Heavy Spring Runoff Damages Martin Canyon Road
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TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Erosion and debris flows over the past two weeks have severely damaged the Martin Canyon road, about 3 miles east of Bellevue, Idaho.
The damage to the road is directly associated with the loss of vegetation resulting from the 2017 Martin Canyon Fire. The fire burned away vegetation which normally holds soil in place during the spring snow-melt and rainfall. The road is currently impassible, with ruts and eroded gullies more than six-feet deep in places.
The BLM’s Shoshone Field Office staff is assessing the extent of damage to the road this week. The road’s seasonal closure was scheduled to be lifted on May 1. However, the extent of damage might now preclude the lifting of that closure.
“We are working on a path forward,” said Codie Martin, who manages the Shoshone Field Office. “We need to figure out how much of the road may still be useable and what it will cost to repair damaged sections. In the mean time, however, we want folks to know that getting this road back to a safe and driveable condition may require a continued closure.”
For more information contact: Shoshone Field Office, 208-732-7200.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.