A Community-Based Approach to Watershed Protection and Management |
A Community-Based Approach to Watershed Protection and Management |
The Henry’s Fork Watershed Council is a grassroots, community forum that uses a nonadversarial, consensus-based approach to problem solving and conflict resolution among citizens, scientists and agencies with varied perspectives. The Council is taking the initiative to better appreciate the complex watershed relationships in the Henry’s Fork Basin, to restore and enhance watershed resources where needed, and to maintain a sustainable watershed resource base for future generations. In addressing social, economic and environmental concerns in the basin, Council members will respectfully cooperate and coordinate with one another and abide by federal, state and local laws and regulations. |
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The Henry’s Fork watershed in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming encompasses 1.7 million acres and over 3,000 miles of rivers, streams and canals. High mountain streams and warm natural springs form the headwaters of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, which flows through deep canyons as it descends to the agricultural land of the upper Snake River Valley. This rich watershed supports healthy populations of fish and wildlife, including several threatened and endangered species, as well as high-quality recreational experiences. There are about 40,000 people who live in four Idaho counties in the watershed — Fremont, Teton, and parts of Madison and Clark— plus the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park and west slope of the Teton Range in Teton County, Wyoming. Mormon and Lutheran homesteaders, who originally settled the basin, built irrigation canals and storage reservoirs for water in the late 1800s. Canals divert water from the Henry’s Fork, Fall River, Teton River and smaller tributaries, and dams built on Henry’s Lake Outlet and the Henry’s Fork store irrigation water. Over 235,000 acres of farmland are irrigated from surface or groundwater sources in the basin; potatoes and grains are the primary crops. Other important sectors of the economy include recreation and tourism services, government, timber products and livestock. |
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As interests in the basin diversified over the years, the Henry’s Fork sustained intense pressure to satisfy irrigation demand, hydropower requirements and instream flow needs for fisheries and recreation. These issues were the focal points of the Henry’s Fork Basin Plan passed by the 1993 Idaho Legislature. As a result of the Plan, new developments such as dams, diversions and hydro projects were prohibited on 195 miles of the Henry’s Fork and its tributaries. Recommendations in the Basin Plan also addressed water quality, fish and wildlife protection and irrigation water conservation. In order to implement the recommendations and achieve long-term goals in the basin, an innovative, consensus-building process was sought to include all parties with interests in the watershed. In 1993 citizens and agency representatives began to craft a new approach to reconciling watershed issues in the Henry’s Fork Basin. The various interests recognized the importance of working together as a rural community to resolve the ecological problems in the watershed and to work towards a sustainable future for all concerned, and in 1994, the Henry’s Fork Watershed Council was organized and chartered by the Idaho Legislature. The Council is comprised of citizens, scientists and agency representatives who reside, recreate, make a living or have legal responsibilities in the basin, thus ensuring a more collaborative approach to resource decision making. Meetings begin and end with community building to help build relationships among participants, but work sessions are divided into three component groups comprised of a citizen’s group, a technical team and an agency roundtable. The Henry’s Fork Watershed Council is cofacilitated by two representative citizen organizations from the basin, the Fremont-Madison Irrigation District and the Henry’s Fork Foundation. The Facilitation Team is chartered to attend to the administrative and logistical needs of the Council, coordinate its public information activities and submit annual reports of its progress to the Legislature. The Henry’s Fork Watershed Fund was established by the State of Idaho to help fund projects in the basin and to defray Council administrative expenses. Contributions to the Watershed Fund are also received from the private sector. |
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Henry’s Fork Watershed Council duties identified in the Legislative Charter include cooperating in resource studies and planning that transcend jurisdictional boundaries, respecting the mission, roles, water and other rights of each entity, and to review and critique proposed watershed projects and Basin Plan recommendations, suggesting priorities for their implementation by appropriate agencies. Other duties are to identify and coordinate funding sources for research, planning and implementation and long-term monitoring programs, with financing derived from both public and private sectors and to serve as an educational resource to the Legislature and the general public, communicating the Council’s progress through regular reports, media forums and other presentations. Projects are reviewed by the Council using the Watershed Integrity Review and Evaluation process. Projects seeking endorsement of the Council through the WIRE process may seek funding assistance, political support or interagency cooperation in their implementation. An annual “State of the Watershed” Conference is held each fall to monitor the progress of Council-endorsed projects and to present research and monitoring results. |
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| 1. Watershed Perspective: Does the project employ or
reflect a total watershed perspective?
2. Credibility:Is the project based upon credible research or scientific data? 3. Problem and Solution: Does the project clearly identify the resource problems and propose workable solutions that consider the relevant resources? 4. Water Supply: Does the project demonstrate an understanding of water supply? 5. Project Management: Does project management employ accepted or innovative practices, set realistic time frames for their implementation and employ an effective monitoring plan? |
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| 6. Sustainability: Does the project emphasize
sustainable ecosystems?
7. Social and Cultural: Does the project sufficiently address the watershed’s social and cultural concerns? 8. Economy: Does the project promote economic diversity within the watershed and help sustain a healthy economic base? 9. Cooperation and Coordination: Does the project maximize cooperation among all parties and demonstrate sufficient coordination among appropriate groups or agencies? 10. Legality: Is the project lawful and respectful of agencies’ legal responsibilities? |
The Henry’s Fork Watershed Center has been established in Ashton, Idaho, to provide a
central library, database repository and working place for all those participating in the
collaborative watershed program. The Center also serves as the public’s source for
watershed information and a focal point for Council business and administrative needs. For
more information about the Council, contact the Watershed Center at the address below, or
either of the cofacilitating organizations.
