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DEQ's
Pocatello Region in southeast Idaho includes the cities of Blackfoot,
American Falls, Pocatello, Soda Springs, Preston, and Montpelier.
This region occupies 11.7% of the geographical area of the state
and is home to 12.6% of the state's population. Two large reservoirs
dominate the northern portion of this region and north-south running
ridges and valleys dominate the southern portion. |
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| Background |
This
region boasts a myriad of water resources: renown hot springs;
lakes, reservoirs, and rivers that attract anglers, boaters,
and swimmers; and the Lower Portneuf River Valley Aquifer
that supplies drinking water to tens of thousands of Idahoans.
Economic activities in this portion of the state include phosphate
mining and processing and agricultural production of wheat,
potatoes, and sugar beets. These activities have the potential
to impact the region's water quality. |
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| Accomplishments and Current Projects |
DEQ's
Pocatello Region is improving water quality through innovative partnerships,
cooperation, and support from government agencies, businesses, and
the public. Specific accomplishments are highlighted below. |
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Total
Maximum Daily Loads |
| Two
water quality improvement plans, called "total
maximum daily loads (TMDLs)" have been prepared
for subbasins in the Pocatello Region (Portneuf
River and American Falls) and approved by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Two additional TMDLs have been drafted
and open to public comment and will soon be submitted to EPA for
approval. The goal of a TMDL is to set limits on pollutant
levels in water bodies that don't meet water
quality standards so that they will meet standards in
the future. 
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Surface
Water Quality Improvement Projects |
Once a TMDL is complete,
programs are implemented to improve water quality, monitor results,
and achieve TMDL goals. The implementation projects come in
many forms and take place on private and public lands.
The Portneuf River Monitoring
Network involves stakeholders in monitoring water quality.
Two other projects in the Pocatello Region, both funded by §319
subgrants, have received accolades for their outstanding
coordination, design, and implementation: the Edson Fichter Nature
Wetlands Project and the Thomas Fork Stream Bank Stabilization Project.
The success of these projects, the level of local interest generated
by them, and the landowner support they have received have far surpassed
expectations. |
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Portneuf
River Monitoring Network |
| The Portneuf River Monitoring Network
has been established for the Portneuf River Basin to allow stakeholders
to assess and document natural and human-caused influences on water
quality. The cooperative effort involves private industry, educational
institutions, scientists, and government agencies. The monitoring
results provide feedback on the success of the restoration efforts
outlined in the Portneuf
River TMDL Implementation Plan. more.
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Edson Fichter
Nature Wetlands Project |
The
Edson Fichter Nature Area is a heavily visited area located on the
south side of Pocatello, adjacent to the Portneuf River. Water quality
in the river has been compromised where intensive livestock grazing
and agricultural production have damaged riparian areas and increased
erosion. The project has restored the river channel to its
natural condition, created a wetland that will reduce sediment loading,
and initiated a public education program on water quality. |
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Thomas Fork
Stream Bank Stabilization Project |
The
Bear Lake Regional Commission initiated the Thomas Fork Stream Bank
Stabilization Project to address a sediment and dissolved nutrient
loading problem in a specific reach of Thomas Fork Creek. The goal
of the project is to improve the quality of water in the Thomas
Fork Creek and stabilize the banks within the targeted reach.
Livestock access to Thomas Fork Creek has
been restricted in the section of the project and riparian vegetation
has been restored. In addition, public awareness and attitudes
have been influenced by this project. Passersby frequently
stop and inquire about the work, and local members of the Bear Lake
Soil and Water Conservation District have requested assistance for
similar projects on their own property bordering the Thomas Fork—a
major paradigm shift in local landowner attitudes toward stream
bank stabilization efforts.
> View the
2004
§319 Subgrant Field Evaluation Progress Report for more
information on both of these projects. |
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Bear
River Targeted Watershed Grant |
A
collaborative team, including DEQ, the Utah Division of Water Quality,
and the Bear River Commission, received a Targeted Watershed Grant
from EPA for over $700,000 in 2004. The grant will be used
to develop a water-quality trading program
to improve water quality in the Bear River Basin. The DEQ Pocatello
Regional Office is coordinating this grant with the states of Utah
and Wyoming. The Bear River project was one of 14 projects
to be funded, competing against 114 projects from across the country.
