Snake River flows drop

Flows on the Snake River in eastern Idaho dropped about 300 cubic feet per second Monday. The river, on average, has been running in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 cfs throughout most of the summer.

Bureau of Reclamation Operations Manager Mike Beuss said the demand for irrigation water stored in Palisades Reservoir took the agency by surprise.

The amount and duration of summer rain during August lowered demand for storage water. Then, as the weather dried out and the Eastern Idaho State Fair ended, farmers demanded additional irrigation water late last week.

Buess said the Bureau of Reclamation increased water flow from Palisades by 300 cfs Monday night to keep up with the drop. Another 300 cfs is expected to be released into the river Tuesday night.