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- Mann Creek Project
Mann Creek Project
State: Idaho
Region: Pacific Northwest
Related Documents
Mann Creek Project History (36 KB)
Related Facilities
Related Links
Major Storage Reservoirs in the Upper Snake River Basin
Weather Conditions (NOAA)
Weiser River near Weiser, ID (USGS)
Spring and Summer (NRCS)
Columbia River Snowpack Summary
Palmer Drought Index Map
Explanation of Palmer Drought Severity Index (Text)
Streamflow: Mann Creek near Wieser, Idaho (USGS)
Weiser
Mann Creek Reservoir
Precipitation
Mountain Snowpack Maps for Colombia River Basin
General
The Mann Creek Project in west-central Idaho consists of approximately 5,100 irrigable acres utilizing an existing distribution system in the narrow valleys of Mann and Monroe Creeks, both tributaries of the Weiser River. The natural flow of Mann Creek historically has been near its lowest point during the growing season when the demand for irrigation water is at its highest. Project development provides for storage of winter and spring flows of Mann Creek for use later in the irrigation season.
History
First settlers in the area were attracted in the early 1860`s by rich bottom lands. Most of them engaged in stock raising. The creation of Olds Ferry across the Snake River and the location of three forts in the vicinity of Weiser stimulated early development. Completion of the Union Pacific Railroad through Weiser and a branch line north to New Meadows in the 1890`s gave further impetus to agricultural settlement of the area. Early development of the project lands for irrigation was by direct diversions from Monroe and Mann Creeks. Ditches were constructed to meet the individual needs of the early farms. The Mann Creek decree of July 17, 1919, established the water rights for the various ditches diverting from Mann Creek and the water rights for Barton Reservoir.
Construction
In the 1840s and 1850s, the California gold rush largely passed Idaho by, but in the early 1860s, the region experienced a gold rush of its own. During construction of a road from Fort Walla Walla in eastern Washington to Fort Benton in Montana, construction crews discovered gold near the Idaho-Washington border. Word soon got out, and hundreds of gold hungry miners descended upon the region. By 1861, Lewiston, near the Washington-Idaho border, had grown into a major outfitting and supply center for the northern Idaho gold fields. In early 1862, a group of prospectors ventured into the Boise Basin. Turned back by Indians, they returned later in the year, striking it rich at Idaho City. The digging in the Boise Basin turned out to be the most productive in the region, producing more than $ 24,000,000 worth of gold by 1866. For those who did not wish to participate in the hectic activities of the gold diggings, other opportunities were available. Agriculture grew to meet the needs of the miners, and many who failed in the diggings became successful supplying the miners. Before long, Boise became the primary supply center for Idaho`s mining industry. While mining drove the settlement of the western and northern regions of Idaho, a different settlement pattern was taking hold in southeastern Idaho. The early Mormon settlers had been driven out of the region by hostile Indians in the late 1850s only to return a few years later to found Franklin, the first permanent white settlement in what was then known as the Washington Territory. As Franklin grew, a fort was built and an irrigation ditch was constructed and placed into service. Several other Mormon settlements sprang up in southeastern Idaho, repeating the Franklin pattern, and by the end of the Civil War, irrigated agriculture had firm foothold in the region.(5) The first settlers in the Mann Creek area northwest of Boise, were attracted by the agricultural potential of the rich bottom lands along the creeks. Many of the first settlers were stockmen. Settlement was boosted by the construction of Olds Ferry across the Snake River and three forts near Weiser. The completion of the Union Pacific Railroad through Weiser in the 1890s further stimulated settlement. The first development of irrigation in the region was through direct diversion from Mann and Monroe Creeks. Many ditches were constructed to meet the needs of individual farms and the water rights for these ditches were established in 1919 by the Mann Creek Decree which outlined the rights for the various ditches that diverted from Mann Creek. In the late 1930s, the Bureau of Reclamation began looking into construction of a storage reservoir in the Mann Creek area to supply late-season irrigation water to area farmers. (6) The Mann Creek Project was initially approved for construction by the Water Conservation and Utilization Act of July 1941, but failure by the area landowners to approve the repayment contract resulted in cancellation of the authorization. The land owners