Project Title: 

Canyon Creek Watershed Management Project: 

Collaborative Research, Analysis, and Design to 

Meet Water Supply and Natural Resource Needs 

Applicant Information: 

Friends of the Teton River 

18 North Main Street, Suite 310 

P.O. Box 768 

Driggs, Idaho 83422 

Phone: 208.354.3871 

www.tetonwater.org 

Grant Application Contact: 

Anna Lindstedt, Development Director 

P.O. Box 768 

Driggs, Idaho 83422 

Phone: 208.354.3871 

Email: anna@tetonwater.org 

Project Manager Information: 

Sarah Lien 

Phone: 208.354.3871 

Email: sarah@tetonwater.org 
Table of Contents: 

Title Page .................................................................................................................................................... 1 

Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 2 

Technical Proposal and Evaluation Criteria 

Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 3 

Background Data ......................................................................................................................... 4 

Project Location & Map .................................................................................................. 7-8 

Technical Project Description .................................................................................................... 9 

Evaluation Criteria 

Sub-criterion No. Al-Watershed Group Diversity ............................................................ 17 

Sub-criterion No. AZ-Geographic Scope ............................................................................ 18 

Affected Stakeholder Map ........................................................................................ 19 

Sub-criterion No. Bl-Addressing Critical Watershed Needs or lssues .......................... 20 

Sub-criterion No. B2-Strategies to Address Critical Watershed Needs or lssues ......... 22 

Sub-criterion No. Cl-Understanding/Ability to Meet Program Requirements ............ 23 

Sub-criterion No. C2-Relevant Federal, State, or Regional Planning Efforts ................ 23 

Criterion D- Department of the Interior Priorities ........................................................... 25 

Project Budget ......................................................................................................................................... 27 

Funding Plan/Budget Narrative ............................................................................................................ 28 

Environmental and Cultural Resource Compliance ........................................................................... 33 

Required Permits or Approvals ............................................................................................................ 34 

Unique Entity Identifier and SAM Registration .................................................................................. 34 

Mandatory Financial Forms SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B ..................................................... Appendix A 

Canyon Creek lrrigators Letter of Commitment ................................................................. Appendix B 

Applicant/Watershed Group Resolution ............................................................................. Appendix C 

2 j Page 
Technical Proposal and Evaluation Criteria 

Executive Summary: 

Date: 11/8/2019 

Applicant: Friends of the Teton River 

City and State: Driggs, Idaho 

County: Teton County 

Friends of the Teton River (FTR) is a grassroots, membership-based, non-profit organization 

legally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in December 2000 that works in Teton County, Idaho to 

promote clean water, healthy streams, and thriving fisheries in the Teton Watershed. Through 

this grant, FTR proposes to work with the stakeholders in the Canyon Creek sub-watershed to 

research, prioritize, and plan for irrigation infrastructure improvements and water management 

projects that will maximize a limited water supply and improve water reliability to meet irrigator 

needs, while improving instream flows and habitat connectivity for fish and wildlife. With 

Reclamation funding, FTR will have the capacity to conduct a watershed analysis (hydrologic 

and biological conditions); conduct preliminary design and cost estimates; research 

environmental compliance requirements; and meet with stakeholders to develop a plan 

(including timelines, milestones, and a funding plan) for future implementation of prioritized 

projects that will meet defined water supply and natural resource objectives. Funds will support a 

project manager who will coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication; oversee the 

coordination of contracted and FTR staff activities including data collection, research; planning, 

and design; and develop an action plan for implementation. FTR staff and contractors will work 

collaboratively with the Canyon Creek irrigators to develop local solutions addressing their 

water management needs in a plan that identifies, prioritizes, and provides cost estimates for a 

specific projects that will modernize irrigation infrastructure and modify the current water 

management strategies being used on Canyon Creek to meet water supply and natural resource 

objectives for the long-term. By bringing together representatives from all interest groups within 

this sub-watershed, it is anticipated that unique projects and strategies will be developed which 

satisfy the needs and demands of multiple stakeholders, thereby decreasing the potential for 

water conflicts and forwarding the most practicable solutions for implementation. Grant 

activities will be completed within two years of grant award, with work being conducted from 

July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022. The proposed project is not located on a federal facility. 

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Background Data: 

The Teton Watershed drains 

an area of 806 square miles in 

Idaho and 327 square miles in 

Wyoming. The river 

originates from snowmelt 

dominated headwater streams 

in the Teton, Big Hole, and 

Snake River mountain ranges 

and flows more than 64 miles 

to the point at which it 

discharges to the Henry's 

Fork of the Snake River. 

Twenty river miles southwest 

of this point, the Henry's Fork 

joins the South Fork to form 

the main stem of the Snake 

River. FTR works in the 

Teton Watershed, outlined on 

0 

e 'J:I ---­I IO ISi 

the map, which extends from 

the headwaters down to the confluence with the Henry's Fork River, with a primary focus on the 

Teton River upstream of the old Teton Dam site (managed by Reclamation). 

The Teton Watershed encompasses approximately 664 square miles of the Greater Yellowstone 

Ecosystem (GYE), with Grand Teton National Park to the east, and Yellowstone National Park 

to the north. Approximately 25% of the Teton Watershed is federally or state-owned, and most 

of this land is managed by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Land on western flank of the 

Teton Mountain Range (the eastern portion of the sub-basin located in Wyoming) is primarily in 

the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area, which borders Teton National Park. Management of forest 

lands in the Big Hole Mountains (to the west) is directed toward opportunities for motorized and 

non-motorized recreation, management of big game habitat, and improvement of ecosystem, 

forest and stream health. The Big Hole Mountains have been logged extensively and livestock 

grazing is a common land use. 

The proposed project is located within the Canyon Creek drainage, a wild and remote stream 

which spans more than 45 miles from its headwaters on the northern flank of the Big Hole 

Mountains to its confluence with the Teton, is a spawning stream for large, river-run (or fluvial) 

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Historically, each spring, large numbers of native cutthroat made 

their way to the headwaters of Canyon Creek to spawn. However, as the land was settled and 

used for agriculture and recreation, numerous factors combined to drastically impact spawning 

runs. While a few flu vial fish are still able to make it up Canyon Creek to reproduce, their 

numbers have been severely reduced. Road building, beaver dam removal, and grazing produced 

sediment that clogged spawning gravels. Irrigation diversion dams and dewatered stream reaches 

and blocked upstream movement of spawning adults and downstream migration of fry. The 

uppermost reaches of Canyon Creek are within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest Boundary 

and are used for cattle grazing and hunting and fishing access. The proposed project will focus 

on the lower 10 miles of Canyon Creek (down to the confluence with the Teton River Canyon). 

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This reach is adjacent to private land and is used to irrigate lands within an irrigation service area 

spanning almost 30,000 acres that produces primarily potatoes, barley, and hay crops. There are 

also a few private residences, a private hunting and fishing lodge, and a privately-owned hot 

springs complex and campground located along Canyon Creek. 

Water has long played a central role in the cultural and economic prosperity of the Teton 

Watershed. The first permanent settlers of Teton Valley, members of the Church of Jesus Christ 

of Latter Day Saints, arrived in the early 1880's from Utah and other parts ofldaho and 

established dairy, potato, and grain farms. Since that time, agriculture has remained one of the 

central drivers of the regional economy. More recently, the region has attracted new residents, 

both full and part-time, that place a high value on recreational access and intact ecosystems 

which support high quality fish and wildlife habitat. Teton County, Idaho grew by 39% between 

2000 and 2007, making it the fourth-fastest growing county in the nation during that time. While 

the break-neck pace of development has slowed since the 2008 economic recession, population 

growth and associated water use and land development remain steady. 

Agricultural uses and human (development) pressures have most greatly impacted water quality 

and quantity, and the native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (YCT) fishery in the Teton Watershed. 

Cumulative impacts on water quality from agricultural production and over-grazing have 

resulted in elevated nitrogen levels in both ground and surface water. The switch from flood 

irrigation practices to sprinkler irrigation in the 1970's created a situation that dewaters Teton 

River tributaries, contributing to the depletion of the aquifer (up to 50 feet in some locations), 

and has disconnected critical fish and wildlife habitats. Over the past twenty years, accelerated 

development pressures have resulted in increased stream alterations, destruction of riparian 

habitat, and additional impacts to water quality (e.g. increase in the number of individual septic 

systems) and supply (individual wells, lawns, and growing municipalities). 

In spite of these challenges, the Teton Watershed is one of the few remaining watersheds where 

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout persist in the entire GYE and it is the predominant wild fishery left 

in the range. Historically, YCT occupied much of the region stretching across southern Idaho, 

Montana, and northwest Wyoming. Currently, non-hybridized YCT are found in 23% of their 

historic range. The protection, conservation, and restoration of YCT and their spawning habitats 

are a priority for numerous agencies (and associated management plans) including the Idaho 

Department of Fish and Game, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the 

National Fish Habitat Partnership, to name a few. Primary threats to the persistence of YCT 

include (1) non-native species competition (2) habitat degradation-primarily surface water 

diversions for agricultural production and grazing, road building and development and (3) 

climate change impacts including a reduced and unpredictable water supply (Gresswell 2009). 

Relevant climate science indicates that as a result of climate change, the GYE can expect hotter, 

drier summers with warmer, wetter winters, leading to a higher potential for winter flooding, 

reduced snowpack, earlier runoff, summer drought, and increased wildfires. It is noted that highelevation headwaters in the Upper Snake and Teton Basin, including Canyon Creek, will provide 

important habitat refugia and offer opportunities to harness ecosystem benefits that will increase 

resilience to changing climatic conditions. Yet in the Teton Watershed, the majority of core highelevation habitats are disconnected from the main stem Teton River at least part of the year due 

to dewatering of tributary streams for agricultural use. This is the case on Canyon Creek, where 

SI Page 
the Canyon Creek Canal and agricultural pumping dewater the creek, disconnecting it from the 

Teton River Canyon. 

