropolitan area or
watershed pollution control organiza-
tion to achieve a higher degree of
joint financial, operational, and
political competence in dealing with
their waste handling problems. Ideal-
ly, such an organization should be
based upon the physical boundaries
of a drainage area and should in-
clude both municipalities and the in-
dustries in that area.
The most obvious advantage in the
creation of such pollution control
districts is that it spreads the finan-
cial burden of providing sewerage
and waste treatment requirements
over a broad base. Substantial econ-
omies of scale are available in both
construction and operation of waste
treatment plants and a larger popu-
lation and financial base permits the
maintenance of a managerial and
technical competence that is often
beyond the means of single communi-
ties or industries. The district ap-
proach allows orderly programming
of capital investment and accommo-
dates itself to an optimal disposition
of waste handling requirements that
rise with urban and industrial
growth.
The desirability of consolidating
waste handling requirements of a
group of communities and industries
has been recognized by the Congress,
which has provided several substan-
tial financial incentives for such pro-
grams. If water quality standards
PROPOSED WATER QUALITY MONITORING SYSTEM
WITH U.S.G.S. GAGING STATIONS.
Q Proposed Station with
Priority Numbers
| Existing Stations
A U.S.G.S. Caging Stations
CD A
29. This riverside feedlot near Ontario, Oregon is typical of many in the Snake River Basin.
Wastes of farm animals are considered to be the principal source of the high bacterial
counts found in much of the Snake River.
58
-------
are in effect for the stream into
which the project would discharge,
and if the project is part of a regional
plan, the Federal government will
provide 55 percent of the cost of
treatment works construction when
the state provides 25 percent or more
of the cost.
TRAINING AND MANDATORY
CERTIFICATION FOR TREAT-
MENT PLANT OPERATORS. A
highly desirable and inexpensive
management measure that could be
extended immediately is a program
to upgrade the skills of both munici-
pal and industrial waste treatment
plant operators. There are wide
differences in the levels of efficiency
achieved among similar groups of
treatment plants and a major element
in the disparity is differences in skill
and interest among operators. Im-
proved pay scales, certification and
pay for achievement of recognized
levels of skill (presently existing in
the States of Washington, Oregon,
and Idaho) and frequent short
courses and advisory inspection all
serve a useful purpose in developing
a higher level of competence among
operators. Mandatory certification of
treatment plant operators — both
municipal and industrial — would
greatly improve the efficiency of
waste treatment plants.
Pollution Surveillance
A major need in controlling water
pollution in the Snake is expanded
water quality data and waste loading
information. These are the basic in-
puts required to manage and main-
tain water quality.
MONITORING. Water quality moni-
toring is the joint responsibility of
the states, the FWPCA, and the USGS
in the Snake Basin. Each agency has
its own area of responsibility, and a
coordinated program of surveillance
is presently being explored.
Water quality monitoring should in-
clude periodic sampling at points
which are critical in terms of their
potential for pollution or for their
value in interpreting behavior of
streams. Surveillance stations, placed
to measure changing water quality
through the passage of the Snake
River and situated so their data can
be correlated with U. S. Geological
Survey flow gaging stations, are
necessary to provide the constant
overview needed to operate the qual-
ity management program. Stations
should be installed in a fashion that
recognizes the significance of par-
ticular stream points and the para-
meters measured designed for those
points. The adjacent map shows ex-
isting and desirable sites for such a
system to provide a basic informa-
tion framework for the Snake Basin.
WASTE DISCHARGE PERMIT
SYSTEMS. A waste discharge per-
mit system is a useful tool necessary
for the operation of a water quality
management program in the Snake
River Basin. The advantages of the
permit as a source of control and
enforcement are obvious. Through
the inventory of allowable discharges,
the water quality management agency
has at all times a knowledge of the
types and characteristics, including
volume, of wastes being discharged
to streams. It is able, then, to calcu-
late waste treatment requirements and
to review the performance of waste
sources relative to. what is allowed
under the terms of the permit. En-
forcement is simplified because evi-
dence of the breach of the conditions
of the permit constitutes evidence of
non-compliance with the laws of the
issuing state and the regulations of
the issuing authority. While Oregon
and Washington already have permit
systems, Idaho has yet to establish
such a system.
Other Control Needs
Some of the more serious water pollu-
tion problems of the Snake are be-
yond the reach of conventional pro-
cedures of waste control. These in-
clude animal wastes, erosion, aquatic
growths, and commercial toxins.
Remedies for these pollutants are
not as clearcut but are just as im-
portant in maintaining water quality.
CONTROL OF ANIMAL WASTES.
The concentration of large numbers
of animals into limited space provides
opportunities for brief, intense point
waste loadings that have high pollu-
tional capabilities. There are perhaps
a dozen feedlots in the watershed
that hold two thousand or more ani-
mals at a time, at least twice that
many which can accommodate five
hundred animals or more. Assuming
that the cattle-to-human waste ratio
of 6.4:1 holds true, a feedlot with
2,000 animals provides the oxygen-
demanding waste equivalent of a
city of about 13,000 people.
