Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Storage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senator files joint memorial urging study of rebuilding Teton Dam and other storage projects
Summary
Senator Kevin Cook introduced RS 32298, a joint memorial requesting federal and state study of rebuilding the Teton Dam and other water‑storage expansions; the committee voted to print the memorial for possible further action.
Sen. Kevin Cook, R‑District 32, presented RS 32298, a joint memorial urging state and federal governments to update studies and explore new water‑storage projects, including rebuilding the Teton Dam and enlarging existing reservoirs such as Minidoka and Jackson Lake.
Cook told the committee the memorial is intended to secure future water storage for agriculture, communities and industry, and to keep spring runoff from passing downstream unused. He said the effort would examine multiple sites across the state and that federal partners, including the Bureau of Reclamation, have expressed willingness to engage, though any new project would require environmental studies and other preconstruction steps given the roughly 50‑year lapse since the original Teton Dam failure.
Jerry Merrill, mayor of Rexburg, testified in support and described local interest in storage, flood control and recreation. Merrill noted community resilience since the original 1976 breach and invited lawmakers to a 2026 remembrance event near the dam site.
Senator Cole moved to send RS 32298 to print; Senator Hart seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote. The memorial, if printed and pursued, would request updated studies and federal engagement; it is not authority to construct a project but is intended to prompt federal and state study.