April Meeting |
| This month's meeting of the Council will focus on fisheries research and land protection efforts in the Fall River watershed (presentations by staff from the Henry's Fork Foundation and the Teton Regional Land Trust), as well as the future of transportation in the growing Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem - "connecting the dots" (presentation by the Yellowstone Business Partnership). The meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 21, at the Best Western Inn in Rexburg (formerly the Cottontree Inn, now the Mountain View Inn). We will begin at 9:00 a.m. Meeting memo and agenda |
March Meeting |
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February Meeting |
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January Meeting |
The first Henry's Fork Watershed Council meeting of 2009 took place on Tuesday, January 13. Longtime Henry's Fork researcher and Council participant Dr. Rob Van Kirk of Humboldt State University introduced a project, slated to begin in the spring of 2009, entitled "Conservation of surface and ground water in a Western watershed experiencing rapid loss of irrigated agricultural land to development." Dr. Van Kirk asked the Council for input and suggestions; meeting minutes will be available and posted at this site as soon as possible. The meeting also featured Clen Atchley representing the North Fremont Canal Company. Clen provided an overview of the canal’s gravity pressurized irrigation delivery system and submitted the project to the Council's Watershed Integrity Review and Evaluation (WIRE) process. The Council endorsed the project and will send a letter of endorsement. Full January 2009 Meeting Minutes Conservation of surface and ground water in a Western watershed experiencing rapid loss of irrigated agricultural land to development Van Kirk Project Abstract: Rural watersheds throughout the West are experiencing rapid replacement of irrigated agricultural land with suburban, exurban, and resort development, resulting in increased water demand and alteration of traditional irrigation practices. Furthermore, changes in water withdrawal, conveyance and use have altered ground-surface water interactions, exacerbating conflicts among users. To achieve NIWQP watershed-scale objectives to develop water conservation strategies, promote effectiveness of such strategies, and train the next generation of water professionals, we propose a research, extension, and education project in the Henry's Fork Snake River watershed that will 1) develop quantitative models of ground and surface water use and flow pathways under historic, current, and anticipated future water/land use scenarios; 2) identify socioeconomic and physical mechanisms that will encourage water conservation and efficient water management on developed lands; 3) prepare and distribute to decision-makers, planners, and stakeholders educational materials describing the watershed's hydrologic system and water conservation benefits and strategies; 4) facilitate development by the Henry's Fork Watershed Council of a water conservation and management strategy to increase water availability for agriculture while enhancing ecological benefits in key stream reaches; and 5) provide experiential training to an interdisciplinary team of environmental science graduate and undergraduate students. A model of surface and ground water flow will be constructed from existing hydrologic data and measurements of stream and canal gain/loss and will be calibrated to traditional irrigation management conditions. This model will be used to predict future conditions under hypothesized land/water-use scenarios. Decision-makers and stakeholders will be involved throughout the project to ensure that project outputs meet their information needs, are disseminated effectively, and contribute to development of stakeholder-driven conservation strategies. |
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS |
13th Annual State of the Watershed Conference
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For more information about the conference, contact Susan Steinman at the Watershed Center at 208-652-3567. The Henry’s Fork Watershed Council hosts a conference each year. From its inception, the council has provided decision-makers an opportunity to meet in a collaborative forum to address watershed issues. All meetings are open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to attend and learn more about the Council and its unique process for solving today’s complex watershed issues. |
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Council
Meeting Schedule
Council meetings are held at the Cottontree Conference Center in Rexburg
unless otherwise noted
Meeting Schedule |
March 17, 2009 |
April 21, 2009 |
| Changing
Institutions and the Puzzle of Accountability:
The Case of the Henry’s Fork Watershed Council BY Edward P. Weber VIEW FULL REPORT |
Building a Trust Account For several years, the Henry's Fork Watershed Council has upheld the collaborative process and what it means. Collaboration implies cooperation, coordination and working for common goals. It involves respect for others, regardless of their attitudes or position on issues, and it requires a civil approach to problem-solving. This is the purpose of the Watershed Council. Read more about this approach in "Building A Trust Account" by clicking below. |
| Response of Vegetation
and Waterbirds to Geomorphology, Wetland Characteristics, and water-Level Manipulation in
The Targhee National Forest, Idaho and Wyoming Progress Report Adonia Henry, MS Candidate, University of Missouri-Columbia Dr. Leigh Fredrickson, Director and Rucker Professor, Gaylord Memorial Laboratory, University of Missouri-Columbia |
| EMAIL OR CALL US 208-652-3567 |
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Henry's Fork Watershed Center
PO Box 852
Ashton, ID 83420
208-652-3567
208-652-3568 FAX
| The Henry's Fork Foundation PO Box 550 Ashton, ID 83420 208-652-3567 FAX 652-3568 |
Fremont-Madison Irrigation District PO Box 15 St. Anthony, ID 83445 208-624-3381 FAX 624-3990 |
Email: |
Email: |