Fences should be interposed between
watercourses and feedlots, dairies
improved pastures, and other loca-
tions where large numbers of animals
are gathered relative to a given
amount of land. Simple retaining
structures between such animal habi-
tats and watercourses should also be
provided in order to limit direct
surface drainage and allow wastes to
decompose through soil processes.
At some places it may be preferable
to collect runoff from cattle holding
facilities in order to provide waste
treatment or to collect the concen-
trated materials for use as manure.
EROSION CONTROL. Erosion
stands high among factors that seri-
ously lessen water quality in large
portions of the Snake River Basin.
It constitutes the principal kind of
pollution of the Palouse watershed
and is demonstrated in greater or
lesser degree through much of the
agricultural area of the Snake River
Basin. Desert soils without vegeta-
tive cover are among the most diffi-
cult to manage as sources of erosion
and consequent sedimentation of
streams. Bureau of Land Manage-
ment programs to provide suitable
forms of vegetation and install ap-
propriate use possibilities for such
lands are unquestionably of great
utility in regard to erosion control.
Soil stabilization practices also have
a high priority in management of
lands administered by the U. S. For-
est Service. The success of its effort
has been of high importance in
limiting erosion in forested portions
of the watershed.
Erosion from agricultural lands pre-
sents a far more difficult prolem. The
institutional framework does not ex-
ist to effect changes in the practices
of thousands of individual farmers.
To devise incentives for soil conser-
vation procedures is beyond the scope
of this report, but it is appropriate
to point out that the Soil Conserva-
tion Service has an active incentive
program to encourage good land
management practice. Very meaning-
ful control of erosion and sedimenta-
59
-------
30., 31. Development of control methods to rid the Snake River of aquatic growths that flourish
throughout its length is the major research need in the watershed.
tion is possible by resorting to simple
techniques such as avoiding excess
application and surface runoff of ir-
rigation waters, deep-chisel plowing,
and well-considered crop rotations.
Control of erosion from construction
activities may be instituted through
State standards for construction prac-
tices that would require use of such
techniques as mulching, terracing.
limiting area of surface scarring, and
use of sedimentation ponds. Stan-
dards can be expressed in quantita-
tive terms and performance gaged by
inspection. Even in the absence of
state controls, it is possible to in-
corporate such requirements in all
construction contracts let by Federal
agencies or performed on Federally
administered land.
CONTROL OF AQUATIC VEGETA-
TION. The most chronic problem of
the Snake River Basin is the prolific
aquatic growths which characterize
the entire system. Limited knowledge
of the ecology of the stream system
imposes severe restrictions on controls
procedures. Research must be depend-
ed upon to provide any long range
answers to control. However, several
means of partial control might be
explored.
The natural level of phosphates in the
river is extremely high and. because
nutrient control is extremely expen-
sive, it would not seem logical to in-
stitute phosphate controlling addi-
tions to waste treatment facilities
until a thorough study of stream
ecology indicates that such proced-
ures would help the problem.
Direct control of aquatic biota can
be approached in several fashions.
The most obvious is harvesting of
the materials where they are concen-
trated in ponds, irrigation returns
and slow-moving stream reaches. The
procedure would have the effect of
both removing the aquatic growths
themselves and preventing the pro-
duction of additional phosphorus
that occurs if growths are allowed to
decay in the water.
A more likely solution is to attempt
to control aquatic weeds through in-
troduction of forage fish. Tilapia
mossambica, a small weed forager of
African origin, has been found to be
spectacularly effective in controlling
60
-------
growths in Texas ponds. The fish is
resistant to wide swings in tempera-
ture, so is well suited to the climatic
environment. Moreover, it might con-
stitute a very desirable addition to
the ecological system of the southern
sweep of the Snake River. By func-
tioning as a link in the food chain
for larger fish, the forager would
have the effect of allowing the water
mass to support a larger population
of game fish and perhaps contribute
to the size and growth rate of such
fish.
CONTROL OF COMMERCIAL
TOXICANTS. Eliminating the entry
of commercial poisons—pesticides
and herbicides—to watercourses is
another high priority pollution con-
trol requirement that can only be
met through application procedures.
Careful selection of types of poisons
that are applied, determination of
optimum application levels, and sanc-
tions against applications that occur
within the immediate surface drain-
age of a watercourse are all desirable.
In view of the demonstrated defic-
iencies of the process of educating
individual farm operators to accept
procedures that do not result in an
immediate personal profit, it would
appear that the most likely avenue
of approach in instituting such pro-
cedures would be through food pro-
cessors. These consumers of agricul-
tural products customarily issue ex-
tremely tight grower contracts, cover-
ing production conditions and quality
specifications for a crop which they
agree to purchase. Control of pesti-
cide applications could be included
among the conditions of such con-
tracts, with a probable immediate
impact on procedures. Certainly
negotiations and persuasion directed
to a few dozen processors would be
easier to undertake than approaches
to tens of thousands of farm
operators.
