Quagga budget clears JFAC and now heads for debate in both chambers

BOISE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) passed the Idaho Department of Agriculture’s (ISDA) request for over $6 million for fiscal year 2025 to continue to fight the invasive quagga mussel in the Snake River in the water near Centennial Park in Twin Falls.

It was not without a fight as some members proposed a smaller budget; however, the original budget request was approved in the end. It will fund, in part, two new full-time jobs and 18 temporary jobs.

We reached out to Bureau Chief Nic Zurfluh to get an update on the treatment and how things might look as we head into spring.

“We had a really busy fall; we got a successful treatment wrapped up. Treatment went according to plan and now we’re in this quiet time cause we’re in that wintertime season where typically that recreational boater has their boat in storage and typically is doing other activities and just waiting for nicer weather on the water,” Zurfluh said,

For those who are on the water during the winter, ISDA still has a staffed decontamination station at Centennial Park. That process is mandatory to maintain the “Clean, Drain, Dry” initiative, one of the departments strategies to stop the possible spread of the mussel.

While parts of the river remain closed, the new staffing will go to monitoring, as well as new decontamination sites on the Snake River

Zurfluh said, “There is a portion of the river that remains closed and that’s mainly due to the boat ramp at Shoshone Falls is still closed for the season. That is going to be opening back up this spring, and with that opening we will open the river back up and have a mandatory decontamination station there as well.”

The budget approved by JFAC still needs to clear both chambers before it heads to the governor’s desk.

This story was updated to show the request is over $6 million, not $11 million.

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