East Idaho Times

U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, both representing Idaho, have announced the Senate's approval of the Urban Canal Modernization Act. This legislation aims to allocate Bureau of Reclamation funding towards repairing urban canals facing significant maintenance challenges. The bill is particularly relevant for western canals such as the New York Canal in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, which have transitioned from rural to urban settings over time.

"Maintaining urban canals is critical to protect our communities and way of life in the West," stated Senator Risch. "I’m pleased to see the Senate pass my Urban Canal Modernization Act, which is a commonsense fix to allow for much-needed infrastructure repairs."

Senator Crapo emphasized the potential risks posed by aging urban canals: "The aging of urban canals could pose serious threats to adjacent communities. Providing resources to local canal managers will protect the growing residential and business area along the New York Canal in Boise."

The act also has support from U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

The New York Canal plays a vital role by transporting water 41 miles from the Boise River to Lake Lowell. Initially surrounded by farmland, it now lies within one of America's fastest-growing metropolitan regions. As agricultural lands are increasingly converted for other uses across the West, updating infrastructure becomes more challenging. Urban canals like this one not only serve agricultural and municipal purposes but also face heightened maintenance risks due to their proximity to homes and businesses compared to their original rural environments.

Currently, these urban canals lack straightforward access to necessary repair funds because of their city surroundings. The Urban Canal Modernization Act seeks to address this issue by permitting Reclamation funding for specific maintenance concerns related to urban canals.