Ice melt and rain causing flooding in the Snake River Plain

Warmer temperatures might feel more comfortable, but it’s not great for all of the snowpack.

Rain and melting snow are causing major flood problems throughout the Snake River Plain.

Today, lakes of water and ice are taking over fields and roadways in Blackfoot and many other areas in the region

Kim Furniss, a homeowner in Blackfoot has spent the past 2 days trying to clear this water from his field behind his house.

“What’s happened here is that the frost hasn’t gotten out of the ground so the water hasn’t been going down. So it found a low spot, unfortunately, it’s my home,” Furniss said.

All morning, Furniss has been pumping water from the field behind his house into a dryer field across his street. “I’m trying to get all of the water across the road out of the field so it’ll stop coming towards my house.”

Wheat fields tend to be more vulnerable to flooding than other crops. Their roots are shorter which creates less water absorption. This often creates a frozen layer of soil that takes much harder to thaw.

“A lot of the fields have not unthawed yet and the ground is still frozen so that water just runs off these fields that aren’t plowed,” said Craig T. Rowland, Bingham County Sheriff. “They might have winter weed in them so water just runs off of them.”

Authorities are giving out free sandbags for residents in vulnerable flood areas. You can get them at:

Shelley: Shelley Fire Station

Firth: Collets off Highway 91

Aberdeen: Behind the City Fire Station

Bingham County: Moreland Park & the Cow Palace