Despite habitat fragmentation, Canyon Creek is one of the few remaining YCT strongholds with 

a remnant fluvial spawning run in the entire Teton Watershed (Schrader 2002; Mabey 2009). It 

contains intact high-elevation habitat on the National Forest, historic spawning productivity, and 

an unhybridized native trout population. While productivity and YCT lifecycle completion are 

limited by irrigation practices that cause seasonal dewatering and entrapment hazards, fisheries 

data shows that fluvial migrations of YCT from the Teton River Canyon still occur during the 

spring run-off when the lower 10 miles of the tributary is connected. The Teton River Canyon 

itself contains one of the largest remaining populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat anywhere in 

their range, which provides a significant source population of spawning YCT for Canyon Creek. 

Beyond these environmental factors, Canyon Creek typifies the socio-economic dynamics at play 

in the larger Teton Watershed. As agriculture and the family farm face more and more hurdles to 

stay in business (e.g. economic, changing climate, water scarcity) there is a greater potential for 

agricultural land to be taken out of production in favor of subdividing and selling out to largescale development. During the 2007 development boom, Canyon Creek had one such 

development proposal on the table for a 2,600-acre, 350-unit subdivision that eventually failed 

and expired during the recession. While agriculture is often viewed in direct opposition to 

achieving conservation and water management objectives in much of the West, FTR and 

agricultural partners in the Teton Watershed are shifting this paradigm. Irrigators across the 

watershed, including those on Canyon Creek, are working with FTR and the Teton Water Users 

Association on localized solutions-including regenerative farming techniques and innovative 

water management strategies (such as stream flow restoration transactions, point of diversion 

changes, and aquifer recharge) -to address the aforementioned watershed issues (water quality, 

quantity, and fisheries health) while allowing family farms to stay in business and improving 

farm sustainability for the long-term. As a result, irrigators in the Teton Watershed are shaping a 

future water management paradigm where well-managed farms and conservation go hand-inhand. Given the various interests that rely on water in the region, and the dynamic social, 

environmental, and political drivers affecting water use, it is necessary to promote collaborative 

approaches to address water resource issues. This proposal seeks to work with a ready and 

willing group of irrigators on Canyon Creek to identify solutions and plan for a future that 

satisfies the needs of a wide variety of stakeholders - including farming and ranching families, 

nearby public and private landowners, downstream water users, and the fish and wildlife that rely 

on flowing streams to provide critical habitat to ensure their persistence in the watershed. 

Past Working Relationships with Reclamation: 

FTR has a collaborative working relationship with Reclamation. FTR participated as a 

stakeholder in the Henry's Fork Basin Study (2013-2015) which analyzed water supply and 

storage options in the Henry's Fork and Teton Basins. Currently, FTR is a member and 

participates in meetings of the Teton Canyon Recreation Coalition; a group of state and federal 

• agencies, counties, Fremont-Madison Irrigation District, and conservation organizations working 

under a Reclamation sponsored charter in order to forward a number of mutual water supply, 

natural resource and recreation goals in the Teton River Canyon; these include recreation, safety, 

and irrigation diversion improvements. 

GI Page 
FfR implemented a Phase 1 WaterSMART grant from 12/31/2013-6/30/2016 (# Rl3AP80029) 

titled: Expansion of an Existing Watershed Group: Improving Ecological Resilience, Conserving 

Water and Reducing Conflicts through formation of the Teton River Advisory Council. This 

funding convened the Teton Water Users Association (which is still active today) who developed 

a mission, vision, and Water Management Plan for the Teton Watershed. Specific projects and 

objectives identified in this plan are currently being implemented under a Phase II WaterSMART 

grant: Improving Ecological Resilience through Water Management Activities in the Teton River 

Watershed (#R17AP00105; grant period 3/20/2018-12/31/2019). This funding has supported 

successful GIS mapping, piloting and monitoring of targeted aquifer recharge efforts to increase 

late-season flow in the upper Teton River. FfR is currently in the final month of implementation 

and will be closing this grant at the end of the 2019 calendar year having successfully achieved 

all identified objectives. 

Project Location: 

The Canyon Creek sub-watershed is located in Teton and Madison counties in southeast Idaho; 

approximately 8 miles E of Newdale (direct distance) and 15 miles W of Tetonia (direct 

distance). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Unit Code for the Teton 

Basin is HUC 17040204. The project area is located from the Canyon Creek Canal headgate, 

downstream to the confluence with the Teton River (Canyon section), which is ~ 10 miles of 

stream (please see map on next page). 

Canyon Creek, looking upstream, at the Lower Canyon Creek, looking downstream to 

step-pools near the Canyon Creek Canal. the confluence with the Teton River Canyon. 

7 1 Page 
Canyon Creek project area locator map 

Canyon Creek 

project area 

Canyon Creek Canal 

,.J•t--~~ F"sh Passege and 

Screening Project 

Stream Restoration 

Project --~-...~ 

N 

co A + Stream Temperature Sites 7J 

tlJ Electro-Fishing Survey Sites QCl 

(1) 0 0.5 1 2 3  -=-~-c==--11 °"" 9-s: ~ cr.,,,;i, useen.u.."1'11 

I 
Technical Project Description 

Applicant Category: 

Friends of the Teton River (FTR) is seeking funding as an Existing Watershed Group. 

FTR is a grassroots, membership-based, non-profit organization working for clean water, healthy 

streams, a thriving wild fishery, and watershed education in the Teton River watershed. FTR 

was started in 2000 by a group of farmers, fishing guides, scientists, conservationists, and 

government agency representatives who shared concerns about the health of the watershed, 

specifically declining water quality, ground water supplies and the fishery. The mission of FTR 

is to use sound science to protect and restore the water resources of the Teton Watershed by 

collaborating with local and regional partners to implement effective on-the-ground watershed 

projects and programs. FTR spent its first few years primarily focused on research and 

establishing baseline data for water quality, ground and surface water hydrology, and fisheries in 

the Teton River and its tributaries. Building on the results of this intensive (and ongoing) 

research, FTR developed an action-based strategic plan to guide work in the watershed, focusing 

on instream habitat improvements, stream flow restoration, and activities to limit sediment and 

nutrient inputs on the Teton River tributaries to the main stem. To implement this plan, FTR has 

organized its work in the following program areas: ( 1) stream channel and habitat restoration, 

including fish passage improvements, fish screens, and ladders (2) stream flow restoration (3) a 

"Farms and Fish" Program that works specifically with the farming and ranching community to 

implement strategies for improving soil health, water quality and use; ( 4) community education 

and outreach; and (5) watershed research and monitoring. FTR is committed to a collaborative 

approach, and regularly works with other nonprofit groups (local, regional, and national), 

government agencies (local, state, and federal), and a diverse cross-section of local stakeholders, 

both formally and informally, to find creative solutions to water resource problems in the Teton 

Watershed. 

Projects and Watershed Planning Activities: 

The success of FTR over the past nineteen years is attributable, in part, to our collaborative 

partnerships and stakeholders with which it works. FTR has formed partnerships with a range of 

individuals and organizations including NGO's, government agencies, elected officials, local 

businesses, educational institutions, local stakeholders and landowners to conduct research, 

restoration, and education programs. Some of FTR' s current work with these entities includes: 

• Farms and Fish Initiative-This program is a direct outgrowth of the Teton Water Users 

Association (TWUA), which FTR convened in 2015-2016 through a WaterSMART Phase I 

grant. This advisory group is made up of individuals and irrigation companies, the Teton Soil 

Conservation District, Teton County Farm Bureau, NRCS, and conservation NGO's. FTR's 

current work under this program is driven by the collaborative planning process of the group 

that identified specific pilot projects to meet the needs of diverse constituents within the 

community including "farmers who depend on water for crop and livestock production, 

municipalities that require clean and adequate water for residents, and conservation interests 

seeking water for fish and wildlife." 

• As identified by the TWUA's Phased Water Management Plan, FTR is nearing completion of 

a two-year Aquifer Recharge Pilot (funded in part through a WaterSMART Phase II grant), 

9 I Page 
that recharged 10,000 acre-feet in the early in the spring to augment groundwater levels and 

late-season flows in the Teton River. 

• FfR works closely with TWUA participant and NGO science partner, the Henry's Fork 

Foundation (HFF), with whom we share a staff member, the Landowner Outreach 

Coordinator, to implement regenerative farming techniques such as piloting (test and control 

parcels) conservation tillage, cover crop, and managed grazing strategies to improving soil 

health, moisture retention, and water quality-which are monitored by FfR in partnership 

with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. 

• Teton Creek Corridor Project-FIR and the Teton Creek Stakeholders Group 

(landowners) have led major stream channel rehabilitation/ restoration efforts (on over two 

miles of stream) since 2006. FfR has coordinated all major assessment work (geomorphic, 

hydrologic, and biological survey), planning, fundraising, stakeholder outreach, and instream 

restoration on this priority tributary since that time. In the last five years, FfR and Teton 

Valley non-profit partners-the Teton Regional Land Trust, Valley Advocates for 

Responsible Development, and Teton Valley Trails and Pathways-have formed a unique 

partnership called the Teton Creek Collaborative to leverage their expertise and fundraising 

for protection of this important riparian corridor. While FfR's focus remains instream, the 

partners are able to collectively work on issues from land conservation (TRL T), reducing 

impacts from development (V ARD) and stewarding a public pathway to public lands 

adjacent to the corridor (TVTAP). IDEQ 319 and a FEMA flood mitigation assistance grant 

have been a major sources of funding for the $3.85 million in restoration work to-date. The 

next section of substantial flood risk concern falls within the jurisdiction of the City of 

Driggs. FfR is working closely with the City, the Flood Control District, and Teton Creek 

stakeholders to help secure federal grant funding to continue this multi-million-dollar 

mitigation effort. 

