The Twin Lakes Canal project was a restoration project on two sections of an aged and deteriorated canal.

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The first phase was to repair a flume that allows the Twin Lakes Canal to flow over Soldier Creek. This Flume was in terrible shape with holes eroded into the steel siding and the concrete crumbling in most sections.

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We contracted Bridges Construction to replace the steel and some of the wood components. Phase two was to put a new shotcrete lining
in the inlet and outlet of the flume, and to reline the section from the damn. We used roughly 224 cubic yards of concrete on this section, as well as whatever was left over from the flume’s inlet and outlet.

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The water savings from the flume was estimated to be roughly 178.2 AF of water over the 45-day irrigation season. The water savings from the canal lining is harder to estimate, but should have been drastic. Large pools of water built around the canal within a week of the water being turned on.

 

These projects affect five Twin Lakes Canal shareholders, two of which use surface
and groundwater irrigation. The water savings from these projects will be especially useful for these two shareholders. The shareholders will have more surface water that will be accessible to them and won’t require as much groundwater pumping.

 

The Camas Soil & Water Conservation District typically does not have the funds, or
manpower to do such projects, but with the assistance of the WQPA grant, and the Idaho Soil & Water Conservation Commission they were able to complete this project that was so vitally important for their water quality
and conservation needs.

 

They are now looking for more funding with several more projects on the horizon.