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Relicensing
of Bear River Hydroelectric Projects |
PacifiCorp,
an electricity producer that operates as Utah Power in Idaho, filed
applications to re-license four of its hydroelectric projects on
the Bear River in southeast Idaho. PacifiCorp requested one
new license that would include all four projects.
In
2002, PacifiCorp submitted a settlement agreement to the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, signed by 16 participants in the relicensing
process (including DEQ). In June 2003, DEQ issued §401
certification for the project, with conditions consistent
with the agreement. View
agreement.
The agreement contains
specific measures that will protect and enhance the environmental
resources of the portions of the Bear River affected by the project
and establishes the Environmental Coordination Committee, which
includes representatives from each of the participating groups.
This group is consulted when monitoring and adaptive management
plans are developed and has a pivotal role in the administration
of many post-licensing activities, include directing long-term changes
for environmental protection and enhancement measures. |
Selenium
From Phosphate Mines |
| In 1996, livestock
deaths associated with excessive selenium in the vicinity of historic
phosphate mines in southeast Idaho prompted concerns regarding potential
human health and ecological effects from past mining operations.
In response to these concerns, various organizations have investigated
and are addressing mining-related environmental and public health
issues associated with past mining operations. DEQ is
the lead agency for an area wide investigation to evaluate impacts
from releases of selenium and other contaminants from this historic
mining. The Pocatello Regional Office regularly samples water
in the mining area to assess selenium contamination. more |
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Ground
Water Protection Activities |
The
Lower Portneuf River Valley Aquifer
(a natural underground area where large quantities of ground water
fill the spaces between rocks and sediment) provides water to the
residents of the Pocatello Valley. Growth and its associated
activities have impacted this valuable and fragile resource; protecting
the aquifer from future contamination and cleaning up current contamination
are both high priorities. |
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Protecting
the Lower Portneuf River Valley Aquifer |
The
Lower Portneuf River Valley Aquifer Protection Working Group was
formed in January 2000 to explore options for addressing problems
affecting the aquifer and to look at ways to protect the aquifer
in the future. It has considered management methods to protect
the aquifer and has considered adding additional regulatory requirements
through changing the designation of the aquifer from a "general
resource" aquifer to a "sensitive
resource" aquifer, which would provide more protection
under Idaho law. An economic
impact analysis of this redesignation was completed in
2001. (DEQ Publication, September 2001: pdf
1.4 mb, 126 pages) |
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Regional
Geographic Initiative |
The
Regional Geographic Initiative, housed at Idaho State University
in Pocatello, is a program designed to determine the condition of
the ground water in the Lower Portneuf River Valley Aquifer.
The data gathered by the program is used to help local governments
make decisions that will help ensure clean, drinkable water from
the aquifer. Representatives from DEQ's Pocatello Regional
Office serve on the program’s steering committee and help
set program goals and objectives. more.
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Fort Hall
Mine Landfill |
In
1991, trichloroethylene (TCE) was discovered in water wells at the
base of Fort Hall Mine Canyon—the location of the Fort Hall
Mine Landfill. It appears that the TCE originated at the landfill.
In 1993, Bannock County
entered into a consent order with the Division (now Department)
of Environmental Quality and the county accepted responsibility
for the problem and for its resolution. DEQ requested that
Bannock County complete a full-scale investigation of the extent
of contamination and conduct a full site characterization.
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Nitrate
Priority Areas |
Four areas
in the Pocatello Region have been designated as nitrate
priority areas (areas with ground water contaminated
by nitrate). Each area will have a ground water quality management
plan developed to outline strategies to help reduce nitrate loading
to ground water from land use activities. The first of these
plans, for the Ft. Hall nitrate priority area, is scheduled to be
completed in 2009.
> View nitrate
priority areas list
(DEQ
Publication, 2002: pdf 411 kb, 4 pages)
> View nitrate
priority areas ranking process
(DEQ
Publication, 2001: pdf 32 kb, 5 pages)
> View ground
water reports |