rejected the plan because some lands would be left without water during low reservoir periods. An alternative site about one mile upstream from the original site was investigated and found to be suitable. The project was reauthorized along with several other projects as part of a plan to finance irrigation projects with revenues from power projects in the Columbia River Basin, but this plan failed to gain the approval of Congress, and the project was once again put on hold. In 1958, a new plan was prepared using the original site and submitted to Congress for authorization. The Mann Creek Project was authorized under Public Law 87-589 on August 16, 1962. The original appropriation limit for construction was $ 3,490,000. In 1965, that limit was raised to $ 4,180,000. (7) Repayment contracts between the United States and the Mann Creek and Monroe Creek Irrigation Districts were approved by the water users in elections held in November 1964. Those contracts were validated by the District Court for the 7th Judicial District, State of Idaho for the County of Washington, in early 1965, and executed on behalf of the United States by Reclamation`s Regional Director on July 1, 1967. The contracts called for the repayment of $ 810,800 of the project`s total cost ($ 3,851,437 as of June 30, 1969), with the remaining cost to be repaid by revenues from power marketed through the Federal power system in southern Idaho. The first of 40 equal payment was due and paid in 1969.(8) The plan of development for the Mann Creek Project called for the construction of Mann Creek Dam and Reservoir, control structures on two existing irrigation ditches: the Joslyn and Mann Creek Ditches, and the rehabilitation of about 4 miles of the Lolley Ditch. The existing diversion, distribution, and drainage systems within the project area would continue to be used.(9) Bids for construction of Spangler Dam (the name was changed to Mann Creek Dam at the request of the water users in 1967) were opened October 26, 1965. The contract for construction was awarded to Murphy Brothers, Inc., of Spokane, Washington, on November 17, 1965. The accepted bid was $2,146,782. Notice to proceed was given and clearing of the reservoir area and excavations of the foundation area had begun by the end of November.(10) Work at the dam site progressed at a steady pace, and by the end on 1965, excavations for the foundation and outlet works were well under way. Excavations for the spillway structures began in January 1966. Drilling and grouting of the foundation began in late February with work on the left abutment completed the following month. Concrete placement began in early April with placement of portions of the outlet conduit and intake structure, and portions of the spillway intake structure. When completed, the outlet conduit was used to divert Mann Creek around the construction site. Drilling and grouting of the right abutment was completed in May 1966.(11) Work at the site was halted on June 2, 1966, by a strike of the Operating Engineers Local No. 370. After negotiations, the dispute was resolved and work resumed on June 19. Placement of embankment materials began in late June with placement of compacted backfill around structures of the outlet works. Work continued at a rapid pace throughout the remainder of 1966. Drilling and grouting of the foundation was completed in mid-July with excavations of the spillway stilling basin completed in September. Embankment placing operations were halted in mid-December due to poor weather conditions. At that time, the embankment had been completed to an elevation of 2,875 feet. The plans called for a final elevation of 2,903 feet. By the end of 1966, the dam was 89% complete with only 45% of the contract time having elapsed.(12) The rehabilitation of Lolley Ditch was carried out by the Tony Russell Construction Company, who was awarded the contract in September 1966, after submitting the low bid of $61,307. Work under the contract was completed the following summer. Lolley Ditch is operated by the Monroe Creek Irrigation District.(13) Concrete placement resumed in early January, 1967, and concrete placement in the spillway structure was completed by the end of the month. Embankment placing resumed in late February, and continued without significant delays. The first storage of water took place on the evening of March 27, 1967, when a bulkhead gate was lowered, closing the diversion conduit. The dam embankment was topped out on April 13, and the control gates were installed during the same month. Concrete work on the dam was completed in May, and on June 15, water reached the lip of the spillway and began flowing through the spillway for the first time. The project was inspected by officials of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Mann Creek Irrigation District on August 8, 1967, and in September, Murphy Brothers signed off on the contract. Final payment to Murphy Brothers was made on October 10, 1967. Mann Creek Dam and Reservoir was transferred to the Mann Creek Irrigation District for operation and maintenance on March 1, 1968.