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Winter Snow-Spring Floods
On Wednesday, April 19th I met with federal, state and local leaders, emergency responders and water managers to get the latest information on how snowmelt, dwindling reservoir storage capacity and high river flows are posing a real threat to Idaho communities. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Ada and Canyon County commissioners, the Idaho Department of Water Resources, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and Boise-area mayors joined me in a press conference to raise public awareness about the risks to people and property from rushing floodwaters. Snowmelt runoff is accelerating across much of Idaho with warmer temperatures and continuing rain causing lowland areas to flood. Officials are working around the clock to ensure the public has the latest information available to help them prepare for the threat. You can find out more at the Idaho Department of Water Resources website:
https://www.idwr.idaho.gov/flooding-resources.html
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Disaster Assistance
While we focused on spreading the word about how to stay safe amid this spring's flooding, we also continued work on getting the assistance put in place for those hit hardest by our unusually severe winter weather and the developing spring floods. The State of Idaho is appealing the Federal Emergency Management Agency's initial rejection of our application for federal disaster assistance. Meanwhile, President Trump signed a Presidential Disaster Declaration on Friday, April 21st, making 11 Idaho counties eligible for federal funding to repair or restore local road damage related to our heavy and continuing precipitation. And I'm confident that more help soon will be on the way. In the meantime, the process has begun for allocating the $50 million in local disaster relief approved by the Legislature. Cities, counties and highway districts should soon be receiving applications from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management for that aid, which will be focused on public infrastructure damage. I also want to thank the many local, state and federal employees who have been working tirelessly to ensure that our communities' disaster relief needs are met and that our citizens are safe.
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Idaho Crime Victims' Rights Week
On April 6th I proclaimed "Idaho Crime Victims' Rights Week" to help raise public awareness and honor organizations that provide services to crime victims and their families. We still have lots of work to do with lawmakers, advocates and criminal justice professionals in creating a fairer and more just process for addressing challenges facing the victims of crime. I anticipate further substantive discussion during the next session of the Idaho Legislature on how best to protect the safety of all those affected by crime. Growing public awareness and support for crime victims and their families will help ensure that victims' rights are elevated as a public policy priority.
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Arbor Day
Mark your calendars for Friday, April 28th, when I'll proclaim Arbor Day throughout Idaho. Along with the Idaho Forest Products Commission, we'll be celebrating one of Idaho's greatest natural resources - our forests. Arbor Day is a way to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving and protecting our renewable forests through proven sustainability standards. Forests keep our Idaho air clean and our landscape beautiful. Proper forest management helps ensure healthy and viable forests for generations to come. As education and technology improve, so is our ability to maintain and preserve our state's forests. We're doing everything we can to manage our forests properly and effectively and I thank the Idaho Forest Products Commission for its diligent efforts and collaboration. Let's keep our state clean and beautiful by educating ourselves on suitability and renewability of our trees and forests! Learn more at: http://www.idahoforests.org/index.html
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Agency Spotlight:
Idaho Department of Water Resources
The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) actively guides, manages and plans for the use and conservation of Idaho's water resources. Included in IDWR's duties are the issuance of water rights, administration of water use, measurement and monitoring of Idaho water resources, oversight of Idaho's dam safety program, and permitting of construction activity in stream channels and lake beds. The director and other IDWR staff also interact with the Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB).
The snows of late winter and the rains of early spring caused: (1) spring flooding, (2) releases of water from reservoirs in order to create room in the reservoirs for capturing the spring runoff, and (3) the accumulation of significant snowpack in the mountains that could cause additional flooding as the snow melts.
Excess water flowing in rivers and creeks in Idaho has been diverted to areas where the water can infiltrate into the ground to recharge ground water aquifers. From early last November to the end of this month, the Water Resource Board recharged more than 270,000 acre-feet of water into the ground, exceeding its goal of an average annual recharge volume of 250,000 acre-feet. The following two photographs show water delivered through the Milner-Gooding Canal to a recharge basin.
Like many rivers across Idaho, this water year the Boise River has been flowing above flood stage for several weeks and may continue to flow above flood stage through the spring runoff. Because of the risk to life and property, Governor Otter gathered local authorities for a briefing to coordinate the exchange of information and activities. The Governor's Office assigned IDWR the responsibility of creating a central website for public and agency access to information about flooding in the Boise River, as well as in other river basins in the state.
In approximately 24 hours, IDWR staff redesigned a "flooding" link on its main website with sub-links to each river basin in the state. IDWR populated each of the sub-links with pertinent flood and other water resources information. With two clicks of a computer mouse, a public user can find a comprehensive compilation of flood and water-related information for individual river basins.
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Appointments
Alfalfa & Clover Seed Commission
Endowment Fund Investment Board
Idaho Code Board
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission
Dr. Erich Garland
- Idaho Falls
Juvenile Justice Commission
Tina Freckleton
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Meridian
Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council
State Board of Nursing
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