Teton River Distribution Project

The Teton River Distribution Project was created by 9th and 12th Judicial Districts Court for the 2017 irrigation season. Water users throughout the basin petitioned for the appointment of water commissioners in 2016. In its inaugural irrigation season, the project proved to be a success based on comments received from water users throughout the basin. Public meetings will be held in the October and November 2017 to address any and all issues that arise during the 2017 administrative effort.

This website is set up in a blog format. Chief Water Commissioner Peter Fritsch is authorized to post photos and comments on stream conditions, priority date cutoffs, etc. Water users may post questions to the blog that will be answered as quickly as possible. This website is an effort to create transparency and effective decision making on behalf of the Teton River Distribution Project.

Teton River Streamflow Quick Links
Upper Teton River USGS Realtime Gauge
Middle Teton River USGS Realtime Gauge
Lower Teton River USGS Realtime Gauge
Teton River Below Hwy 221 Realtime Gauge - Realtime
Teton River above Springhill Reach – Realtime

Deep Creek at Pishkun Bridge

Teton River at Buck Bridge

These last three gauges are updated manually by Aaron Fiaschetti on a weekly basis depending on his schedule.

Lower Spring Creek
Upper Spring Creek
Teton River below Hwy 287, above Deep Creek

Daily Average Streamflow Website

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Summer Synopsis

Hello again - 
Hopefully everyone is able to view the two videos of Spring Coulee and Muddy Creek taken by Steve Kelly a few days ago.  A good run of lower temperatures and sporadic precipitation throughout the drainage have caused Teton River flows from the Hwy 221 bridge to Loma to rise significantly.  
The cooler weather was a very welcomed change as the persistent drought and heat wave throughout the entire month of July had created significant pressure on the lower river system through evapo-transpiration.
On approximately July 6th, the first call in the basin was made to 1950.  This shut off the New Rockport Colony and other junior water users in Zone 1.  
On approximately July 10th, after seeing little impact to the falling flows from the 1950 call, a call to 1897 was made to try and stay ahead of the rapidly falling flows throughout the basin.  This shut off all irrigation throughout the Lower Teton River (Zone 1) and Muddy Creek (Zone 3).  Certain groundwater irrigation was also shut off because of known impacts on river flows and neighbors' water availability.
On approximately July 19th, the first call on Deep Creek water on behalf of lower river water users was made to 1892.  This resulted in Deep Creek contributing a small amount of water to the system, but the flows continued to drop as the heat wave continued unabated.  
After holding a meeting with all the commissioners, a second call was placed on Deep Creek to May 1883 on approximately July 25th.  At this point all available water had been called to fill a senior 1890 stock right in the vicinity of loma..Concerns were high that the next step would bring zero flows retreating rapidly towards the senior 1873 stock right which in 2016 caused a mass calling of the river. The calls to 1883 prouduced enough additional flow in conjunction with much cooler weather to turn the tide in the lower river.
We are now 10+ days beyond the change in weather and we feel confident in lifting the May 1883 call.  
The current call date basin wide shall be set at December 31, 1897.  This call lift affects Zones 1, 3, and 4.  Zones 2 and 5 continue to be affected by localized shortages resulting in more senior call dates.​

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Spring coulee at new Rockport





Muddy at Collins 


Inaugral Post

Hello Everyone!  I am pleased to finally announce the Teton River Distribution Project's completion!

Please bear with me as I try to figure out how to post pictures and videos that the commissioners have been collecting.

Tonight I will post the details of call lift in response to the cooler temperatures and subsequent higher flows at the Dutton and Loma gages.  Thanks for your patience.

Standing Water Master - Peter Fritsch