Ground-Water Levels Rise At Bruneau

The aquifer which holds geothermal water that the endangered Bruneau hot springs depend on has risen for the first time since recent monitoring began, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says.

Ground-water levels in the Bruneau Valley rose about 6 inches from 1995 to 1996. That coincides with reduced water withdrawals for agriculture, from 3,500 acre-feet to 7,500 acre-feet less than in previous years.

As ground-water levels had declined over the years, a few local hot springs have dried up and snail habitat has been lost. The snail was listed an endangered species in 1993.

However, monitoring over the past year reveals that, for the first time since surveying began, underground water levels have risen. The U.S. Geological Survey also calculated a marked decrease in ground-water withdrawal for irrigated crops.

That was due in part to the fact that farmers did not turn on their pumps until later in 1995 because of wet, cool spring weather.

But the monitoring program was slated to end Monday, the end of the federal fiscal year. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the Geological Survey will try to find funding for continued testing, possibly through state or local efforts.