Friends of the Teton River
Driggs, ID
Teton Watershed Stream Flow Restoration
Project location: upper Teton watershed
$25,000 2008

Friends of the Teton River (FTR), works to understand, protect and improve the precious water resources of Teton Basin. FTR was started in the summer of 2000 by a group of farmers, outfitters and guides, scientists, conservationists and government agency representatives to support FTR's philosophy that a scientific research approach and collaboration with a variety of stakeholders is essential to successful management strategies. FTR performs improvement and on-the-ground projects based on thorough scientific research. FTR shares all its data with the general public and actively educates in the community.

Funding from the Confluence Fund supports a project to implement water transaction strategies to restore stream flows to key tibutaries during critical Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) reproductive periods and set a precedent for water conservation and efficiency in the upper Teton Watershed. This project aims to engage diverse stakeholder groups in a collaborative water management and planning process that builds broad consensus and grassroot support for local stream flow restoration strategies.

Restoration of stream flow in tributary streams is the key element in preventing extinction of YCT from the upper Teton watershed. According to the Department of Idaho Fish and Game, between 1999 and 2003, YCT numbers precipitously declined 95% in the Teton River, while numbers of non-native trout increased 300%. A number of studies show that the primary cause of these declining populations is due to tributary dewatering from agricultural diversions.

The strategies used by FTR to achieve its objectives for this project include:

1) Establishing a water leasing program through the Idaho Water Bank

2) Establishing “source-switch” projects such as changing water users from surface to groundwater sources to supplement irrigation needs during the late summer-fall, when it is critical to maintain surface flows.

3) Establishing diversion reduction agreements with local canal companies to bypass water that is not required for irrigation.

4) Developing water conservation agreements with the local development community whereby developers have an opportunity to conserve water and return it to the stream.

5) Establishing “irrigation efficiency” projects determined by an engineer to identify more efficient water application, reduce system water losses and replace outdated parts with efficient technologies.