Michaud Surface Water Measurement Program

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The Tribes have an interest in both accurately monitoring and in some cases limiting the Michaud Unit diversions from the Portneuf River. The Tribes’ ability to lease water from their storage accounts is also affected by timing over the irrigation season. A lessee of Tribal water has often needed to know the quantity available for lease early on in the irrigation season, when the total water use by the Michaud Unit is not known and cannot be known for many months. To date, this uncertainty has been handled through conservative lease amounts and some amount of good fortune with regard to water supplies and demands. This project will provide a baseline dataset on surface water use. This data will then be utilized by the TWRD to conduct accurate water accounting and to quantify the efficiency of water use leading to water conservation and better water management within the Reservation.

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