Thermal Pollution
High water temperatures in the lower
Snake River have already been cited
as detrimental to migration of ana-
dromous fish. These and other high
temperatures in the Snake system are
caused by the many impoundments
and the spreading of large quantities
of irrigation water over the fields,
thus exposing huge surface areas to
solar radiation.
32. The FWPCA's Pacific Northwest Laboratory at Corvallis, Oregon is engaged in research
relative to the water quality problems of the Snake.
61
-------
With the projected need for electrical
power and with the limited head re-
maining for hydropower development
in the Snake, future power needs will
almost certainly be met by nuclear
reactor generation of electricity.
Nuclear energy means waste heat to
be dissipated—more heat than a coal
burning plant of comparable size
must dissipate. And nuclear energy
means the risk, small though it may
be, of releasing one of the deadliest
forms of pollution on earth—radio-
active wastes.
Actions are already underway to
protect the environment from waste
heat and radioactivity. State water
resource agencies and state pollution
control agencies are involved in de-
termining the location and control
measures required for nuclear ther-
mal plants. Federal agencies, includ-
ing the FWPCA, are studying the
impact of such development on the
air and water environment.
These actions must be expanded
and strengthened to protect the high
quality waters of the Snake and to
eliminate any further burden to the
lower Snake temperature regimen.
Specific cooling facilities must be
prescribed prior to the installation
of any thermal nuclear plant in the
basin.
Research
Requirements for research that is
definitely aimed at the problems of
the Snake River watershed are fairly
well defined. While many of the water
quality difficulties of the area are
common to much of the Nation and
should benefit from the application
of principles derived from research
in other areas, several types of in-
vestigation directed to specific Snake
River conditions should be instituted.
The most obvious area for research,
and one which should have top prior-
ity, is that of investigation of the
sources of nutrients for, andTnethods"'
t6~contcoJL the p'roflOCtton" of, aquatic-
biota. Some very limited suggestions
as to methods of control have been
provided in this report. But the
most chronic water quality problem
of the watershed remains a matter
beyond existing control capabilities.
Research capabilities of universities,
private firms and state and Federal
agencies should be directed toward
this investigation. The FWPCA can
offer valuable assistance through its
National Eutrophication Research
Program.
In the event that water diversion
plans are considered for the Colum-
bia River, examinations of the water
quality effects should also be con-
ducted, considering Snake River
diversion points in conjunction with
other Columbia River System sources
of water. All Federal and state agen-
cies concerned with the multiple use
of the Snake Basin would participate
in such a study.
A more limited but locally signifi-
cant requirement exists to investigate
the effect of induced recharge on
quality of groundwater. At least two
areas of extensive ground-water re-
charge are proposed in connection
with projects of the Bureau of Re-
clamation. One would require diver-
sion of flood waters of the Henrys
Fork for storage in the aquifer of the
Snake Plain. The other would occur
through the operation of the South-
western Idaho Water Development
Plan as a result of the introduction
of great volumes of irrigation water
to previously arid lands in the area
of Mountain Home and on the south
bank of the Snake. While such opera-
tions will probably be beneficial, only
their quantitative aspects have been
considered at this time. Effects on
ground-water quality should be dili-
gently considered and forecast, most
logically by the U. S. Geological
Survey.
62
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APPENDIX
63
-------
WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Upper
Basin
Number ol Storage Structures
Existing 35
Under Construction 1
Authorized 1
Total Structures 37
Active Storage. Acre-Feet
Existing 5,173,000
Under Construction 315.000
Authorized 100.000
Total Storage 5.588.000
Generating Capacity. Kilowatts
Existing 390.700
Under Construction 22.000
Authorized 30.000
Total Power Capacity 442.700
Purposes, Number of Structures
Irrigation 17
Power 13
Multi-Purpose* 7
Other Multi-purpose —
" Including Irrigation
SUMM/
Central
Basin
30
1
1
32
4.448.200
100.000
7.200
4.555.400
579.600
—
—
579.600
19
3
10
—
•\RY
Lower
Basin
6
4
1
11
42.800
1,433.000
—
1,475,800
924.000
1.455.000
288.000
2,667.000
—
4
3
4
Total
71
6
3
80
9.664.000
1.848.000
107.200
11.619.200
1.894.300
1.477,000
318.000
3,689.300
36
20
20
4
64
-------
PI
Polential
Development
1 Granite Creek
2. Alpine
3 Crow Creek
4 Lynn Crandall
5. Warm River
6, Ashtoo Enlargement
7. Teton Creek
8 Dr.ggs
9 Btacklool Enlargement
10 Marsh Creek
11 Jordan Creek
12 Twin Springs
13 Gold Fork
14 Garden valley
15 Lost Valley Enlargement
16 Monday Gulch
17 Hardman
18 Dark Canyon
19 Appaloosa
20. High Mountain Sheep
21 Challis
22 Lower Grande Ronde
23 (Catherine Creek
24 Potlatch
DTENTIAL R
Storage (1000 AF|
Total Active
470 430
1.073 878
27 245
1.620 1.620
140 75
49 40
7 6
50 35
38 38
40 40
100 100
600 490
102 80
2.400 2.400
20 20
35 35
14 12
12 10
2413 1.500
3.600 2.700
106 106
220 220
83 83
160 160
ESERVOIR Dt
Stream
Hoback R
Snake R
Crow Ck
(Salt R Basm)
Snake R
Henrys Fork
Henrys Fork
Telon Ck
Teton R
Blackfoot R
Marsh Ck
(Portneuf Basin)
Jordon Ck
(Owyhee Basm)
Boise R
Gold Fk R
(Payette Bas.nt
Payette
Lost Creek
(W Fk Weiseo
Little Weiser R
oil-stream site
So Fk Burnt R
Burnt R
Snake R
Snake R
Chalhs Ck
(Salmon Basm)
Grande Ronde R
Catherine Ck
(Grande Ronde Basm
Palouse R
EVELOPME
River Mile
S9443 H 124
S9224
S9172-Sall R
400-CCkH 0
S8725
S8374-HF569
S 837 4-M F 44 0
S 8374 HF 204.
