Improved Management of Surface Water Diversions for Michaud Unit

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In 2016 the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes were issued an award from the Bureau of Reclamation to install flow meters on the pumps which divert water to the Michaud Canal. That agreement is nearing expiration. The flow meters monitor water usage and provide valuable data to the Tribes to assist them in their water use planning. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Tribes) are currently improving the measurement, accounting and infrastructure of the water delivery system serving the Michaud Unit of the Fort Hall Irrigation Project (FHIP). These improvements will result in substantial water resource efficiency gains for the Tribes. The first objective is to develop an irrigation water management plan for control of the Portneuf River diversions and water delivery in response to recent infrastructural improvements, measured data, and irrigator water delivery requests in the Michaud Unit. The plan will ensure reliable and efficient water delivery to users while maximizing Tribal water storage. The second objective is to develop computational tools for optimal plan implementation and water delivery control. These tools will be made available for use by water managers to allow real time implementation of the irrigation water management plan generated by fulfilling the first objective. The project will provide technical guidance that will help manage and protect the Tribes’ water resources. The project will be completed in two years and will provide a plan for managing surface water diversions in the Michaud Unit of the FHIP as well as computational tools to enable daily execution of this plan. With this assistance, the Tribes will complete: - a set of operation guidelines for canals and diversions in the Michaud Unit water delivery infrastructure constituting an irrigation water management plan, - computational tools for management of irrigation water delivery, - a final report describing the water management plan and operation of the computational tools .

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