Vision of change for Portneuf River
The City Council are asking residents to chime in on the Portneuf River Vision Study. It’s designed to identify possible changes and explore future opportunities for small river running through Gate City.
During the Jan. 14 study session with City Council meeting, Science and Environmental Division Manager Hannah Sanger provided a presentation of the river’s history. The study hopes to answer questions as to how revive the river for increased tourism, fish and wildlife, and recreation.
“What would you like? You know, we got Veterans Memorial Park right across the river here. What could it be? We can make it accessible to the river. We have some drawings of concrete channel improvement projects from other towns. We’d like the community to look at them and say what they like, what they don’t like…” said Sanger.
According to the study, when the river reaches Pocatello, it’s surrounded by a system of levees and a concrete canal. It carries untreated storm water runoff from rainstorms and winter runoff. And before the river arrives at the American Falls Reservoir, it’s recharged by springs at the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. But those spring waters contain high levels of phosphorus due to long-tim operations at FMC and Simplot.
“The river has a lot challenges it’s in a concrete channel, it has low water in the summer, it’s polluted with a lot sediment at times of the year. And it’s managed by a concrete channel left by the Army Corps…so we need to maintain flood control.”
The study shows these complications and is up for public comment for possible revision options.
City residents learn more facts about the study online at river.pocatello.us/comment. Filling out a survey there can bring in helpful feedback on restoring the river within future projects.
Also residents are invited to attend an open house on the study Tues., Feb. 9 from 4 to 7p.m. at Pocatello Community Charter School, 995 South Arthur Ave.
