Watershed Moment
- cece8202
- Nov 19
- 3 min read
Planning today's land uses for tomorrow's river.
The Wood River Land Trust is commencing a scenario planning project to answer the question: “What zoning regulations, tools and programs can reduce water demand and lessen the negative impacts of development on riparian habitats in Blaine County, Idaho?" As part of a grant award from the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program, the project will be led by the Community Planning program at the Land Trust and supported by technical advisors in local government and the regional Wood River Water Collaborative.
Through data science, mapping and scenario planning, the Land Trust’s Watershed Moment project will not only conceptualize the risk– how zoning regulations and development patterns stand to impact water usage and riparian habitats in the County– but also the opportunity associated with zoning regulations, tools and programs that can protect the watershed. The project will map various scenarios: what growth will look like under current, planned and hypothetical zoning regulations. For each scenario, the project will model how growth stands to impact the watershed and which zoning code amendments are most protective of our gravelbed river floodplain. The project is expected to begin in the new year and end in spring 2027.
“In floodplains like ours, the interconnected nature of water below and above ground is often described as invisible– yet the science shows that it’s undeniable and critical,” says Trish Klahr, Vice Chair of the Wood River Land Trust Board of Directors. Life above the ground and on the Big Wood relies on the micronutrients fostered underground in a healthy, hydrated aquifer. “When we develop and build in riparian habitats or plan for land uses that heavily impact the aquifer, we compromise the functioning of our river ecosystem– we compromise the future of water availability in the valley and beyond.”
Altogether, the Land Trust invites the municipalities, partners in conservation and individual community members to partake in this Watershed Moment. To sign up for regular project updates and upcoming workshops, please reach out to Cece Albertson, Community Planning Director at the Land Trust: cece@woodriverlandtrust.org.
Project milestones:
2025 December: Watershed Moment Announced
2025 November: Data Science & Mapping Consultants Selected
With input from the Ecosystem Sciences, LLC, land use planning faculty from the University of Arizona and Gateway and Natural Amenity Region (“GNAR”) network will assist in the data science and mapping needed to draft conservation plans for different growth scenarios.
2025 August: Request for Proposals Published
Request for Proposals: Growth Scenario Planning for the Big Wood River Watershed
“Which land use regulations, zoning tools and programs can best protect
the land, water and wildlife of Blaine County, Idaho?”
2025 June: Funding Awarded
Project Descriptions for the Awardees of the FY 2024 WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase I.
Under Existing Watershed Groups and Idaho, see: Wood River Land Trust, Watershed Restoration & Growth Scenario Planning in the Big Wood River Basin | Reclamation Funding: $199,998
The Wood River Water Collaborative, in collaboration with the Wood River Land Trust, located in south-central Idaho, will update the Big Wood River Atlas to address the health of the nearby Big Wood Watershed's natural floodplain. A growing population combined with diminishing ground and surface water resources have put strain on the Big Wood River corridor and associated aquifer. The Collaborative will convene a working group composed of representatives from the surrounding communities, Trout Unlimited, state and national forest service members, the Nature Conservancy, and recreation groups. This updated watershed plan will consider potential development and risk to riparian habitats and design shovel-ready projects to address these concerns. These efforts will address riparian habitats, mitigate flood risks, and support the function of the surrounding unconfined aquifers.
