Twin Falls Canal Company is looking to make improvements to local waterways

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Last August, a breach in the Mainline Canal system created a big mess for some Magic Valley farmers, leaving fields flooded and crops damaged.

Even though the Twin Falls Canal Company fixed the issue, they are still looking for ways to better the system.

“We’re currently looking at potentially lining a stretch of that particular canal to make sure we secure that bank,” said Twin Falls Canal Company General Manager, Jay Barlogi.

As of now, the Canal Company is working on updates and improvements to the canal system in hopes of preventing fewer breaches in the future.

“We’re putting in an automation right now that will monitor the surface level of that water and when that water begins to rise it will automatically spill that water off so that we don’t have fluctuating flows in the area,” Barlogi said.

All this comes at a cost, which the canal company’s engineer says federal and state grants will help fund.

“Over the next 12 to 24 months we’ll probably put about 5 more million dollars into our system,” said the company’s engineer, Jason Brown.

Larry Hollifield is one of the farmers in Hansen impacted by the breach over the summer. Fortunately, the flooding didn’t cause much damage to his crops, but he says he’s glad there’s a focus on improvements.

“Sometimes when you’re putting that much water down in the system, then a gopher or a badger is somewhere, it’s just a matter,” Hollifield said. “Sometimes I think breaches might happen.”

“The breach just amplified certain areas that we want to go in and focus on and look at those areas not only from a water delivery standpoint but from a safety concern as well,” Brown said.

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