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Hydropower Projects
In 2001 Symbiotics’ proposed a 3.3 MW hydroelectric project on the existing diversion and completed FERC licensing of the project in 2008. One component of federal licensing is the Resource Protection and Mitigation Agreement, which ensures that the project will be a net benefit for local fish and wildlife.
Following are comments by various interested parties on the Resource Protection and Mitigation Agreement: Greater Yellowstone Coalition: The Settlement Agreement and final project conditions should stand as a model for renewable energy development in an extremely sensitive environment. GYC appreciates the willingness of all parties, including the applicant, to work collaboratively in finding solutions to difficult and sensitive challenges. FERC now has the opportunity to affirm and implement this unique and successful effort to balance economy and environment. — Scott Christensen Greater Yellowstone Coalition Trout Unlimited: The Agreement resulted from significant efforts by the negotiating parties, including careful consideration of the impacts of the Chester Diversion projection, and research regarding means to mitigate those impacts. Trout Unlimited concluded in signing the Agreement that the commitments set forth would address Trout Unlimited’s concerns and appropriately mitigate for project effects on fish and wildlife resources. Trout Unlimited fully supports the Agreement. — Peter R. Anderson, Staff Attorney, Idaho Water Project Trout Unlimited
Idaho Department Fish and Game: Symbiotics, LLC (applicant), IDFG, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U. S. Forest Service, together with Trout Unlimited, the Henry’s Fork Foundation, and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, collaboratively negotiated the Settlement Agreement (Agreement) “…to resolve all issues regarding fish, wildlife, recreational, and aesthetic resources associated with the issuance of a new license for the Project.” The Agreement resulted from significant efforts by the negotiating parties and IDFG, in signing the Agreement, concluded that the commitments set forth would address IDFG’s concerns and mitigate for project effects on fish and wildlife resources. The IDFG fully supports the Agreement and expects the implementation of the Agreement will ultimately result in added benefits to the fishery. — Bart Butterfield, Acting Chief, Natural Resources Policy Bureau, Idaho Department of Fish and Game. |
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Situated on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River between Ashton and St. Anthony, Idaho, the Chester Diversion Hydroelectric Project is immediately downstream from the confluence with Falls River. The Chester Diversion Dam was constructed in 1938 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBOR) as part of the Minidoka Project.
The Henry’s Fork of the Snake River in eastern Idaho is well known as recreational trout fishing haven. According to John Randolph, Editor, Fly Fisherman Magazine, “The Henry’s Fork is the premier dry fly fishing stream in the entire world.” The surrounding area also boasts the largest production of seed-potatoes in the world, made possible by hundreds of unscreened diversion canals feeding the otherwise arid landscape. 
In conjunction with the Idaho Department Fish and Game (IDFG), local non-governmental organizations (NGO) had repeatedly expressed concern about the loss of trophy-size rainbow trout into unscreened irrigation canals. Included in Symbiotics’ Resource Protection and Mitigation Agreement for the Chester Diversion Hydroelectric Project was a provision to screen two major upstream irrigation canals.