• Community and Peer-to-Peer education-An active watershed education program for 

youth and adults has been an important cornerstone of FfR's work. FfR believes that 

educating the public (of all ages) about watershed science fosters a sense of stewardship and 

promotes collaboration among stakeholders. Currently, the Community Outreach 

Coordinator is supporting implementation of educational goals associated with the Farms and 

Fish Initiative and floodplain management/stream restoration. Over the next two years, EPA 

Environmental Education funding will support a series of educational workshops, classes, 

print and digital resources, and peer to peer networking opportunities for agricultural 

producers to learn and share knowledge about agricultural best management practices that 

can be implemented to improve water quality, soil health, and climate resilience while 

increasing farm or ranch productivity. FfR is also focused on providing education and 

resources to landowners about the importance of riparian corridors, the impacts of 

development on those corridors and key information on healthy ecosystem functioning, 

permitting requirements, and restoration resources. 

• Watershed Research- FfR has conducted extensive research and monitoring since 2001, 

to establish baseline data for fisheries, water quality, stream habitat, and stream flows, with 

the goal of improving our overall understanding of watershed issues and threats, as a driver 

for prioritizing projects that will improve watershed function and native YCT populations. 

lOI Page 
Research includes a juvenile trout study, outmigration, spawning, genetic, and telemetry 

studies; remote temperature and stream flow data logging, ground and surface water quality 

testing (supported by Teton Conservation District and IDEQ); and floodplain modeling. FTR 

has an established network of 12 interrogation sites on spawning tributaries throughout the 

watershed, including Canyon Creek. Interrogation sites are fisheries monitoring stations that 

record the migration of individually tagged trout when they swim past an antenna. To-date, 

FTR has tagged 4,200 trout in the Teton Watershed, which has provided valuable data about 

habitat utilization, migration timing, and relative importance of tributaries to YCT life 

histories. Collectively, this data has been used to inform watershed-wide strategies for 

implementation of a Teton Watershed Restoration and Monitoring Plan (2005-present), 

which was developed and is reviewed annually at a Science Review Committee Meeting in 

conjunction with our agency partners and organizations. The FTR "Science Review 

Committee" reviews the most current data available for the Teton Watershed and makes 

recommendations regarding future monitoring and research needs and restoration activities at 

an annually-held meeting. Participants include the Idaho Department of Fish and Game 

(IDFG), Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WYGF), US Forest Service (USFS), US Fish 

and Wildlife Service, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, USGS Northern Rocky 

Mountain Science Center (USGS), Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT), and Henry's Fork 

Foundation (HFF). All monitoring and research efforts are prioritized by this committee and 

are aimed at providing the data necessary for guiding our work and adaptively managing our 

approach. Currently, FTR is planning for a watershed wide 2020 Tributary Trout Assessment 

(conducted once every five years in 2005- 2015) to monitor trends at established fisheries 

sites throughout the watershed. FTR is a non-regulatory entity, but provides valuable 

scientific data to agencies that is used to inform state and federal management plans and 

strategic documents such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service Strategic Habitat Conservation 

in Idaho: Landscape Conservation Strategy (IFWO 2016), IDFG Fisheries Management 

Plan (2019-2024), the Idaho State Wildlife Action Plan (2017), IDEQ water quality plans 

(IDEQ Teton River sub-basin Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan) and 303(d) 

listings, the Idaho State Forest Action Plan, and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. 

• Stream flow restoration-FTR's stream flow restoration program began in 2008, as a firstof-its-kind effort to benefit a non-anadromous species in the State of Idaho. This program has 

primarily been supported by the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program and the 

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This program has had a number of instream flow 

restoration successes on Teton, South Leigh, Spring Creek, and Badger Creeks including 3-

and 5-year leases through the Idaho Water Supply Bank, and the first permanent water 

acquisition in Teton Valley (and southeast Idaho) in November 2019. FTR works directly 

with the Idaho Water Resource Board on all stream-flow related work and is contracted to 

monitor these transactions through the Idaho Department of Water Resources. FTR has 

worked closely with IDFG to integrate flow restoration strategies, where appropriate, for 

native trout conservation and recovery. The IDFG Fisheries Management Plan 2019-2024 

supports a management direction inclusive of stream flow restoration in the Teton River and 

its tributaries; including the only mention of restoring "hydrologic regime" anywhere in the 

lll Page 
State. 1 Due to the complex and sensitive nature of this work, stream flow restoration efforts 

and stakeholder relationships can take years to cultivate. Current stream flow restoration 

opportunities are being developed for Teton and Canyon Creeks, which have been prioritized 

based on their high ecological significance and suitability, strong stakeholder relationships, 

and other factors (agency support, cost, readiness, etc.) contributing to their likelihood of 

success. 

• Fish passage restoration- In 2005, FfR completed a fish passage barrier assessment to 

prioritize restoration of entrainment hazards or impoundments preventing the migration of 

native trout into spawning tributaries. FfR has completed fish passage improvements on 

Trail, Teton, South Leigh, Badger and Canyon Creeks including irrigation diversion and head 

gate improvements, and installation of fish ladders or step-pools instream. FfR worked with 

Canyon Creek stakeholders from 2011-2014 to improve fish passage at three locations, 

which helped build stakeholder trust while meeting irrigator needs and conservation 

objectives. 

• Other planning efforts: 

o In 2010, FfR was awarded the prestigious "Model Watershed" designation and 10-year 

support from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (2010-2020). As a component of 

that, FfR worked with leading Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout experts and climatologists to 

develop a document, termed the Upper Teton River Model Watershed Document, which 

details conservation outcomes for the watershed. The document includes baseline and 

target restoration metrics, a long-term monitoring plan, and outlines an adaptive 

management approach framework. In short, the document catalogs science-based targets 

for improved ecological resilience, and preservation and protection of water resources in 

the Teton River Watershed. 

o FfR has partnered with Idaho State University and Utah State University on fishery, 

hydrology, and watershed planning studies. FfR completed a Teton River Recreation and 

Use Study with the Henry's Fork Foundation in an effort to quantify use and economic 

impact of the upper Snake fisheries. FfR also partnered with HFF on a $640,000 U.S. 

Department of Agriculture grant, (Dr. Rob Van Kirk, Principal Investigator) to develop a 

conjunctive ground and surface water management plan for the Henry's Fork and Teton 

watersheds. 

• FfR has close working relationships with the Driggs, Victor, and Tetonia city councils 

and planning and zoning commissions, and since its inception has worked with the Teton 

County Commissioners on water-related technical issues in the county, including the 

Source Water Protection Plan, a Nutrient Pathogen Ordinance, and floodplain 

protections. 

Eligibility of Applicant 

Friends of the Teton River FfR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, grassroots, non-regulatory legal entity 

which was founded in 2000 by a diverse group of stakeholders, including farmers, anglers, 

scientists, agency personnel and conservationists concerned by declines in the health and quality 

1 For the Teton River: "Manage as a wild trout fishery emphasizing efforts to improve Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout 

population. Work cooperatively to restore connectivity, habitat, and hydrologic regime." 

For the Teton River Tributaries: "Work cooperatively to restore connectivity, habitat, and hydrologic regime. Strategically 

implement connectivity projects where risks to isolated populations are minimal." 

12 I Page 
of the Teton River fishery, and the quality and quantity of the watershed's valuable water 

resources. Since that time, FfR has completed extensive scientific research on which to base our 

work. FfR collaborates with diverse stakeholders to develop locally-driven and consensusbased solutions that meet a variety of needs/interests in the watershed . 

FfR is a nationally-recognized leader in community-based watershed protection and restoration; 

basing all of our projects in sound science and collaboration. We live and work in a community 

that is a melding of the old and new West, where a strong agricultural heritage exists side-byside a tourism and recreation-based economy. We collaborate with a diverse group of 

stakeholders to accomplish our work; from farmers and ranchers, to subdivision and golf course 

developers, municipalities and small business owners, to NGO' s, and state and federal agencies. 

We realize that our success rests largely upon stakeholder involvement, support and buy-in. 

Thus, a large component of our work centers on building bridges and cultivating effective 

communication between these various interests. We have successfully completed habitat and 

fisheries restoration projects, water conservation and efficiency improvements, water quality and 

trout monitoring programs, and flow restoration projects with a diverse group of constituents. 

Due to our unique positioning, FfR is uniquely situated to address water quantity and quality 

issues within the watershed in a manner which promotes water conservation, ecological 

resiliency and reduces water conflicts. 

Goals: 

The goal of Friends of the Teton River, the existing watershed group, and the Canyon Creek 

Irrigators is to work together to assess existing conditions, identify, prioritize, and plan for 

irrigation infrastructure improvements and water management projects in the Canyon Creek subwatershed that will maximize a limited water supply and improve water reliability to meet 

irrigator needs, while improving instream flows and habitat connectivity for fish and wildlife. 

With Reclamation funding, FfR will have the capacity to conduct a watershed analysis 

(hydrologic and biological conditions); conduct preliminary design and cost estimates; research 

environmental compliance requirements; and meet with stakeholders to develop a plan 

(including timelines, milestones, and a funding plan) for future implementation of prioritized 

projects that will meet defined water supply and natural resource objectives. 

Approach: 

It is envisioned that the funds from this grant will build upon existing scientific data, current 

efforts in the watershed, conservation priorities, and stakeholder relationships in order to develop 

a strategic and collaborative plan that provides site specific and feasible solutions that can meet 

the needs of the irrigators and conservation outcomes (Task C). 

Friends of the Teton River has been working with the stakeholders on Canyon Creek since 2008 

to develop and implement a suite of strategies to improve instream flow and habitat conditions 

on (the lower 10 miles of) Canyon Creek. FfR and the Canyon Creek irrigators started by 

working to remove barriers that prevent fish migration and restore degraded habitat. Four major 

restoration projects were completed by 2015, with the participation and support of adjacent 

landowners and an irrigator willing to modify his pumping structures. These projects, combined, 

provided instream habitat connectivity to the uppermost 35 miles of Canyon Creek (to the 

headwaters), and through the lower 10 miles to the confluence, when stream flows are adequate. 

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The completed projects include: Restoring fish passage at two pump stations (2012 and 2013); 

completing 1,650 feet of stream bank restoration at Lazy Triple Creek Ranch (2014); and 

replacing the Canyon Creek Canal check-dam with step-pools (2015) to restore fish passage. 