T64 LTCk132
S8374 HF204-
T567
S 751 2-B780
S 736 0-P 32 7-
MCkS-
S 392 3 O 117 5
JCk57
S391 3-B1030
S 365 6 P 72 7-
NFP513GF90
S 365 6 P 759
S351 8-W762-
W F W 120-L C
S 351 8-W 45 0-
L W154 MG 1 2
S 3277. B 640-
SFB 8-
S3277.B369
SI976
S 189 1
S18S2-S3174.
CCk7
S 1687 GR 174-
S1687GR1439.
C Ck 28 4
S595-P135
NT
Data Source
USBR Recon - Jackson Lk
Replacement. April 1967
Same as No 1
USBR Feas -Upper Star
Valley. June 1965
Same as No 1
USBR-USACE Joint Report
Upper Snake River Basin
1961
Same as No S
USBR Recon-Alta Project
March 1964
Same as No 5
USACE Design Memo No 2
Blacklool Res Modification.
Sept 1966
Current USAGE Investiga
lion
USBR Recon-Upper Owy-
hee Project June 1965
Same as No 5-USACE In-
vestigation in 1966
USBR Fea» -Souihwest
Idaho Water De* Project
June 1966
Same as No 13
Same as No 13
Same as No 13
USBR Investigations
Same as No 17
Current U S Dept ol the
Interior Investigation
Same as No 19 - Alternate
site
USBR Feas - Challis Ck
Division August 1963
USACE Investigations
Same as No 22
USACE & USBR investiga-
tions
65
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REPRESENTATIVE SUMMARY OF WATER
Water
- Snake River -
Within Wyoming:
( pr opo sed)
South boundary of
Yellowstone National
Park to the Wyoming-
Idaho State line.
Within Idaho;
line (R.M. 918) to
the Oregon-Idaho
State line (R.M.
407).
Adjacent to Idaho:
Oregon-Idaho border
(R.M. 407) to Hells
Canyon Dam (R.M.
247).
Hells Canyon Dam
(R.M. 247) to the
Washington-Idaho
State line (R.M.
139).
In and adjacent
to Oregon:
Within Washington:
Mouth to Washington-
Idaho-Oregon State
line.
Dissolved Oxygen
D.O.
Not less than j6
ppm at any time.
percent of satura-
low or less than
100 percent of sat-
uration in spawn-
spawning, hatching,
and fry stages of
salmon id fishes.
(Exception: five
ppm at Milner Dam
based on a minimum
stream flow of 600
cfs at this point).
Same as above.
Same as above.
Not less than 21
percent of satura-
tion at seasonal
low or less than
95 percent of sat-
uration in spawn-
spawning, hatching,
and fry stages of
salmon id fishes.
nig/1.
SPECIFIC CRITERIA
Organisms of the Coliform
Croup Where Associated
with Fecal Sources
(Total Coliform)
Collform counts shall not
exceed 1000 per 100 ml (Most
Probable Number! as an
arithmetical average of the
last five consecutive sam-
ples ; nor exceed this num-
ber in more than 20 percent
of the samples; nor exceed
2,400 per 100 ml in any one
sample. Organisms of the
fecal coliform group shall
not exceed 200 per 100 ml.
as an arithmetic average of
the last five consecutive
samples, nor exceed this num-
ber in more than 20 percent
of the samples, nor exceed
480 per 100 ml in any one
sample.
coliform bacteria (MPN or
exceed 1000 per 100 milli-
liters, with 20 percent of
samples not to exceed
2 400 per 100 milllliters.
Same as above.
Same as above with the
following exception:
Average concentration of
collform bacteria shall
not exceed 240 per 100
milliliters for the lower
Snake River (R.M. 170-139).