(14) Mann Creek Dam is zoned earth and rockfill structure 1,176 feet long with a maximum height of 148 feet above the deepest point in the foundation excavations. The crest is 30 feet wide, and the maximum width of the embankment from upstream toe to down stream toe is 700 feet. The spillway is located along the right abutment and consists of a concrete morning-glory spillway connected to a concrete conduit 13-feet in diameter which drains into a concrete stilling basin. The outlet works consist of a concrete intake structure and conduit running along the left abutment. Flows through the outlet works are controlled by two high-pressure gates in the control house and one high-pressure emergency gate located in the gate chamber. A second control house contains valves which control flows to the Mann Creek and Joslyn Irrigation Ditches. Mann Creek Reservoir has a capacity of 12,950 acre-feet (af), of which 11,100 af is available for irrigation storage. At maximum capacity, the reservoir is 1.8 miles long with a surface area of 282 acres.(15) Construction of Mann Creek Dam and Reservoir began in 1965 and was completed in 1967. Mann Creek Reservoir lies in the rolling foothills of the Hitt Mountains in southwestern Idaho. The reservoir area encompasses a total of 936 acres, with 283 acres of water surface providing almost 5 miles of shoreline. Facilities have been constructed for camping, picnicking, and boat launching and mooring. A major north-south route for Idaho, U.S. Highway 95, passes about 1 mile from the reservoir but recreational use is light, mostly limited to picnicking and fishing, and the majority of the visitors are local residents. There is good fishing for trout at the reservoir, which is stocked annually. Migrating waterfowl use the reservoir for a resting area, and both waterfowl and upland game birds are hunted in season. For specific information on recreation opportunities at Mann Creek Reservoir, click on the name below: http://www.recreation.gov/detail.cfm?ID=117 Before construction of Mann Creek Dam, the lands along Mann Creek were threatened each year with flood damages. Operation of Mann Creek Reservoir in regulating peak flows of Mann Creek has been helpful in flood prevention. Flood control operations are informal, but the Mann Creek Irrigation District operates the reservoir to the extent possible to reduce downstream flooding while assuring filling of the reservoir at the end of the spring runoff. Throughout much of the American West, the problem was the same: winter snows stored badly needed water high in the mountains, providing an abundant runoff each spring. But in the late summer, when the water is most needed for irrigation, the rivers and streams that supplied water to the irrigation ditches ran almost dry. This situation played out year after year throughout the west, and was the same situation that faced farmers along Mann and Monroe Creeks in western Idaho. The Mann Creek Project is located in west-central Idaho encompassing about 5,000 acres northeast of Weiser, Idaho. The primary features of the project are Mann Creek Dam(1) and Reservoir, located on Mann Creek, about 14 miles northeast of Weiser. Water from the reservoir is used to provide supplemental irrigation to lands along Mann and Monroe Creeks, both tributaries of the Weiser River.(2) Idaho is a land of significant variability: high mountains tower over wide plains, deep canyons slice through massive plateaus, and dense evergreen forests push up against great sagebrush deserts. Throughout its history, the region was home to several races of people who were forced to adapt to the variations in the environment. About 14,000 years ago, the region, including Idaho, was inhabited by a race of people who survived by hunting game and gathering fruits and other plants. Evidence indicates that the region received a great deal of moisture, leading to an abundance of game. About 10,000 years ago, a gradual change began to take place. The climate became more arid, and the grass-covered plain that supported the game turned to deserts. The game moved to less arid regions, followed by many who relied on them for survival. Those who remained behind became more dependant on small game, roots, and berries for their survival. About 4,500 years ago, the climate began to shift again, becoming cooler. The inhabitants of the mountains and valleys began to build pit houses for protection and developed a pattern of migration that took them to the mountains during the summer months and back to the plains during the winter. They continued to survive on roots, berries, small game, and fish. About 1,200 years ago, pottery became common, and the inhabitants of the southern desert region made baskets that could be used for cooking as well as gathering seeds and berries. For centuries, the inhabitants of the Idaho region had survived by adapting to changes in their environment and developing new ways of living. As the eighteenth-century dawned in the Americas, bringing the first Europeans into the area, the inhabitants of the Idaho region faced changes unlike any that had come before.