FfR installed an interrogation site on Canyon Creek near the lower pump station in 2014 to 

collect data about trout movement from the lower Canyon. 

It has been FfR's goal over the past decade to eventually work with the Canyon Creek water 

right holders to investigate and identify mutually agreed upon strategies that re-water the lower 

10 miles of stream during critical periods for native trout, but our collaborative approach relies 

on the readiness of the stakeholders with whom we work. Due to a number of challenges 

including, but not limited to, changes in water availability, aging infrastructure, and rising costs 

of farming and irrigation, the Canyon Creek irrigators have recently expressed their support to 

engage in a planning and design process and are ready to seek solutions that provide more 

efficient water delivery, reliability, a modernized system and water management strategy, and 

one that will meet mutual irrigation and conservation goals (please see attached Canyon Creek 

irrigators letter of commitment, Appendix B). 

WaterSMART Phase I funding will support a Project Manager-FfR Water Resource Director 

Sarah Lien-who will coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication; oversee the 

coordination of contracted and FfR staff activities including data collection, research; planning, 

and design; and develop an action plan for implementation. The proposed grant activities will be 

completed within two years of grant award, with work being conducted from May 1, 2020 

through April 30, 2022. The project team and their qualifications are listed below: 

Sarah Lien, Project Manager, is the FfR Water Resources Director and a licensed attorney, 

primarily practicing in water law. She earned a B.A. in Biology (Colorado College) a B.A. in 

Business Administration (Fort Lewis) and her J.D. from Lewis and Clark School of Law in 2007. 

Sarah joined FfR in 2010, working primarily on water quantity and water policy matters 

relevant to the Teton River watershed. Since that time, Sarah has developed a water transaction 

program in the Teton Watershed-the first of its kind in Idaho-forged critical partnerships with 

Idaho's water leadership and agricultural community, and completed numerous water 

transactions in eastern Idaho. 

Mike Lien, FTR Fisheries Research and Restoration Director, has a B.S. in Forest Resources 

and Hydrology from the University of Minnesota. He joined FfR in the summer of 2002 after 10 

years of working as a Hydrologic Technician for the U.S. Forest Service. Since 2005, he has 

directed the implementation of the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout population assessment and 

fisheries research and monitoring activities in the watershed, as well as implementing all of 

FfR's fish passage and stream restoration projects. Mike manages seasonal field employees, 

monitoring, and stream restoration field work and coordinates activities with appropriate agency 

personnel, partners and landowners. 

Rankin Holmes, Watercourse Engineering, will be contracted to conduct hydrologic 

assessment, data analysis and environmental compliance research. Mr. Holmes has twenty years 

of environmental and hydrologic monitoring experience; 15 of those years have been focused on 

water transaction investments, effectiveness monitoring and restoration outcomes of freshwater 

riverine systems through both regulatory mitigation and voluntary restoration market settings. 

14 I Page 
His experience in water transactions and water markets spans all areas of water transaction 

project work, from negotiations and developing projects, water-right investigations, legal water 

right transfers, project implementation/stewardship, to project effectiveness monitoring and 

quantification. 

FTR staff and contractors will work collaboratively with the Canyon Creek irrigators and 

stakeholders (including non-irrigation interests and "affected" stakeholders) to develop local 

solutions addressing their water management needs in a plan that identifies, prioritizes, and 

provides cost estimates for a specific projects that will modernize irrigation infrastructure and 

modify the current water management strategies being used on Canyon Creek to meet water 

supply and natural resource objectives for the long-term. By bringing together representatives 

from all interest groups within this sub-watershed it is anticipated that unique projects and 

strategies will be developed which satisfy the needs and demands of multiple stakeholders, 

thereby decreasing the potential for water conflicts and forwarding the most practicable solutions 

for implementation. 

Task 1: Conduct a watershed analysis to gather biologic and hydrologic information to fill 

specified data gaps in the project area that will help inform planning and design by establishing 

baseline conditions and conservation metrics. 

la-Fisheries Assessment and Data Collection: 

FTR Fisheries Research and Restoration Director Mike Lien will coordinate and conduct the 

following assessments and data analysis during the 2020 field season (May-September): 

o Electrofish established 100 meter survey sites on Canyon Creek in 2020 and analyze data 

(from 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020) for trends in native trout populations. 

o Electrofish the Canyon Creek Canal to assess entrainment and mortality of fluvial and 

juvenile trout in the canal. 

o Monitor the existing interrogation site on Canyon Creek, to assess movement of tagged 

YCT through the lower reach. 

o Survey habitat and geomorphic conditions in the lower Canyon Creek reach to identify 

any unknown habitat limitations, barriers, sediment conveyance, or other issues. 

lb-Hydrologic Assessment and Data Collection: 

FTR has contracted with Rankin Holmes of Watercourse Engineering over the past year to install 

gages, collect data and conduct stream flow monitoring and analysis on priority streams 

throughout the Teton Watershed. He has familiarity with the Canyon Creek drainage and has 

been the point-person for the irrigators there. Watercourse Engineering has provided an estimate 

(see Project Budget) to conduct the following Hydrologic Assessment work during the 2020 field 

season (May-September): 

o Install 3 stream flow logging devices in the project reach to assess flow thresholds for 

environmental targets (temperature and fish passage), irrigation needs, and the stream 

flow required (amount and duration) to keep Canyon Creek connected to the confluence. 

o Water Temperature loggers will be installed and data will be collected at 8 locations on 

the Canyon Creek from just above the Canyon Creek Canal location, downstream to the 

mouth of Canyon Creek, to create an array of water temperature loggers needed to 

determine longitudinal temperature signal on the stream. 

15 I Page 
o Install a meteorological station to measure climatic conditions such as air temperature, 

wind and precipitation to be correlated with stream temperature and flow measurements. 

Canyon Creek is a remote location with its own microclimate, making the nearest 

weather station data inadequate. 

Investigations are aimed at answering questions like: How much water do we need to reconnect 

the lower 10 miles of Canyon Creek and under what conditions? By how much can irrigation 

water be reduced to meet farming needs and what are the potential "savings?" What are the 

environmental minimum threshold targets for creating usable habitat? 

le-Analyze fisheries, flow, and temperature data 

Mike Lien and Rankin Holmes will analyze the above data which will be summarized in a 

technical report in the autumn of 2020 (October-December 2020) in order to assist and inform 

potential water transaction development and the prioritization of various water management 

scenarios. 

Task 2-Stakeholder Recruitment 

From May-December 2020, the Project Manager will recruit stakeholders-including the 

irrigators on Canyon Creek and other "affected stakeholders" (see Evaluation Subcriteria Al) to 

establish their involvement in a stakeholder group, a process that is: 

o Inclusive, transparent, adaptive, and collaborative~ 

o An iterative process that will respond to and adapt to outside conditions and requirements 

as necessary (e.g. permitting, economic forces, social conditions). 

Task 3-Water Management Project Development 

o Using the data and analysis above, the Project Manager will meet with the Canyon Creek 

irrigators and other "affected stakeholders" to vet and prioritize water management 

changes, projects, and scenarios for further scoping. This process will take place via 

stakeholder meetings, watershed council and other regional meetings (please see 

Evaluation Sub-criteria Al) from January 2021 throughout the remainder of the grant 

period. This process will be refined as necessary based on input from Canyon Creek 

irrigators and stakeholders in order to meet the needs of the entities involved. 

Task 4-Preliminary Project Design and Environmental Compliance Research (April 2021-

September 2021). 

o Once the stakeholders have identified a list of projects, the Project Manager will work 

with a regional irrigation equipment and technology firm to provide site specific system 

configurations, design, and cost estimates for these options. 

o It is a part of the Watercourse Engineering contract to research what type of site-specific 

environmental compliance will be necessary to implement these projects, to ensure there 

are no significant hurdles to future implementation and that associated environmental 

compliance costs are known. 

Task 5--Develop a Canyon Creek Water Management Project Plan 

In Year 2, the Project Manager will work with the Canyon Creek stakeholders to develop a 

Water Management Project Plan that will include site-specific: 

o Design and cost estimates for implementation of the prioritized irrigation infrastructure or 

water management strategy. 

16 I Page 
o Specific conservation outcomes, biological metrics, stream flow and temperature targets 

that are related to each project design 

o Environmental compliance, permitting, or other requirements related to each project 

o Timelines, milestones, and a funding plan for future implementation of identified projects 

Friends of the Teton River previously received a CWMP Phase I grant, which supported the 

formation of the Teton Water Users Association, a diverse watershed advisory group that 

developed a Water Management Plan for the Upper Teton Watershed; leading to the current 

aquifer recharge work being implemented under a CWMP Phase II grant. The current application 

for Phase I funding certainly builds upon the momentum generated by this prior effort, due to 

strengthened relationships, trust, and on-the-ground successes of the project, from planning to 

implementation. The proposed project will be similar in its collaborative approach but will 

achieve a higher level of detail necessitated by the complexities of project design (Task C). 

Evaluation Criteria 

Sub-criterion No. Al-Watershed Group Diversity: 

The "affected stakeholders" in the Canyon Creek sub-watershed include residents, landowners 

and water right holders, farmers, and business owners (Green Canyon Hot Springs, Lazy Triple 

Creek Ranch) that live or make a living within the drainage. The majority of the watershed lies 

within and is managed by the US Forest Service (Caribou-Targhee National Forest); which 

permits a number of uses, affecting stakeholders such as cattle ranchers, hunters and anglers, and 

recreationists. In addition to these entities, Canyon Creek provides water supply to the Teton 

River (Canyon), thus stakeholders also include downstream water users, the Fremont-Madison 

Irrigation District, Fall River Rural Electric Co-op, the Idaho Department of Water Resources, 

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the 

Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Land Management. Affected stakeholders also include 

conservation organizations (Henry's Fork Foundation), fishing guides, and tourists. 

