- Reclamation
- News & Multimedia
- News Releases
- News Release Archive
- Draft EA for Water Reassignment From Lucky Peak Released for Public Comment in Idaho
News Release Archive
Draft EA for Water Reassignment From Lucky Peak Released for Public Comment in Idaho
Media Contact:
John Redding, (208) 378-5212, 07/25/2005 19:42
Steve Dunn, sdunn@pn.usbr.gov
For Release: July 25, 2005
The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking public comment on a Draft Environmental Assessment for its proposal to approve the assignment of a portion of New Union Ditch Company's water storage entitlement in Lucky Peak Reservoir to two residential subdivisions located along State Highway 21 northeast of Boise.
Reclamation's proposed action would allow Wilderness Ranch and Osprey subdivisions to continue to divert landscape irrigation water from Mores Creek without detriment to other Boise River irrigators below Lucky Peak Dam.
The proposal is for Wilderness Ranch to obtain 200 acre feet of storage space, and Osprey to obtain 300 acre feet of storage space from the New Union Ditch Company. The ditch company holds a total of 1,400 acre feetof storage space under its contract.
The subdivisions pull water from Mores Creek, which flows into Lucky Peak Reservoir. Other water users with more senior water rights to Mores Creek than the two subdivisions pull their water from the Boise River below Lucky Peak Dam. Under the current situation, Wilderness Ranch and Osprey would not be able to use all of their water right when flows are low in Mores Creek due to the risk of harming senior Boise River water users.
Under the proposal, the Lucky Peak storage would be delivered downstream to the senior irrigators allowing Wilderness Ranch and Osprey to divert their irrigation water from Mores Creek even in dry years.
The National Environmental Policy Act requires Reclamation to evaluate the impacts of this proposed action. The Draft EA analyzes the environmental impacts of the proposed assignment and a No Action alternative required by the NEPA which assumes that no assignment of contract entitlement would occur.
Lucky Peak Dam is federal-owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dam was constructed in the late 1950s for flood-control. The dam is located on the Boise River about 6 miles northeast of Boise. The reservoir has a total storage capacity of 293,000 acre feet.
To obtain a copy of the Draft Environmental Assessment contact Steve Dunn at (208) 383-2222 or by email at sdunn@pn.usbr.gov. The document is also available online at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/ea/idaho/lp_assign.pdf.
Comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment will be accepted until August 13. Written comments should be sent to Bureau of Reclamation, Snake River Area Office, 230 Collins Road, Boise ID 83702.
# # #
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:
