News Release Archive

Release of Draft EA for Anderson Ranch Dam Embankment Security Enhancements

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, jredding@usbr.gov
Steve Dunn, sdunn@usbr.gov

For Release: April 26, 2010

The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking public review and comment on the Anderson Ranch Dam Security Enhancement Project Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) which documents the environmental effects of a proposal to correct security vulnerabilities related to motor vehicles traveling across the top of the dam. The dam is located on the South Fork of the Boise River about 28 miles northeast of Mountain Home, Idaho.

Anderson Ranch Dam was constructed by Reclamation in 1950 as part of the Arrowrock Division of the Boise Project. It is a multipurpose facility that provides for irrigation, flood control, hydropower, and recreation.

An in-depth security assessment of Reclamation facilities and a full-scale evaluation of potential vulnerabilities were completed in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. Reclamation's Safety, Security, and Law Enforcement Office identified vulnerabilities at a number of Reclamation dams, including Anderson Ranch Dam. The studies determined that motor vehicles traveling across the crest the dam pose a threat to security and public safety from an explosion which could compromise the dam's structural integrity.

The proposed action analyzed in the Draft EA is to raise the existing dam crest by 4 feet and provide a 19.5 foot single travel lane across the crest. The single lane roadway would be designed to accommodate semi trucks hauling farm machinery and other oversized vehicles.

Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2011 and take about three months to complete. During construction, the dam crest would be closed to traffic, requiring travelers to use Cow Creek, Blacks Creek, or Pine roads to access Anderson Ranch Reservoir and the South Fork Boise River below the dam.

The deadline for comments is May 20, 2010. For more information, or a copy of the Draft EA, contact Steve Dunn, Middle Snake Field Office, 230 Collins Road, Boise ID 83702-4520 or call (208) 383-2222. A review copy of the Draft EA is also available online at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/ea/idaho/andersonsecurity/index.html.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/ea/idaho/andersonsecurity/index.html