FTR was founded in 2000 by a diverse group of stakeholders, including farmers, anglers, 

scientists, agency personnel and environmentalists concerned by declines in the health and 

quality of the Teton River fishery, and the quality and quantity of the watershed's valuable water 

resources. Since the inception of the organization, a large component of FTR' s work has 

centered on building bridges and cultivating effective communication between these various 

interests. Our board and membership continue to reflect this diversity. Additionally, over the 

past decade, FTR has cultivated tributary-specific stakeholder groups (Trail Creek and the Teton 

Creek Stakeholders Group) that meet regularly to discuss issues related to their tributary, such as 

water conservation, flooding or stream restoration. FTR helps facilitate the Teton Water Users 

Association, representing a diverse group of irrigation and conservation interests. FTR also 

works closely with the City of Driggs, City of Victor, Teton County, Teton Regional Land Trust, 

Trout Unlimited, Idaho Fish and Game, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, among others. 

These working groups, and FTR's monthly participation in the Henry's Fork Watershed Council 

ensure that our projects and activities integrate and harmonize with various interests throughout 

the region. FTR actively participates in many interagency and regional meetings, coalitions and 

committees; including the YCT Interstate Working Group, the Teton Canyon Recreation 

Coalition, and the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program, to name a few. 

17 I Pa g e 
This Project will leverage the existing diversity and partnerships of Friends of the Teton River to 

engage with the Canyon Creek stakeholders and recruit a broader range of workgroup members 

to participate in project development, and review of data, conservation metrics and water 

management project design. Because FTR has worked for nearly 20 years in the Teton River 

watershed, it has formed strong working relationships with many of the individuals, entities, and 

organizations discussed above. FTR will place particular emphasis on ensuring participation 

from stakeholders and irrigators from within the sub-watershed, as their involvement is key to 

the success of this project. In the case of this project, the Canyon Creek stakeholders approached 

FTR for a partnership and are motivated to undertake this planning effort at this time. FTR will 

reach out/engage with affected state and federal agencies and other affected stakeholders to give 

them opportunity to influence the deliverables funded by this grant. 

o For natural resource management concerns, data collection and review, and development of 

solutions that meet conservation metrics, FTR will engage with: the Idaho Department of 

Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Water 

Resources, the US Forest Service, US Bureau of Land Management, and US Bureau of 

Reclamation. 

o For irrigation and water quantity concerns and review of prioritized projects, FTR will 

engage with: the Teton Water Users Association, Fremont-Madison Irrigation District, Fall 

River Rural Electric Co-op, the Idaho Department of Water Resources, the Bureau of 

Reclamation, and the Bureau of Land Management. 

These stakeholders will be reached and engaged through Canyon Creek stakeholder group 

meetings, or other meetings that FTR regularly updates and attends, including meetings of the 

Teton Water Users Association, Henry's Fork Watershed Council, Teton Canyon Recreation 

Coalition (facilitated by Reclamation), and Science Review Committee annual meeting. The 

work of the Canyon Creek stakeholders will be conveyed to the watershed as a whole in a variety 

of ways. FTR has an established track record of stakeholder and community engagement 

through the following methods: Wednesday Water Wise public education presentations, K-12 

outreach program, teacher trainings, donor events, community picnics, field trips (including the 

Basin Advisory Group and Henry's Fork Watershed Council field tours), fishing guide events, 

membership drives, bi-annual newsletters, monthly e-newsletters and social media posts. 

Sub-criterion No. A2-Geographic Scope: 

FTR operates in the Teton River Watershed, from the headwaters of the Teton River, to the old 

Teton Dam site. The Teton Watershed's 8-didgit USGS HUC # is 17040204. 

Friends of the Teton River is an Existing Watershed Group that works in partnership with 

individuals, agencies, and organizations throughout the entire geographic area as described 

previously in the Technical Description portion of this application. As discussed above, Friends 

of the Teton River will recruit a diverse and far reaching group of individuals and organizations 

to participate in this Project. While this project is focused in on a single sub-watershed, Canyon 

Creek comprises a remote and vast portion of the larger Teton Watershed as a whole; a drainage 

that makes up nearly one quarter of the total Teton Watershed area. Canyon Creek is 

representative of the watershed as a whole, culturally and ecologically. However, due to the lack 

of current development and a limited number of residents inhabiting Canyon Creek, unique 

opportunities exist to significantly improve conditions on a landscape scale which will have a 

18 I Page 
larger impact for stakeholders up- and downstream. This project will be a model for developing 

practical solutions to address water supply and conservation issues collaboratively in the Teton 

Watershed, leading the way for similar efforts in the future. 

Project Area and Stakeholders 

...,:moa 

l__j Couaty Unea N 

c:J Foreot S<,Mcao Boundary A 0 o.s 't 2 J 4 

-=-=--===---• 

ca --...... t.acS;Ot'Wft.,USCPt., .. rTft 

Stakeholder Map Key: 

Orange represents the Project 

Area. Stakeholders: Canyon 

Creek irrigators, landowners, and 

business owners; Friends of the 

Teton River, Teton Water Users 

Association, Idaho Department of 

Fish and Game, Idaho Department 

of Water Resources, Idaho 

Department of Environmental 

Quality 

Green represents National Forest 

upstream of the Project Area. 

Stakeholders: US Forest Service, 

stakeholders using the forest 

(grazing, recreation, other uses). 

Blue represents the Teton River 

Canyon, downstream of the 

Project Area, including area of 

natural resource impact (fishery). 

Stakeholders: include those listed 

above and the Idaho Water 

Resource Board, Bureau of Land 

Management, Bureau of 

Reclamation, Fremont-Madison 

Irrigation District, Fall River 

Rural Electric Co-op, the Henry's 

Fork Foundation, Teton Canyon 

Recreation Coalition, and 

communities downstream . 

19 I Page 
Sub-criterion No. Bl-Addressing Critical Watershed Needs or Issues 

Before FTR began, very little scientific water resource data for the upper Teton watershed 

existed, including basic fisheries, hydrologic, and water quality data. FTR's first priority as a 

new organization in 2000 was to implement a comprehensive research and monitoring program, 

in order to understand the ecological character of the upper Teton watershed and identify factors 

limiting the system's ability to support important ecosystem services, including the keystone 

species native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Based on this research, interrelated watershed issues 

emerged. Previous sections discuss these critical issues and needs in the Teton Watershed (and 

the Canyon Creek sub-watershed) relating to water quality, quantity, declining fisheries, climate 

change impacts, and the importance of implementing best practices (land and water 

management) on farms and ranches to sustain watershed health and create more reliable and 

resilient water supply. The following discussion will elaborate on the critical issues of water 

quality, quantity/supply, fisheries, and the role of agriculture in providing solutions to conflicts 

over water. 

A surface water quality monitoring program revealed elevated nutrient and sedimentation issues 

(some tributaries are listed as 303(d) streams for these parameters), exacerbated by agricultural 

run-off, overgrazing, habitat degradation, and development in riparian corridors. 

Declining aquifer levels led FTR to partner to conduct a watershed-scale, aquifer study in 2003. 

The study was conducted to assess the impact of a growing population on local groundwater 

resources, and model effects on the aquifer. In 2012, FTR worked with Humboldt State 

University professor Dr. Rob Van Kirk to complete an analysis of surface water hydrologic 

alteration (Van Kirk and Jenkins 2005; VanKirk (2012). This work led to important insights 

regarding the relationship of altered hydrology due to irrigation diversions and decline of native 

trout in the Teton Basin fishery. Irrigated agriculture is still the dominant land use, and most of 

the water that is diverted from streams for irrigation use seeps into the ground as canal seepage. 

This serves to increase groundwater levels, making more water available for domestic, 

commercial, or industrial use and groundwater irrigation. Sustaining groundwater (aquifer) 

levels in the upper Basin are critical to sustaining residential growth and development, as many 

individuals rely upon individual, exempt groundwater wells to provide water to their homes. 

Conversely, widespread agricultural diversions result in the annual dewatering of the middle 

sections of Teton Valley's tributaries, serving to favor nonnative species over the native 

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. A component critical to any effort to restore viable Yellowstone 

Cutthroat Trout populations in Teton Valley is restoration of the natural hydrologic and 

geomorphic processes in the Teton Range tributaries, between the base of the mountains and the 

river. Yet such restoration efforts must be balanced against the reality that the agricultural 

community and many residents of Teton Valley rely upon the practice of diverting water (often 

entire streams) down canals. Restoration efforts must also be placed within the context of 

increasing demand for water, as both residential growth and prolonged drought are anticipated to 

continue to increase over time. 

Between 1999 and 2003 population surveys performed by Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) on the 

mainstem Teton River showed a precipitous 95% decline in native Yellowstone cutthroat trout 

populations and a 319% increase in non-native rainbow/hybrid and Eastern Brook Trout in the 

Teton River. Following the discovery of this decline, FTR began a series of investigations to 

20 I Page 
better understand why the decline had occurred and identify possible recovery strategies. 

Between 2004 and 2007 FI'R partnered with IDFG, Utah State University, and Idaho State 

University to sponsor graduate research by Martin Koenig to investigate habitat and biotic 

factors influencing the distribution and recruitment of juvenile YCT in the Teton River. This 

study concluded that although the factors (including habitat degradation, nonnative competition, 

and hybridization) responsible for the decline of native fish species are numerous and 

interrelated; it is clear that loss of flows ( due to irrigation diversions) in tributaries that feed the 

Teton River plays a major role in YCT decline. "Most importantly, water diversion modifies the 

hydrologic regime and changes stream habitat conditions to favor invasive trout" (Koenig 2006). 

In 2005, FI'R partnered with the USFS, IDFG, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on 

an extensive baseline assessment of trout populations in 15 major tributaries of the Teton River. 

This assessment showed that the upper sections (historically inhabited by resident and fluvial 

YCT) of all but four tributaries have been invaded by and are now dominated by non-native 

brook trout. These four priority tributaries for YCT conservation include Teton Creek and South 

Leigh Creek in the upper Teton River; and Bitch Creek and Canyon Creek in the lower Teton 

River Canyon section. These studies suggest that the Teton Watershed has lost much of the YCT 

fluvial life history and resident trout in the major tributaries are in decline; however it has also 

been proven (on Teton and South Leigh Creeks) that fluvial YCT will utilize restored habitat to 

the extent that restored stream flows allow (in other words, YCT will migrate into rewatered 

habitat if it's available to them). A subset of the original survey sites on these tributaries were 

re-surveyed in 2010, and 2015, and will be included in a 2020 Tributary Trout Assessment. 

