Idaho officials seek comment on Little Lost River subbasin plan

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will accept comments until Oct. 8 on its plan for reducing the elevated temperatures in the Little Lost River subbasin.

The department has made its plan, “The Little Lost River Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load: 2015 Temperature Addendum,” available online and at its regional office in Idaho Falls. The subbasin is northwest of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory and beneficially affects the area by providing a habitat for cold-water aquatic life, an area for salmon spawning and space for human recreational uses.

Waters in the subbasin are heating up, exceeding recommended temperature levels due to a lack of shade. This negatively impacts the health of fish and other aquatic life.

The waters covered under the proposed plan include Little Lost River and its tributaries, Big Springs Creek, Sawmill Creek and its tributaries, Squaw Creek, Timber Creek, Moffett Creek, Summit Creek, Dry Creek and its tributaries, Wet Creek and Deer Creek.