Average concentrations of
coliform bacteria (MPN or
equivalent MF using a rep-
resentative number of sam-
ples) shall not exceed
1000j>er 100 ml, with 20
exceed 2400 per 100 ml.
Total coliform organisms
shall not exceed median
values 240 per 100 ml with
less than 20 percent of
samples exceeding 1000 per
pH
(Negative Logarithm of
the Hydrogen- Ion Cone.)
Maintained within the
range of 6.5 to 8.5.
pH values shall not fall
outside the range of 7.0
shall not be more than
0.5 pH unit.
Same as above.
Same as above.
pH values shall not fall
outside the range of 7.0
to 9.0.
pH shall be within the
range of 6.5 to 6.5 with
an Induced variation of
less than 0.25 units.
Temperature
4° F. of the monthly
average water tempera-
ture as determined from
measurements of monthly
will heat be discharged
in amounts which will
result In water temper a-
the propagation and sus-
tenance of indigenous
aquatic life.
No measurable increase
when stream temperatures
are 68 F. or above, or
more than 2° F. increase
when stream temperatures
are 66° F. or less.
when stream temperatures
are 70° F. or above, or
more than 2 F. increase
when river temperatures
are 68 F* or less.
No measurable Increase
when stream temperatures
are 68° F. or above or
more than 2 F. increase
are 66° F. or less.
No measurable Increase
when river temperatures
are 70 F. or above, or
more than 2 F. Increase
when river temperatures
are 68° F. or less.
shall be permitted which
results in water tempera-
tures exceeding 68° F.
nor shall the cumulative
be permitted in excess
110 (t=permlsaive
f tm -,„._ increase)
™ T-15 (T=resulting
water temper-
ature).
Turbidity
(Certain short-term
activities specifically
authorized by the pollu-
tion control agency may
be permitted)
Not more than a 15 tur-
bidity unit increase
when the receiving water
or more than a 10 percent
bidity is over 150 tur-
bidity units.
No objectionable tur-
bidity which can be
traced to a point source.
Same as above.
Same as above.
Turbidity shall not
exceed 5 JTU above nat-
ural background values.
Turbidity shall not
exceed 5 JTU over
natural conditions.
66
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QUALITY CRITERIA MAINSTEM SNAKE RIVER
GENERAL CRITERIA
Toxic Materials
No toxic, corrosive, or
other deleterious sub-
stances of other than
natural origin in con-
centrations or combi-
nations which are
toxic to human, ani-
mal, plant, or aquatic
life.
No toxic chemicals of
other than natural origin
in concentrations found
to be of public health
significance or adversely
affect the use indicated.
Same as above.
Same as above.
No wastes shall be dis-
charged or activities con-
ducted which cause the
creation of toxic or
other conditions that ar
deleterious to fish or
other aquatic life or
affect the potability of
drinking water or the
palatabillty of fish or
shellfish.
Shall be below those of
public health signifi-
cance, or which may cause
acute or chronic toxic
conditions to the aquatic
biota, or which may
adversely affect any
water use.
Tastes and Odors
Essentially free from
substances of other than
natural origin which
produce taste, odor, or
color that would: (a)
Import an unpalatable or
off-flavor in fish flesh.
(b) Visibly alter the
natural color of the
water, or import color
to skin, clothing, ves-
sels or structures, (c)
Produce detectable odor
at the site of use. (d) .
Directly or through
interaction with chemi-
cals used in treatment
import undesirable taste
or odor to the finished
water.
No deleterious substances
of other than natural
origin in concentrations
that cause tainting of
edible species or tastes
and odors to be imported
to drinking water sup-
plies.
Same as above.
Same as above.
No wastes shall be dis-
charged or activities
conducted which cause
the creation of tastes or
odors that are deleteri-
ous to fish or other
aquatic life or affect
the potability of drink-
ing water or the palata-
billty of fish or shell-
fish.
Aesthetic values shall
not be impaired by the
presence of materials or
their effects, excluding
those of natural origin,
which offend the senses
of sight, smell, touch
or taste.
Radioactivity
Radioactive material of
other than natural origin
shall not be present In
any amount which reflects
failure in any case to
apply all controls which
are physically and econo-
mically feasible. In no
case shall such materials
exceed the limits estab-
lished in the 1962 PHS
Drinking Water Standards
or 1/30(166 hour value)of
the values for radioactive
substances specified in
the "National Bureau of
Standards Handbook 69."
Radioactive materials of
other than natural origin
shall not be present in
any amount which reflects
failure in any case to
apply all controls which
are physically and eco-
nomically feasible. In
no case shall such mater-
ials exceed the limits estab-
lished in the 1962 PHS
Drinking Water Standards.
Same as above.
Same as above.
No wastes shall be dis-
charged or activities
conducted which cause
radio-isotope concentra-
tions to exceed maximum
permissible concentrations
in drinking water, edible
fishes or shellfishes,
wildlife. Irrigated crops,
livestock and dairy pro-
ducts or pose an external
radiation hazard.
