Breached canal causes flooding south of Hansen

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Twin Falls Mainline Canal breached Sunday afternoon.

The breach occurred near North 3800 East, two miles south of Hansen. Water quickly rushed across the road and flooded nearby fields. The excess water is draining into the Twin Falls Coulee west toward North 3700 East.

Jay Barlogi, General Manager of the Twin Falls Canal Company, said crews are working on making cutbacks near Milner and Murtaugh to stop water flow.

“We’ve got a relief valve up here that we call ‘Point Spill’ where we’re spilling water into the river to drop the water levels in the mainland canal,” Barlogi said. “Those cuts have all been made; we’ve diverted a little bit extra water into the High Line and Low Line where we can spill that out downstream of here, doing everything we can to reduce the flow of water in that canal to help assist in the repair of.”

Barlogi said he is thankful for the crews’ help in recovery efforts. The exact cause of the breach is unknown, but Barlogi said rodent holes are a common cause of breaches like this one.

The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office and the Twin Falls Canal Company continue to monitor the situation. The sheriff’s office will continue to post updates regarding road closures here.

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