When Five Percent Matters

Here’s a case where the small percentages are very important.  As one can see in the hydrograph illustrated above, the 240 cfs in the Boise River during the winter months is a very modest flow compared to that in the irrigation season (and you are looking at a gage well downstream of some 3,000 cfs already removed from the river).  During the October 1 to March 31 nonirrigation period the 240 cfs totals some 86,000 acre feet.  Average annual river flows in the Boise River total 1,600,000 or so acre feet.  Folks, we are only talking about five percent of the water flows being released during half the year that is keeping the Boise River wild trout fishery alive.

Today’s Idaho Statesman story covers the result in the court case where the 240 cfs was at risk, but thanks to a wise decision by the Snake River Basin Adjudication judge the Boise River is in a safer position today.