Radioactive concentrations
shall be below those of
public health significance,
or which may cause acute
or chronic toxic condi-
tions to the aquatic
biota, or which may ad-
versely affect any water
use.
Aesthetic Values
Essentially free from substances of
other than natural origin that will set-
tle to form sludge, bank or bottom
deposits. Free from floating debris,
oil, grease, scum, and other floating
materials of other than natural origin
in amounts sufficient to be unsightly.
No floating or submerged matter not
attributable to natural causes. Excess
nutrients of other than natural origin
that cause visible slime growths or
other nuisance aquatic growths.
Same as above.
Same as above.
No wastes shall be discharged or activi-
ties conducted which cause the formation
of appreciable bottom or sludge deposits
or the formation of any organic or In-
organic deposits deleterious to fish or
other aquatic life or injurious" to public
health, recreation or industry; or which
cause objectionable discoloration, tur-
bidity, scum, oil slick or floating solids,
or coat the aquatic life with oil films;
or which cause aesthetic conditions offen-
sive to the human senses of sight, taste,
smell or touch.
Aesthetic values shall not be impaired
by the presence of materials or their
effects excluding those of natural
origin, which offend the senses of
sight, smell, touch or taste.
The Oregon standards estab-
lish a list of guide con-
centrations of dissolved
chemical substances which
shall not be exceeded.
(See the Oregon Standards
for this list).
67
-------
33. Milner Reservoir, winter, 1966 — the fourth fish kill in seven years at Milner to be
caused by improper water management and inadequate waste treatment.
68
-------
FISH KILLS
Date
Dec. 9, 1960
Dec 20, 1960
Nov. 8-9, 1961
Mar. 19, 1962
Feb. 5, 1963
June 11, 1964
June 25, 1964
June 20, 1964
April 27, 1965
May 6, 20, 27, 1966
June 7, 1966
Nov. 20-25, 1966
April 1, 1967
April 4, 1967
Mar. 28-Apr. 10, 1967
Aug. 1967
Apr. 3, 1968
Place
Milner Res.
Murtaugh Lk.
Milner Res.
Hagerman State
Fish Hatchery
Riley Creek
Milner Res.
Boise R. Irri-
gation Ditch
Snake R.
Strike Res.
Boise R.
Caldwell
Bowen Creek
Teton R.
Portneuf R.
S. Fk. Teton R.
Milner Res.
Boise R.
Drain Ditch
Snake R.
Billingsley Cr.
Snake R.
American Falls
Res.
Boise R.
Source of
Pollution
Domestic
Industrial
Domestic
Industrial
Potato Process-
ing Plants
FWS Hatchery
at Hagerman
Food Processing
Industrial
Poison
Toxaphene
Food
Processing
Food
Processing
Fertilizer
Plant
Food
Processing
Food
Processing
Glue Waste
Food
Processing
Sheep Spraying
Decaying
Algae
Dismantled
Refrigeration
Unit
Specific
Cause
—
—
D.O. 1 ppm
Copper Sulfate
—
Lube oil
—
Low D.O.
—
High Temp.
pH 3
Low D.O.
D.O. 0.5
Poison
Low D.O.
Poison
Low D.O.
Ammonia
Type Fish
Killed %
Game Trash
1 99
25 75
2 92
6 forage
100 —
_ 100
2 98
! 99
2 98
100 —
! 99
4.5 95-5
_ 100
100 —
6 94
100 —
10 90
2 98
Number
Killed
250,000
3,000
100,000
235,900
20,000
1,500
2,500
700
1,250
30,000
35,000
500,000
400
500
32,000
20,000
250,000
Extent
of Effects
3 miles
650 acres
12 miles
1'/2 miles
2 miles
—
5 miles
5 miles
1 mile
4 miles
2 miles
7 miles
—
10 miles
—
—
14.4 miles
Duration
26 days
20 days
19 days
6 hrs.
30 days
2 days
1 day
—
4 hrs.
4 days
—
5 days
Vi hr.
10 days
14 days
—
Comments
—
Repeat of 1960 kill
Treatment at FWS hatchery
responsible for kill at
downstream state hatchery
69
-------
MAJOR WASTE LOADING AREAS 1967
Service Area
Rexburg
Rogers Bros. Food Prod.
St. Anthony Starch Co.
Rigby
Idaho Fresh Pak - Lewisville
Idaho Falls
Rogers Bros. Co.
Utah Idaho Sugar Co.
R. T. French Co. - Shelley
Blackfoot
American Potato Corp.
Pocatello
Pocatello
FMC
J. R. Simplot Co.
American Falls
Idaho Potato Growers
Lamb & Weston
Burley
Ore-Ida Foods Corp.
J. R. Simplot Co.
Twin Falls
Amalgamated Sugar Co.