(3) Many of the region`s native population felt the effects of European contact long before the first white men entered the region. Through trading contacts with other native groups, the native people of the Idaho region acquired horses and tools, ultimately traceable to the Spanish in New Mexico and California. In turn, they introduced these items to other groups. Along with the benefits associated with European contact, there came negative consequences. Smallpox and other European diseases for which the native population had no natural immunity, devastated many native groups. In 1805, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark became the first white men to travel into the Idaho region. Soon after, Canadian fur trappers began to explore the northern regions, establishing a post on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Before long, Idaho became a center for trapping activities in the western United States. Following in the footsteps of the trappers, missionaries soon moved into the area seeking game of a different sort, the souls of the native population. Beginning in the mid-1830s, Catholic and Protestant missionaries traveled the lands in the north, ministering to the Nez Perce and Coeur d`Alene Indians, while in the central and southern regions, Mormon missionaries ministered to the Shoshoni.(4)
Plan
Development of the Mann Creek Project consists of the Mann Creek Dam and Reservoir, control structures on Joslyn Ditch and Mann Creek Ditch, and rehabilitation of 4.1 miles of Lolley Ditch. Basically, the existing diversion, distribution, and drainage systems within the project areas are used. Mann Creek Reservoir furnishes a supplemental irrigation water supply for the irrigable lands within the Mann Creek and Monroe Creek areas of the project. At the request of the water users, the name of Mann Creek Dam and Reservoir was approved August 26, 1967. Prior to that, it was called Spangler Dam and Reservoir. In addition to irrigation, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits, flood control benefits are being realized through the operation of Mann Creek Reservoir. Mann Creek Dam, on Mann Creek about 13 miles northeast of Weiser, Idaho, is a zoned earth and rockfill structure with a crest length of 1,176 feet and height of 148 feet above bedrock. The crest width of 30 feet with guardrails along each shoulder provides a crossing for the relocated Monroe Creek road. A reinforced concrete morning-glory spillway inlet that connects to a reinforced concrete conduit, 11 feet in diameter, terminates in a concrete stilling basin located along the right abutment. The outlet works, located along the left abutment, is also of reinforced concrete. The flow of water is controlled by two 2.25-foot-square high-pressure gates located in the control house and one 2.75-foot-square high-pressure gate located in the gate chamber for emergencies. Mann Creek Reservoir, at the normal water surface elevation of 2,889.0 feet, is 1.8 miles long, has a surface area of 283 acres, and at closure had a total capacity of 13,000 acre-feet (active 11,100 acre-feet). A 1992 sedimentation survey estimated that Mann Creek Reservoir now has a total capacity of 12,500 acre-feet (active 10,900 acre-feet). Both the Mann Creek and Monroe Creek areas have operating distribution systems which are being used in conjunction with Mann Creek Reservoir. These systems consist of several diversion structures across the two creeks, and ditches to serve the farmlands. The only work performed on these facilities was construction of headwork control structures on Joslyn Ditch and Mann Creek Ditch, and rehabilitation of 4.1 miles of Lolley Ditch. Existing Barton Reservoir, with a storage right of 2,000 acre-feet, is filled from Monroe Creek diversions through the Monroe Creek feeder canal and by water diverted from Mann Creek during times of high runoff or during the nonirrigation season. Mann Creek Dam and Reservoir and all other project facilities are operated by the Mann Creek Irrigation District.
Contact
Contact
Title: Area Office ManagerOrganization: Snake River Area Office
Address: 230 Collins Road
City: Boise, ID 83702-4520
Fax: 208-383-2275
Phone: 208-383-2248
Contact
Title: Public Affairs OfficerOrganization: Commissioner`s Office
Address: 1849 C Street NW
City: Washington, DC 20240
Fax: 202-513-0575
Phone: 202-513-0305
Contact
Title: Public Affairs OfficerOrganization: Pacific Northwest Regional Office
Address: 1150 N Curtis Road, Suite 100
City: Boise, ID 83706-1234
Fax: 208-378-5019
Phone: 208-378-5020