Given the range-wide decline in YCT abundance and distribution, it is likely that the species will 

be petitioned for listing under the ESA in the future unless significant progress is made towards 

stabilizing and increasing populations throughout the region. 

This potential listing could pose significant and drastic curtailments on irrigation, stressing the 

local agricultural economy, which is already facing climate change impacts, economic 

challenges, and added pressure from downstream water users. FI'R's recent success in engaging 

with local water users, piloting regenerative agriculture techniques, recharging the upper Teton 

Basin aquifer and completing the first water transactions in Idaho for a non-anadromous species, 

set the stage for the development of collaborative water management strategies on Canyon Creek 

that address the host of issues facing the watershed as a whole, and the stakeholders involved .. 

Sub-criterion No. B2-Developing Strategies to Address Critical Watershed Needs 

or Issues 

Task C - Watershed Management Project Design: Describe the process that the 

watershed group will use to design projects and how completing the project design will 

contribute to the management of the critical watershed issues and needs. 

• To the extent known, the project(s) that the Canyon Creek stakeholders will 

investigate and complete a design for include: 

1. Retirement and/or restoration of the Canyon Creek Canal point of 

diversion. 

21 I Page 
ii. Diversion reduction, changing locations of pump stations, and developing 

other water management solutions and strategies (such as water leasing) 

that will return (later defined) adequate environmental stream flows 

through the lower 10 mile reach of Canyon Creek to the confluence with 

the Teton River. 

• Will the group complete an analysis to prioritize watershed management projects and 

identify specific project locations? 

1. This analysis was described in the Technical Proposal and includes 

Stakeholder Group review of the targeted fisheries, hydrology and stream 

temperature monitoring data. This data will identify site-specific locations 

which will be prioritized based on environmental, economic, and engineering 

factors (For example, the group may prioritize the placement of a new 

groundwater pump that would create more favorable flow conditions than the 

current ones, meet the needs of irrigators and meet conservation outcomes, 

while also being an economically practicable solution). 

ii. FTR has experience facilitating prioritization processes and will be wellsituated to provide a framework for the Canyon Creek Stakeholders. FTR 

facilitates a similar process with the Teton Water Users Association and has 

recently completed work (peer-reviewed) on the development of a YCT 

Decision Support Model. This tool provides weighted parameters to support 

the prioritization of fisheries restoration projects in the Teton Watershed. 

• What type of site-specific project design and engineering will the watershed 

group complete? 

1. Depending on the prioritized work, project design will likely fall under 

two categories: 1) water management strategies not requiring 

infrastructure and 2) water management changes that require new 

irrigation infrastructure and/or removal/restoration of old infrastructure. 

11. The Project Manager will provide specific project design for water management 

strategies that do not require infrastructure. Sarah Lien has experience shepherding 

water transactions, diversion reduction agreements, etc. through the Idaho State 

Water Board and will be able to provide specific design on how to accomplish these 

strategies and what is required (legally, financially) to get them done. 

iii. A local irrigation design and technology company will provide site specific system 

configurations, design, and cost estimates for irrigation infrastructure options. 

• How will the watershed group develop a project timeline and milestones for the 

project? 

1. Collaboratively developing project timelines and milestones, as well as 

potential funding sources for future implementation will be included in the 

Canyon Creek Water Management Project Plan, which is a deliverable of 

funded activities under this grant. It is the goal of the stakeholders to have an 

actionable plan to move forward toward implementation at the conclusion of 

this effort. 

22 I Page 
• Will the watershed group work with Reclamation's environmental and cultural resource 

staff to determine what type of site-specific environmental compliance will be 

necessary for the project(s)upon implementation? 

1. As stated in the Technical Proposal, Watercourse Engineering will be tasked 

with completing environmental compliance research for the prioritized water 

management projects as a part of the planning process. FfR will work with 

Reclamation staff to ensure that these requirements (if any) are necessary and 

sufficient for future implementation, which is not anticipated to occur on federal 

facilities or property. 

• If the watershed group will build on previous efforts, describe these efforts and how the 

watershed group will expand upon them through the proposed work. 

Please see where this was addressed at the end of the Technical Proposal, following the 

description of Task 5. 

Sub-criterion No. Cl-Understanding of and Ability to Meet Program Requirements 

Please refer to the Technical Proposal for description of Tasks 1-5, milestones, the FfR 

staff or contractor who is responsible for completing each task/milestone, and the timeline 

for completion. The costs associated with these tasks are detailed in the project budget and 

budget narrative. 

Sub-criterion No. C2-Building on Relevant Federal, State, or Regional Planning 

Efforts 

The Projects and Watershed Planning Activities section in the Technical Proposal 

describes some of the relevant local, state and federal plans that this project will support. 

These include: 

Teton Model Watershed Document (FfR and Bonneville Environmental Foundation, 2010-

2020) 

The Canyon Creek Water Management Project Plan will assist FfR in the selection of 

conservation projects and inform the timing and sequencing of project activities, such that FfR 

is able to strategically address the conservation objectives identified in the Upper Teton River 

Model Watershed Document, which includes Teton Watershed restoration and monitoring 

objectives and metrics. As such, this project will help direct the goals and metric of this 

planning document, as it is updated for the next ten years (2020-2030). 

YCT Decision Support Model (FfR and the USGS, 2018) 

The results of fisheries and hydrology data collected through project activities will be used to 

inform this decision support tool to adaptively manage and assess the projects of highest priority 

in the Teton Watershed that support the protection and restoration of native YCT populations. 

Teton Water Users Association Water Management Plan for the Teton Watershed 

Teton Water Users Association (TWUA) formed in 2015 under a Reclamation Phase I grant, 

serving to bring together individuals who can, collectively, identify solutions that satisfy the 

needs of all constituents within the Teton River watershed - farmers who depend on water for 

23 I Page 
crop and livestock production, municipalities that require clean and adequate water for residents, 

and conservation interests seeking water for fish and wildlife. The proposed project meets the 

vision of the TWUA working group by addressing problems and implementing projects that: 

• Keep working lands working by securing and maintaining a reliable and affordable supply of 

water to sustain agriculture, 

• Protect and restore stream flows and water quality in the Teton River and its tributaries, for 

the benefit of people, wildlife and fish. 

• Secure and maintain a safe, affordable, and high-quality water supply for municipalities and 

residential water users 

Idaho Comprehensive State Water Plan The Comprehensive State Water Plan, prepared by the 

Idaho Water Resource Board, imparts designations on certain stretches of the State's rivers. 

Certain portions of the Teton River and its tributaries are designated recreational rivers and 

natural rivers. The State's Comprehensive Plan encourages activities which maintain the 

aforementioned values with these river reaches and encourages cooperative basin planning 

particularly where management entities have overlapping interests. The Water Management 

Project Plan will incorporate and support these river designations and their associated values and 

will directly contemplate integration of management activities which support overall watershed 

health and resiliency. 

This project supports Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service 

management goals/actions below by developing strategies to restore stream flows and 

connectivity in Canyon Creek, a priority tributary for YCT that contains valuable habitat for the 

future persistence of the species: 

IDFG Fisheries Management Plan (2019-2024) seeks to ensure the long-term persistence of 

YCT within its current range and to do so at levels capable of providing angling opportunities. 

The proposed project supports the following goals of the Management Plan: 

• Ensure the long-term persistence of the subspecies within its current range in Idaho; 

• Restore YCT to those parts of its historical range in Idaho where practical. 

• Work cooperatively to restore connectivity, habitat, and hydrologic regime 

• Strategically implement connectivity projects where risks to isolated populations are 

minimal. 

• The plan also supports a management direction inclusive of stream flow restoration in the 

Teton River and its tributaries: including the only mention of restoring "hydrologic regime" 

anywhere in the State of Idaho. 

US Fish and Wildlife Service Strategic Habitat Conservation in Idaho: La,ndscape 

Conservation Strategy (IFWO 2016) 

• The project supports Landscape Strategy 4: Secure and enhance riverine/riparian habitats in 

the Middle Rockies Priority Landscape (including the Teton Watershed) for the continuing 

benefit of Priority Species (Yellowstone cutthroat trout) 

• Goal 4a: Ensure resilient, ecologically functioning riverine/riparian habitats capable of 

supporting native Priority Species 

24 I Page 
• Goal 4b: Ensure abundant, diverse (including life histories), and resilient populations of 

Priority Species within the riverine/riparian habitats of the Middle Rockies Priority 

Landscape 

• Goal 4c: Ensure that riverine/riparian habitats within the Middle Rockies Priority Landscape 

are biologically connected to adjacent habitats outside of the landscape area. 

• Conservation Objectives: i. Protect or restore native habitats that support key life history 

components of Priority Species. ii. Identify and address threats to Priority Species and their 

habitat. iii. Promote connectivity between important habitat patches for Priority Species. iv. 

Protect and restore streams, rivers, and associated riparian habitat to ensure habitats for all 

life history needs of Priority Species are available and connected. v. With partners, plan 

restoration and/or mitigation efforts for riverine/riparian habitats that connect adjacent 

priority landscapes or functional blocks of riverine/riparian habitat. 

• Action 5: Within Focal Drainages assess human water use in drainage and secure necessary 

in-stream flow sufficient for healthy salmonid populations (identified as Yellowstone 

cutthroat trout populations). 

Teton River Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load (2003) - This subbasin 

assessment was prepared pursuant to the Idaho total maximum daily load (TMDL) development 

schedule (Idaho Sportsmen's Coalition v. Browner, No. C93-943WD, Stipulation and Proposed 

Order on Schedule Required by Court, April 7, 1997), §303(d) of the Clean Water Act (Public 

Law 92-500 as amended, 33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq.), and the United States Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) Water Quality Planning and Management Regulations (40 CPR Part 

130.7). The goal of the TMDL is to restore identified impaired waterbodies to a condition that 

meets state water quality standards. The projects developed through the collaborative efforts of 

Canyon Creek Stakeholders will incorporate water quality data that support the TMDL and assist 

in restoration of these reaches, including the Teton River Canyon below Canyon Creek. 