Twin Falls
Boise
Boise B
Nampa
J. R. Simplot - Caldwell
Emmett
Ontario
Amalgamated Sugar Co. - Nyssa
Ore-Ida Foods - Ontario
Baker
La Grande
Lewiston
Potlatch Forest Industries
Pullman
Service Area Total
BASIN TOTAL
Raw Waste
88,600
53,800
1,300,000
192,000
49,500
Inorganic
Inorganic
291,000
1,359,000
795,000
831,000
31,000
742,000
12,400
13,000
545,000
28,000
6,301,000
6,430,000
Discharged
Waste
37,800
(27,000)
(9,000)
37,500
(37,000)
442,400
(110,000)
(120,000)
(85,000)
82,000
(72,000)
27,700
(27,000)
68,400
(24,000)
(25,000)
647,000
(106,000)
(493,000)
342,000
(200,000)
(70,000)
167,500
(10,000)
(30,000)
(100,000)
1,000
197,000
(41,000)
(145,000)
500
1,300
522,000
(432,000)
3,600
2,578,000
2,633,000
Treatment
Efficiency
57
30
66
57
44
77
52
57
80
97
74
96
90
4.2
87
59
59
Percent
of Basin
Waste
Discharge
1.4
1.4
16.8
3.1
1.1
2.6
24.6
13.0
6.4
0.04
7.5
0.02
0.05
20
0.14
98.1
—
Percent
of Area
Waste
Discharge
72
24
99
25
27
19
88
98
35
37
16
76
58
20
6
18
60
21
74
83
—
70
-------
TIME SCHEDULE FOR CURRENT WASTE TREATMENT NEEDS
TO MEET ESTABLISHED WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
City or Industry
WYOMING
City of Jackson
Primary Secondary
(Unscheduled)*
IDAHO
Roger Brothers - Rexburg 1970
Idaho Fresh Pak - Lewisville 1970
City of Idaho Falls 1971
U & I Sugar Company - Idaho Falls 1969
Roger Brothers - Idaho Falls 1968 1971
Idaho Potato Growers - Idaho Falls 1968 1971
Idaho Potato Foods - Idaho Falls 1972
RT French - Shelley 1968 1972
Idaho Supreme - Firth 1968 1972
American Potato Company - Blackfoot 1968 1972
City of Blackfoot 1972
Idaho Potato Starch Company - Blackfoot 1972
St. Anthony Starch Company - St. Anthony 1972
City of Pocatello 1973
City of Aberdeen 1969
Idaho Potato Growers - Aberdeen 1969
Idaho Potato Starch Co. - Aberdeen 1969
Kraft Foods Co. - Aberdeen 1969
City of Rupert 1968
Kraft Foods Co. - Rupert 1968
Magic Valley Foods - Rupert 1968
City of Paul 1969
City of Heyburn 1970
J. R. Simplot Co. - Heyburn 1970
Ore-Ida Co. - Burley 1970
A & P Co. - Burley 1970
Amalgamated Sugar Co. - Twin Falls 1969
Independent Meat Co. - Twin Falls 1968
Magic Valley Co. - Twin Falls 1973
City of Twin Falls 1973
Bertie's Poultry - Twin Falls 1973
Swift & Co. - Twin Falls 1973
Young's Dairy - Twin Falls 1973
Idaho Frozen Foods - Twin Falls 1973
City of Jerome 1969
Ida-Gem Dairy - Jerome 1969
King of Spuds - Jerome 1969
City of Glenns Ferry 1968
City or Industry
IDAHO—Cont'd.
City of Wilder
Northwest Boise Sewer District
Swift & Co. - Boise
Star Sewer District
J. R. Simplot - Caldwell
City of Notus
City of McCall
City of Donnelly
City of Cascade
Gem Canning - Emmett
City of Payette
City of Cambridge
Wells and Davies - Payette
City of Weiser
City of Salmon
City of Craigmont
City of Orofino
City of Lewiston
Lewiston Orchards - Lewiston
Seabrook Farms, Inc. - Lewiston
Smith Foods, Inc. - Lewiston
Potlatch Forests, Inc. - Lewiston
Wai Iowa
OREGON
Adrian School and Adrian Homes
City of Nyssa
Pioneer Meat - Ontario
Ore-Ida Foods, Inc. - Ontario
WASHINGTON
Meats, Inc. - Clarkston
City of Clarkston
Bristol Packing Co. - Clarkston
Town of Asotin
City of Colfax 1/
City of Palouse
Primary Secondary
1969
1969
1968
1969
1970
1969
1968
1969
1968
1968*
1973
1968
1973
1973
1968
1970
1972
1970
1970
1970
1970
1968
1969
(Unscheduled)
1970
(Unscheduled)*
1970
1970
1970
1970*'
1968*
1969*
* Plant expansion or modification
** New plant or modification
1/ Under construction
71
-------
TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS IN ADDITION TO INTERSTATE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
MUNICIPAL
Community
Hailey
Ketchum
INDUSTRIAL
Company
Armour Meat Co. (Buhl)
B & L Meat Packers (Buhl)
Bryants Packing Co. (Burley)
Custom Packing Co. (Rupert)
Farrer Meat Co. (Rexburg)
Gabriel Packing Co. (Gooding)
Gibson Bros. Meat Co. (Burley)
Grimes Custom Slaughter House (Nampa)
