Canyon

Crapo Warns Of Choppy Waters For Lake Lowell Users

Idaho Senior Senator Mike Crapo issued a press release Friday warning users of Lake Lowell within the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge of potential boating restrictions in the near future.

Not wanting to make waves among boaters, fishermen, and wildlife managers, Crapo points to a 100 year record of co-existance among the groups AND the waterfowl frequenting the refuge.

“I am disappointed with today’s announcement because it appears this may be a case of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposing a solution that is in search of a problem. My feeling can be generally categorized as ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.’ Based on this preliminary recommendation, it appears that the agency may simply be satisfying a bureaucratic requirement that ignores the facts on the ground,” said the senior Sen.

A Crapo spokesman noted the refuge and lake wouldn’t exist without the water and the water is ALL owned by the irrigators. The source of the water is from the Boise River which fills Lake Lowell via the New York Canal, irrigating crops and residential land along the way from Lucky Peak Reservoir east of Boise. See the Deer Flat USFWS proposals HERE.

CRAPO PRESS RELEASE TEXT FOLLOWS

CRAPO ON LAKE LOWELL: IF IT ISN’T BROKEN, DON’T FIX IT
Reminds USFWS to note century of success on the ground at the lake

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued preliminary recommendations for changes at southwest Idaho’s Lake Lowell and Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge. Under the agency review process, a public comment period will now open regarding the agency’s preferred alternative plan for the lake, which is to restrict public access and boating. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo issued the following statement following an initial review of the agency’s recommendations:

“Lake Lowell has a one-hundred year track record of outstanding performance when it comes to wildlife protection, and use by recreationalists, sportsmen, irrigators and a host of multiple user groups. While I will review this latest proposal from the agency in depth, I encourage the public to again weigh in and I pledge that I will continue to work with citizens, local leaders and my Delegation partners and the agency to help craft a permanent solution.

“I am disappointed with today’s announcement because it appears this may be a case of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposing a solution that is in search of a problem. My feeling can be generally categorized as ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.’ Based on this preliminary recommendation, it appears that the agency may simply be satisfying a bureaucratic requirement that ignores the facts on the ground.”

Comments & Discussion

Comments are closed for this post.

  1. It’s good the New York Canal, and Lake Lowell, are already there… because they could never be built in this day and age on account of bureaucratic red tape, environmental studies, lawsuits and counter-lawsuits.

    “We’re from the government, and we’re here to help!”

    Whatever they end up doing, I hope it doesn’t harm the endangerd Canada goose population! (/sarcasm)

    EDITOR NOTE–A biologist once told us if the goose eggs are shaken in the shell, omelette style they never hatch and the dumb geese don’t lay more eggs as they would if the eggs were removed from the nest.

  2. BB is exactly correct… this is a lawyer problem. Powerful people can use their skills for good or for bad. Lawyers use their skills for their own good by making crazy stuff fly somehow, not giving a crap about how it damages our nation.

    Idea: Someone point out to O’bama, a lawyer, (did you know he’s Irish too? Yep, 14 generations ago) how the lake is largely minority use due to the close proximity to Nampa Caldwell. So now the great one is dissing his very few likely voters outside of the Boise NorthEnd.

    BB: Geese: Do what the major airports all do; mow the grass during nesting time.

  3. Zippo, I live in the north end and we have the exact same problem here at the proposed Esther Simplot Park, only the legacy media hasn’t tried to make it a sensational political issue of us vs them.

    The ponds in the proposed Simplot park are all manmade and the whole area is in horrible shape. Yet, to remediate the area, Boise Parks and Rec must jump through all kinds of environmental hoops including wet lands mitigation.

    A prime example of environmental regulations preventing environmental progress.

    I’m all for reasonable common sense regulation. An entity like Boise Parks at a project like Simplot Park should get federal environmental variances just like they got from the city to build their unpaved parking lot.

  4. We are so screwed by our own leaders… how silly can silly get?

    http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/27/fireworks-shows-need-environmental-review/

  5. Maybe if the irrigators regulate the flow of water so that no water is left to enter Lake Lowell the problem would go away! No Lake! No Federal Agency Control!

  6. This is a man-made lake and it has been there for a 100 years without help from the Feds. It is a recreational resource for all of us to enjoy as well. Now the Feds wish to screw with us. It is things like this that give the federal government a black eye and the young lady running the show out there could give a twit about how local s may feel about her program along with efforts to shut down boating, fishing and just about everything else out there.

  7. Don't Hate The Player
    Jun 1, 2011, 10:17 pm

    Man, the Fed bashing around here gets out of control. Considering the Federal government (more specifically, the Bureau of Reclamation) built Lake Lowell and the rest of the Boise Project, how about cutting them some slack here? I grew up swimming and boating on the lake, and wish the proposed new regulations allowed more use of the reservoir, but it *is* a Federal Wildlife refuge, after all.

    So, anyone around here going to complain about the Nampa-Meridian irrigation district posting “No Trespassing” signs along the canals? Pretty much the same, isn’t it?

Get the Guardian by email

Enter your email address:

Categories