Criterion D- Department of the Interior Priorities 

This project proposal demonstrates support for the following Department priorities: 

I. Creati,zg a conservation stewardship legacy seco,zd only to Teddy Roosevelt 

a. Utilize science to identify best practices to manage land and water resources and 

adapt to changes in the environment 

All project development, design, and planning will be based on the best available 

science, including targeted ecological and hydrological data collected in Year 1 of this 

proposal. Water management solutions forwarded by the Canyon Creek Stakeholders 

will be developed to meet conservation metrics and outcomes, which will be adaptively 

managed as existing conditions change. 

2. Restori,zg trust with local communities 

a. Be a better neighbor with those closest to our resources by improving dialogue and 

relationships with persons and entities bordering our lands; 

b. Expand the lines of communication with Governors, state natural resource offices, 

Fish and Wildlife offices, water authorities, county commissioners, Tribes, and local 

communities. 

25 I Page 
This project has been cultivated over the past decade, and now has the expressed 

support of the Canyon Creek irrigators. FfR is responding to their needs by proposing 

to improve communication and engage in a collaborative dialogue and planning 

process that is also inclusive of the other affected stakeholders up and downstream 

(state and federal natural resource management agencies, water authorities, and 

conservation organizations). 

--End of Technical Proposal and Evaluation Criteria (24 pages)-

26 I Page 
D.2.2.5 Project Budget 

Budget Proposal 

BUDGET ITEM DESCRIPTION COMPUTATION 

$/Unit 

COMPUTATION 

Quantity 

TOTAL 

SALARIES AND WAGES 

Sarah Lien, Water Resources Director 

(year 1) 25% of time 

(year 2) 

$34.39/hour 

$35.08/hour 

520 

520 

$17,883 

$18,242 

Mike Lien, Fisheries Restoration and Research Dir. 

(year 1) 10% 

(year 2) 

$27.60/hour 160 $4,416 

$28.15/hour 160 $4,504 

SUBTOTAL WAGES $45,044 

FRINGE BENEFITS 

Sarah Lien, Water Resources Director 

(year 1) 25% of time 

(year 2) 

$3.73/hour 520 $1,940 

$3.86/hour 520 $2,007 

Mike Lien, benefits 

(year 1) 10% of time 

(year 2) 

$4.56/hour 160 $729.60 

$4.73/hour 160 $756.80 

SUBTOTAL BENEFITS $5,433 

TRAVEL 

Travel to Canyon Creek (local staff travel 40 mi/RT) .58 cents per mile 1,600 $928 

EQUIPMENT 

None. 

SUPPLIES/MATERIALS 

Water temperature loggers $150 8 $1,200 

Pressure transducers $400 3 $1,200 

Meteorological Station $1,200 1 $1,200 

CONTRACTUAL WAGES 

Watercourse Engineering (see attached contractor quote) - - $34,425 

Irrigation Design and engineering (contractor TBD) - - $5,000 

ENVIRONMENTAL/REGULATORY COMPLIANCE 

N/A 

TOTAL DIRECT earn $94,431 

INDIRECT COSTS 

10% de minimis applied to salaries/wages, fringe benefits, 

materials/supplies, travel. $55,055.60 10% $5,500.56 

TOTAL PROJECT COSTS - $99,931 

27 I Page 
Table 1.-Total Project Cost Table 

SOURCE AMOUNT 

Costs to be reimbursed with the requested Federal fundinq $99,931 

Costs to be paid by the applicant $0 

Value of third-party contributions $ 7,556* 

TOTAL PROJECT COST $107,487 

*Watercourse Engineering voluntarily provided a 20% contractor discount, which is detailed in the 

budget narrative, and their scope of work/budget (attached). The budget proposal does not include any 

project costs incurred prior to the award date (April 1, 2020). 

Budget Narrative 

Salaries and Wages: 

The Project Manager will be Sarah Lien, FI'R's Water Resource Director. It is estimated that 

Sarah will spend 25% of her time (520 hours annually) on the project in Year 1 and Year 2. 

Sarah will oversee the development and completion of the project including: obtain input from 

stakeholders, analyze new technical (hydrologic, fisheries, and engineering) data, work with and 

coordinate the activities of contractors, and compile this information into a Canyon Creek Water 

Management Project Pan. 

Mike Lien, Fisheries Research Director will spend 10% of his time ( 160 hours annually) on the 

project in Year 1 and Year 2. Mike will oversee fisheries data collection, installation of 

monitoring sites, data analysis and coordination of biological objectives with stream flow and 

engineering recommendations. 

Compensation calculations and rates are shown in the table below, and reflect the total cost of 

employment per year, per employee. A "Cost of Living Adjustment" for Year 2 was calculated 

using the rate of 2%. FICA, Workers' Comp and Idaho State Unemployment Costs were 

calculated using standard rates for Idaho. 

Salaries Year 1 

Workers State Total Cost of Employee Base Salary FICA Taxes 

Employee Comp Unemployment Employment Hourly Cost 

Program Manager $65,231 $4,990.17 $789.30 $525.76 $71,536.23 $34.39 

Fisheries Research Dir. $39,269 $3,004.08 $475.15 $307.89 $43,056 $27.60 

Salaries Year 2 

Base Salary Workers State Total Cost of Employee FICA Taxes 

Employee +2% Comp Unemployment Employment Hourly Cost 

Program Manager $66,536 $5,089.97 $805.08 $536.28 $72,967 $35.08 

Fisheries Research Dir. $40,054 $3,064.13 $484.65 $307.89 $43,911 $28.15 

28 I Page 
Fringe Benefits: 

Fringe benefits are calculated using the annual health insurance premium rate (Idaho Blue 

Cross), a $600 FSA/DRCA employer contribution (flex spending account/dependent care), a 3% 

employer matched retirement contribution with employee match, and a cellular phone plan 

reimbursement for $360/annually. A 5% increase in health insurance was estimated in Year 2, 

according to anticipated increases. Please see the table below for rates/calculations. 

Fringe Benefits Yr. 1 

Employee 

Health 

Insurance 

FSA 

contribution 

Retirement 

3% match 

Cellular 

Phone Plan 

Total Cost of 

Benefits 

Hourly 

Benefits 

Cost 

$7,761.37 $3.73 Program Manager $4,844.44 $600 $1,956.93 $360 

$7,113.24 $4.56 Fisheries Research Dir. $4,975.17 $600 $1,178.07 $360 

Fringe Benefits Yr. 2 

Employee 

Health 

Insurance +5% 

FSA 

contribution 

Retirement 

3% match 

Cellular 

Phone Plan 

Total Cost of 

Benefits 

Hourly 

Benefits 

Cost 

Program Manager 

Fisheries Research Dir. 

$5,086.20 

$5,223.93 

$600 

$600.00 

$1,996.07 

$1,201.62 

$360 

$360 

$8,042.27 

$7,385.55 

$3.86 

$4.73 

Travel: 

The anticipated travel expenses include local travel from the FfR office located in Driggs, Idaho 

to Canyon Creek, which is 40 miles RT. It is budgeted that the FfR staff (Program Manager and 

Fisheries Research Director) will make 40 trips to Canyon Creek (20 trips each over two years), 

reimbursed with the federal mileage rate of $.58/mile. 

Equipment: No equipment to implement the proposed grant activities. 

Materials and Supplies: 

FfR is requesting funding to purchase 8 water temperature loggers ($150/each), 3 pressure 

transducers ($400/each), and one meteorological station ($1,200) as requested by the contractor 

Watercourse Engineering, for their scope of work. The contractor provided FfR with the cost 

estimate for these items and FfR will purchase them for installation by the contractor. 

Contractual: 

FfR will contract with Rankin Holmes of Watercourse Engineering, who has an established 

relationship with the Canyon Creek irrigators and familiarity with the system and stream flow 

monitoring objectives. A scope of work, detailed hours and a cost estimate are attached on next 

page. Watercourse gave an in-kind 20% discount on services, as a non-profit discount. 

An Irrigation design/ engineering contractor will be hired out as a competitive bid for no more 

than $5,000 to provide initial cost estimate and system requirements for prioritized irrigation 

infrastructure projects. FfR has experience working with a number of private engineering firms 

to provide hydraulic analysis and preliminary designs for irrigation improvements within this 

price range for similar projects (fish screens and head gate designs for South Leigh and Badger 

Creeks). 

29 I Page 
Watercourse Engineering, Inc. 

Watercourse 424 2nd Street, Suite B 

W Engineering $ Inc. Davis, CA 95616 

N 

. 530-750-3072 (tel.) s 530-750-3074 (fax) 

Date: November 5, 2019 

To: Friends of the Teton River 

P.O. Box 768 

Driggs, ID 83422 

From: Rankin Holmes, Senior Water Resources Scientist, 

Watercourse Engineering, Inc. 

Re: Canyon Creek - Streamflow and Water Temperature monitoring investigations to 

inform and guide water project development with Canyon Creek Canal Co. 

Scope of Work 

Watercourse Engineering, Inc. (Watercourse) has been requested to submit a scope of work and budget 

to assist the Friends of the Teton River (FTR), located in Driggs, ID with support with streamflow and 

water temperature data collection on Canyon Creek, an important Yellowstone Cutthroat (YCT) 

tributary to the Teton River, located near the community of Newdale, ID, over the course of the next 

two-years (2020-2021). 