H. H. Keim Packing Co. (Nampa)
Hillcrest Packing Co. (Nampa)
Hopkins Packing Co. (Blackfoot)
Idaho Falls Animal Prod. (Idaho Falls)
Idaho Falls Meat Co. (Idaho Falls)
Idaho Hide & Tallow Co. (Twin Falls)
Johnson Bros. Meat Packing (Nampa)
Kraft Cheese Co. (Ririe)
Kraft Food Co. (Carey)
Liberty Packing Co. Boise)
Mickelsens Packing Co. (Blackfoot)
Nampa Animal Products (Nampa)
Nampa Packing Co. (Nampa)
Nankafell Slaughter House (Nampa)
National Reactor Test Station
Owyhee Meat Packers (Homedale)
Peoples Meat Packing Co. (Rupert)
Seddon Meat Processing (Filer)
Stockmans Meat Packing Co. (Gooding)
Tiffany Slaughter House (Nampa)
Vans Packing Plant (Boise)
Wattenbarger Meat Prod. (Shelley)
FEDERAL INSTALLATIONS
Installation
Redfish Lake Recreation Area
Island Park Recreation Area
Alturas Lake Recreation Area
Elk City Ranger Station
Powell Ranger Station
Bungalow Ranger Station
Musselshell Work Camp
Slate Creek Ranger Station
Mountain Home Air Force Base
Anderson Ranch Dam
Black Canyon Dam
Black Canyon Dam Power Plant
Cascade Dam
Deadwood Dam
Boise River Diversion Dam
Lucky Peak Dam
Minidoka Dam & Headworks
Ice Harbor Dam
Existing Treatment
IDAHO
No system
No system
Septic tank
Septic tank
Septic tank
Septic tank
Septic tank
Lagoon
Septic tank
Septic tank
Septic tank
X
Lagoon
Septic tank
Septic tank
Septic tank
X
No system
No system
No system
Lagoon
Septic tank
Septic tank
Septic tank
Secondary (munic.)
Special processes
(radioactive)
Septic tank
Septic tank
Septic tank
Lagoon
Septic tank
Septic tank
None
Agency
USFS
USFS
USFS
USFS
USFS
USFS
USFS
USFS
USAF
USBR
USBR
USBR
USBR
USBR
USBR
USAGE
USBR
USAGE
o>
Waste >?
5 €
BUJ .« 01
OCO- OQ_
1200 1200
6000 6000
4000 3000
1000 700
500 300
250 200
500 400
7500 5000
500 300
200 100
3200 2400
300 150
750 500
1000 500
1250 1000
2000 1000
400 300
1000 1000
1000 1000
800 800
750 500
500 400
300 200
250 150
Radioactive
500 400
500 300
500 300
10000 6000
200 100
1500 900
500 500
Receiving Stream
Big Wood River
Big Wood River
Deep Creek
Deep Creek
Snake River
Main Drain
Snake River
Little Wood River
Indian Creek
Indian Creek
Indian Creek
Snake River
Snake River
Rock Creek
Indian Creek
Snake River
Little Wood R.
Eagle Drain
Indian Creek
Indian Creek
Indian Creek
Snake River
Main Drain
Drainage Ditch
Little Wood R.
Indian Creek
Boise River
Snake River
Need
Collection system & trmt
Collection system & trmt
Collection system & trmt
Connect to city
Lagoon
Treatment plant
Treatment plant
Chlorination
Industrial trmt plant
Drainfield
Drainfield
Septic tank & drainfield
Drainfield
Drainfield
Drainfield
Drainfield
Septic tank & drainfield
Septic tank & drainfield
Recommended Action
Collection & Secondary
Collection & Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Improved efficiency
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Improved efficiency
To city sewer
To city sewer
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Improved efficiency
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Eliminate deep well
injection
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Improved efficiency
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
72
-------
PAGE NOT
AVAILABLE
DIGITALLY
-------
PHOTO/CREDITS
PHOTO NO.
1
2
3, 4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
AGENCY
IDCD
OSHC
FWPCA
FWPCA
USER
FWPCA
OSHC
USFS
IDCD
IPC
IDCD
OSHC
IFGD
IFGD
USBR
FWPCA
AEC
OSHC
FWPCA
USBR
USFS
FWPCA
IFGD
IFGD
SCS
SCS
IDCD
FWPCA
FWPCA
FWPCA
FWPCA
BLM
AGENCY ABBREVIATIONS
IDCD — Idaho Department of Commerce
and Development
OSHC — Oregon State Highway
Commission
FWPCA — Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Administration
AEC — Atomic Energy Commission
USBR — U. S. Bureau of Reclamation
IPC — Idaho Power Company
IFGD —Idaho Fish and Game Department
SCS — Soil Conservation Service
BLM — Bureau 'of Land Management
USFS — U. S. Forest Service
------- |