Henry's Fork Watershed Council - five years of learning to share a river

Abstract

The Henry's Fork Watershed Council (HFWC) was formed in 1993 in response to several years of conflict over natural resources management in the Henry's Fork of the Snake River basin. HFWC participants use a nonadverserial, consensus-based approach to assess and manage natural resources in the region. The Council is cofacilitated by the Henry's Fork Foundation (a fishing-based conservation organization) and the Fremont-Madison Irrigation District (that oversees the distribution of irrigation water in the Henry's Fork basin). It is composed of three component groups: agency, citizen, and technical that use the Watershed Integrity Review and Evaluation (WIRE) criteria to evaluate projects that are presented to the Council. Volunteers from the HFWC serve on four subcommittees: Water Quality, Sheridan Creek Restoration, Native Trout, and Million Acre-Feet committees that perform in-depth studies of specific topics and then report back to HFWC. Issues dealt with by HFWC include: water management and water quality; forest service land management; agricultural conservation programs; land development and planning and zoning; and one-time seed funding for watershed based projects. Successes have included the development of working relationships between previously adversarial groups, educational programs about natural resources management, and a venue for agencies to present and receive feedback about projects. Critiques of the Council include the lack of prioritization of projects, lack of legal authority and lack of long-term funding.