Proposed action objectives are to monitor the stream-discharge and water temperature, above and 

below the Canyon Creek Canal Co. point of diversion (POD) to inform desired instream flow thresholds 

and identify flow targets which would enhance habitat conditions, longitudinally connect surface flows, 

enhance specific YCT life-stage(s) such as juvenile and adult holding, as well as juvenile recruitment to 

the Teton River. These proposed activities are divided into four primary tasks to be implemented over a 

two-year period: 

Term 

Start: Spring, 2020 

End: Spring, 20222 

30 I Page 
N Watercourse Engineering, Inc. 

Waterarur.;e 424 2nd Street, Suite B 

W Engineering 

Inc. Davis, CA 95616 

. # 530-750-3072 (tel.) s 530-750-3074 (fax) 

Proposed Work 

Project Vear-1 (2020) 

Taskl: Build instrument housing, calibrate instruments, install (8 temp loggers, 3 pressure transducers 

and a meteorological station), collect and analyze streamflow and temperature for the project reach on 

Canyon Creek in Year 1. 

Task 2: Develop a Flow and Temperature Summary Report from data collected in Task 1 for Canyon 

Creek for FTR in the autumn of 2020. 

Project Vear-2 (2021) 

Task 3: Produce report, which will identify flow and Temperature needs and thresholds for the lower 

reaches of Canyon Creek. The report and model will look at flow scenarios and potential flow restoration 

objectives for prioritizing alternatives. 

Task 4: Conduct Environmental Compliance Research for prioritized model alternatives. 

Budget 

Project Task (Timeline) 

Labor Costs 

Total 

Cost 

($) 

Labor Hours by Staff Level 

-.. ., ~ 

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C 

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Hourly Rates 

$178.27 $ 149.72 $ 135.00 $ 116.43 s 85.26 s 65.00 s 52.44 

Task 1. : Monitor stream-discharge and water 

temperature on Canyon Creek (YEAR 1- 2020) 0 0 96 0 0 0 4 $13,169.76 

Task 2. Develop a Flow and Tw Summary Report 

from data collected in Task 1 for Ca nyon Creek 

for FTR (YEAR 1 • 2020) 0 0 40 0 0 0 0 SS,400.00 

Task 3: Develop a Canyon Creek Water 

Temperature Transaction Tool (W3T) model 

with data collected (YEAR 2 - 2021) 8 0 40 40 0 0 0 $11,483.36 

Task 4: Produce a Canyon Creek W3T model 

reoort (YEAR 2 - 2021) 0 0 40 20 0 0 0 $7,728.60 

Subtotal: $37,781.72 

In-Kind Contribution 20% $7,556.34 

Sub Total $30,225.38 

Travel Expenses (7 visits @$600/each) $4,200.00 

Grand Total Total: $34,425.38 

31 I Page 
Environmental and Regulatory Compliance Costs: 

FfR contacted the Regional Reclamation Office to inquire about environmental compliance 

costs. This project is a planning effort, so no environmental compliance will be necessary until 

future implementation. The contractor, Watercourse Engineering, has included researching 

environmental compliance costs during the planning grant. 

Indirect Costs: 

FfR does not have a federally-approved cost rate agreement in place, so has opted to apply the 

10% de minimis applied to salaries/wages, fringe benefits, materials/supplies, and travel. 

Total Cost: 

The total cost of the project is $107,487. Of this, FfR respectfully requests $99,931 from the 

Bureau of Reclamation. The remainder of the project funds, $7,556 are accounted for as an ink.ind contribution (20% discount on services) from Watercourse Engineering, as noted in the 

Budget Narrative and Scope of Work (dated 11/5/2019). 

Letters of Commitment: 

See explanation above and attached Watercourse Engineering documentation. 

Budget Form SF-424, SF-424A and SF424-B are attached in Appendix A. 

32 I Page 
Environmental and Cultural Resources Compliance 

• Will the proposed project impact the surrounding environment (e.g., soil [dust], air, water 

[quality and quantity], animal habitat)? Please briefly describe all earth-disturbing work and any 

work that will affect the air, water, or animal habitat in the project area. Please also explain the 

impacts of such work on the surrounding environment and any steps that could be taken to 

minimize the impacts. There is llO earth disturbing work proposed durillg this plallllillg grallt. 

All mollitorillg activities will be properly permitted. Accordillg to Watercourse Ellgilleeri,ig, 

stream flow alld temperature logger illstallatioll is exempt, as loggers are weighted or placed 

illstream without earth disturballce. 

• Are you aware of any species listed or proposed to be listed as a Federal threatened or 

endangered species, or designated critical habitat in the project area? If so, would they be 

affected by any activities associated with the proposed project? No federally threatelled or 

e1Zdangered species are ill the project area. 

• Are there wetlands or other surface waters inside the project boundaries that potentially fall 

under CW A jurisdiction as "Waters of the United States"? If so, please describe and estimate 

any impacts the proposed project may have. Yes, Ca1Zyon Creek is withill the project 

boundaries. Canyon Creek is a surface water system, a tributary to the Tetoll River, and 

potentially falls under the CWAjurisdictioll as a "Waters of the United States." The grallt 

objectives associated with this application are exclusively planning in nature a,id thus will 

not generate any impact to Canyon Creek. 

• When was the water delivery system constructed? The earliest water right oil this system is 

]ulle 1, 1900. The original water delivery system was likely completed shortly thereafter. 

• Will the proposed project result in any modification of or effects to, individual features of an 

irrigation system (e.g., headgates, canals, or flumes? No modificatiolls to the irrigatioll system 

features are proposed durillg this plalllling grant. 

• Are any buildings, structures, or features in the irrigation district listed or eligible for listing on 

the National Register of Historic Places? A cultural resources specialist at your local Reclamation 

office or the State Historic Preservation Office can assist in answering this question. There are 

110 proposed impacts to ally structures, irrigatioll or otherwise, at this time. 

• Are there any known archeological sites in the proposed project area? No. 

• Will the proposed project have a disproportionately high and adverse effect on low income or 

minority populations? No. 

• Will the proposed project limit access to, and ceremonial use of, Indian sacred sites or result in 

other impacts on tribal lands? There are llO tribal lallds ill the vicinity of the project area. 

• Will the proposed project contribute to the introduction, continued existence, or spread of 

noxious weeds or non-native invasive species known to occur in the area? No. FTR practices 

"cleall, drain alld dry" for all equipmellt e11teri,ig streams i,icluding waders, wading boots, a,id 

dip llets. 

33 I Page 
Required Permits or Approvals 

Scientific data collection permits are required, and are applied for each January/February, for 

electrofishing and fish sampling through the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. FTR will be 

obtaining permits for data collection in conjunction with the 2020 Tributary Trout Assessment. 

FTR also has the permission of the Canyon Creek irrigators to collect stream flow data and data 

in the canal system, which does not require a permit. 

Letters of Support 

Please see the letter of committment from the Canyon Creek irrigators for the proposed 

project (Appendix B). 

Official Resolution 

Please see the official resolution adopted by the Friends of the Teton River Board of Directors 

(Appendix C). 

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management 

FTR is registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) with the unique Cage #3N4Y6 

and DUNS #110921801 

34 I P age 
Appendix A: 

Mandatory Financial Forms 

SF-424 

SF-424A 

SF424-B 

SF-LLL * 

*Form SF-LLL is not required; Friends of the Teton River does not participate in any 

lobbying activities under our 501(c){3) designation. 
Appendix 8: 

Letter of Project Commitment 
Canyon Creek Canal Company, Inc. 

13289 E. Highway 33 

Newdale, Idaho 83426 

Canyon Creek Lateral Ditch Association 

12241 E. 3749 N. 

Newdale, Idaho 83436 

Valley View Ranch 

1509 North Canyon Creek 

Newdale, Idaho 83442 

Sky line Farms, Inc. 

1509 North Canyon Creek ,-

Newdale, Idaho 83442 

October 2019 

Re: Water Right Holder Letter of Commitment 

To Whom It May Concern: 

Canyon Creek Canal Company, Inc., Canyon Creek Lateral Ditch Association, Valley 

View Ranch, and Steveco Canyon Farms, Inc., individually, own and manage water rights 

historically diverted from Canyon Creek, tributary to the Teton River. The water rights support 

robust agricultural operations in the vicinity of Newdale, Idaho and the failed Teton Dam. There 

is opportunity to change the legal points of diversion for the water rights and re-design the water 

delivery infrastructure to allow for water to be withdrawn from the Teton River rather than 

Canyon Creek, thereby generating benefits for native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and 

improving water right reliability and deliverability. 

Canyon Creek Canal Company, Inc., Canyon Creek Lateral Ditch Association, Valley 

View Ranch, and Steveco Canyon Farms, Inc. understand that Friends of the Teton River, a 
501 ( c )3, intends to submit grant applications for the purpose of securing funding to support the 

collection ofhydrologic and fisheries data, coordinate the work of project partners, research 

associated legal water right and land matters, develop project plans, and identify project funding. 

Canyon Creek Canal Company, Inc., Canyon Creek Lateral Ditch Association, Valley View 

Ranch, and Steveco Canyon Farms, Inc. hereby submit this letter of commitment, demonstrating 

its support for the project and its commitment to working with Friends of the Teton River, and 

other project partners, to secure project outcomes. Further, Canyon Creek Canal Company, Inc., 

Canyon Creek Lateral Ditch Association, Valley View Ranch, and Steveco Canyon Farms, Inc. 

commit to supporting the development of the project by: (1) providing access for fisheries and 

hydrologic data collection; (2) providing historic water use records; (3) work with project 

partners on project design iterations; and (4) identify match to support implementation of final 

project, in the form of in-kind contributions and materials. 

Sincerely, 

Cany?n Creek Lateral Ditch Association 

{) /// ~~--ch ______ _ 
Appendix C: 

FTR Board of Directors Official Resolution 
Friends of the Teton River 

Board of Directors Resolution 

TO: Bureau of Reclamation 

This is a certified copy of resolution that was passed by the Friends of the Teton River Board 

of Directors, by vote and endorsed by a quorum of members, on 10/31/2019. 

RESOLVED, that this Board of Directors hereby authorizes and directs Amy Verbeten, 

Executive Director, and Sarah Lien, Water Resources Director and Staff Attorney, on behalf of 

Friends of the Teton River, to enter into a Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

Grant agreement to conduct collaborative research, analysis, and design to meet water 

supply and natural resource needs in the Canyon Creek Watershed. 

M -7 A------ 10/31/2019 

Bill Horn, President Date