Idaho - Teton River Canyon

Help Teton Canyon Become a Wild and Scenic River

Eastern Idaho's Teton River is one of the last remaining strongholds for Yellowstone cutthroat trout as well as an important winter refuge for elk, moose and other wildlife. However, this spectacular canyon is threatened by a controversial proposal to rebuild Teton Dam, which collapsed in 1976, killing 11 people and causing more than $1 billion in damage. Local farmers say they need the extra water, but Trout Unlimited, other conservation groups, and even irrigators point out that there are ways to meet the needs of agriculture while protecting this unique natural treasure. Trout Unlimited is committed to preserving this beautiful wild river for future generations. The Bureau of Land Management is studying the suitability of Teton Canyon to be protected as a Wild and Scenic river and accepting public comments. Additionally, BLM is studying the canyon's natural resource value to be designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), which would provide additional ecological protection and qualify the canyon and surrounding lands for additional conservation funding.

Your letter in support of Wild and Scenic and ACEC designations could make the difference. Below are some key points to include in voicing your support for protecting the Teton River and its tributaries. Feel free to personalize this message.

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Message Recipients

Monica Zimmerman - Outdoor Recreation Planner

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Dear (recipient name),

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the BLM's eligibility study of the Teton River and its tributaries for protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and identifying the Canyon as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Clearly, these rivers and streams are free-flowing, possess multiple outstandingly remarkable values (ORVs), and thus are suitable for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  The Canyon also meets both relevance and importance criteria to designate it as an ACEC under the 1976 Federal Lands Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), including:

- A significant historic, cultural, or scenic value. 
- A fish or wildlife resource. 
- A natural process or system, and 
- Circumstances that make it fragile, sensitive, irreplaceable, rare, unique, etc.

The Teton River is a key stronghold for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout – a candidate species for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act – and attracts anglers and boaters from across the region.

In addition to its value as a native trout fishery, the Teton Canyon provides critical winter range for thousands of mule deer that migrate west from the foothills of the Tetons, making it a prime big game hunting area. The Teton River corridor also harbors dozens of bird species including federally protected trumpeter swans, American white pelicans, and bald and golden eagles.

Further, Teton River's tributaries—Badger Creek, Bitch Creek and Canyon Creek—all provide important tributary spawning habitat for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and serve as vital linkage corridors for migrating big game species such as elk and mule deer. All three are still in largely pristine condition and should be found suitable for Wild and Scenic designation.

Unfortunately, the Teton River is perhaps best known as the site of the 1976 Teton Dam failure, which claimed the lives of 11 people and caused more than $1 billion in property damage. This tragedy also virtually wiped out the wild trout fishery in the canyon. More than three decades later, the river has largely healed itself and regained its status as a prized stretch of water for anglers and whitewater boaters. This year, the state of Idaho and Bureau of Reclamation will begin a study of rebuilding Teton Dam at the original site, or constructing off-channel storage—either of these options would have devastating environmental impacts on the canyon.

These rivers are irreplaceable ecological treasures and offer world-class recreational opportunities. I urge the BLM to find the Teton River suitable for Wild and Scenic designation and identify it as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern based on its extraordinary fish and wildlife resources and recreational values. On balance, these factors far outweigh purely speculative and potentially costly plans for dam reconstruction in the Teton Canyon.

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