TWIN FALLS, Idaho — With Thursday’s reopening of a portion of the Snake River a month after the discovery of invasive quagga mussels, the slow return to normalcy begins to move forward.
The reopened waters are the downstream portion of the Snake River, beginning at the “Old Interstate Bridge near Auger Falls, and extending to the State Highway 46 bridge between Buhl and Wendell.
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To get an idea of what the reopening means to people on the water, I headed to the Banbury area of the Snake River to see who was getting in boats on a sunny day.
That’s where I met Enoch Olsen, owner of Banbury. Having lived a lifetime next to the Snake, he said he depends on the river for more than his livelihood, it’s something he’s always had.
“The Snake River is very important to my life and my family’s life," Olsen told Idaho News 6. “It's a big part of what we do here. Especially over the last several years, it has become even more popular with the community and the region all around.”
Olsen told me he approves of the steps being taken, although the river has taken a hit.
“I think the steps that they’re taking are very appropriate. It does cause some inconvenience right now but I think the short-term inconveniences for a long-term solution is very important,” Olsen said.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game continues to monitor the river for fish mortality. The majority of impacts to fish so far have been observed closest to the treatment area.
Terry Thompson said the department had initially been using boats to find fish kill, but in recent days has transitioned to mostly observations from shore.
"So what we're going to do now is we're going to go back out in the coming weeks, do another survey, and that will help us understand the impacts of this copper treatment on fish populations."
Idaho State Department of Agriculture's Nic Zerfluh is the Bureau Chief for invasive species. Zerfluh knows that invasive species grow at an exponential rate, and stopping them early is crucial.
“Really within 24 hours of that initial detection we were able to gather up state agencies, our sister agencies as well as federal partners, all the local agencies with both county commissioners, the mayor of Twin Falls, really the whole works,” Zerfluh told Idaho News 6. "We were able to get them all together, have this critical conversation to be able to respond to something like this."
Thursday’s opening is just The first in a phased reopening of the river, and more closures will be lifted coming up soon.
On Friday, Twin Falls County will reopen Centennial Park for public use, but the waterfront will remain closed, along with all waters between the Twin Falls dam and power plant to Auger Falls.
Shoshone Falls Park will also reopen to the public, but the boat launch and river access will continue to be closed.
On Monday, Oct. 24, the county will reopen all areas of Murtaugh Lake, Salmon Falls Dam, and Cedar Creek Reservoir.
Before you get out on the water be sure to grab your sunscreen and your life vest. Once you get out of the water, practice the principles of clean, drain, and dry. That means everything that’s been in with the water, boats, waders, decoys, you name it. The hot wash station at the visitor’s center remains open, and everyone is encouraged to use this service.
