FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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 Yes, there will be water flowing in the canal this year. Irrigation season will begin on April 15th.  We anticipate starting the flow the week of April 18, and the water should reach the entire system by April 21. There may be unanticipated delays, but we will make every effort to meet this schedule. 

 We have two sources of water, but it all comes from the Boise River. We have our decreed water right (or natural flow) that we take from the Boise River at our headgate. We also have a storage right to 700 acre feet of water in Lucky Peak Reservoir, to the extent that reservoir fills. Estimates for the Boise River Basin were 51% to 70% of normal water availability before the recent snow/rain events. It will be a tight year, although we are hopeful the current snow and rain conditions may improve the outlook slightly. 

Water District 63 and the Idaho Department of Water Resources regulate the water in the Boise River and the allocation to water users. As the flows in the river drop, all users are cut equally until the 60% level. At that point, the date of the user’s water right – their priority date – is used to determine which user is cut off. BCCC’s date is June 1, 1886, so we are one of the last to be cut. However, for the first time in our memory, that happened last year and, most likely, will happen this year.
 

We can “call for” our storage water whenever we are cut off due to priority date. Our estimate is that when we call for our storage water, our right in the reservoir will be about 400 acre feet (out of a 700 acre feet right). That will give us about 10 days of water operating at our reduced rate of 20 cfs. It will help, but won’t solve the problem. 

There are two types of water users on the canal. There are those who get their water from the main canal, usually by pumping, and those who get their water from the main canal through laterals. Laterals are separate Lateral Water Users’ Associations and set their own method of distribution. BCCC has not set an official policy for distribution of water to users from the main canal and laterals. We will be working with the Associations to determine water delivery schedules. Zamzows has published some tips to “train” your lawn for the drought that may be helpful. 

Probably yes, but there are many variables. The large water users on the river are anticipating turning off by the end of August. If our priority date comes up, we can go to our storage water to keep flows going, but that won’t last for long. If our priority date is still operational, but there is simply not enough water in the river we will have to shut down. We will keep you informed through our website www.boisecitycanal.org as things progress. 

Please check out our lateral page to learn more about lateral ditches and lateral managers.