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Project reduces risk of flooding along Idaho 78 in Owyhee County

Property owners along Idaho 78 are breathing a little easier and a nearby creek is running a little smoother because of a recent ITD maintenance project.

District 3 crews restored Hard Trigger Creek design flow volume, and in the process, reduced the risk of flooding by clearing an obstruction near Givens Hot Springs.

Ken Couch, foreman of ITD’s Caldwell maintenance shed, Richard Peryer, foreman of ITD’s Boise maintenance crew, and Dave Dansereau, special crew foreman, collaborated to remove excess vegetation and sediment that accumulated at the culvert’s inlet and outlet. The accumulated sediment reduced pipe capacity by half. After clearing it, crews flushed the sediment out of the pipe.

“We worked with the Sunrise Skypark Homeowners Association to clean the channel and pipes for Hard Trigger Creek, which also adjoins the Givens Hot Springs historical site,” explained Couch.

Crews cleaned 10 feet of the channel on the upstream end of the pipes and 60 feet downstream, then cleaned out the pipes and hauled off the waste.

“Mr. Givens and the association each had different visions on what should be done, but in the end both parties seemed happy with the result,” Couch said.

The maintenance project demonstrates ITD’s commitment to customer service and its response to needs of the public, which are part of the department’s Strategic Plan.

Photos: The twin culverts on Idaho 78 were severely restricted by accumulated sediment (top left). After ITD removed the sediment using a flusher truck (bottom) the culverts offered a clear path for water flow (top right).