TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Visitors to Twin Falls, Idaho, may soon be able to summon the city's namesake waterfalls with the push of a button, thanks to an innovative proposal from Idaho Power and inspiration from local students.
The Twin Falls that gave the city its name are now controlled by one of Idaho Power's 17 dams on the Snake River. While the dam generates electricity for 30,000 homes, visitors often find the waterfall experience lacking.
"I'm kind of depressed the fact there's not that much water coming out of the falls," a Magic Valley visitor told Idaho News 6 when he discovered the name Twin Falls is no longer really accurate. "They advertise Twin Falls, but there is only one trickle out of one fall."
Currently, Idaho Power is required to release a scenic flow of 300 cubic feet per second over the falls daily during daylight hours in summer and on weekends and holidays in winter. The rest of the time, the falls draw down as all water is used to generate electricity.
"There are some days it's a really yucky day. No one wants to come and walk or view the falls," Idaho Power's Angela Miller told Idaho News 6.
Miller explained how a school group from Filer pitched a unique solution to the problem.
"These kids said 'wouldn't it be cool if you had a button that turned on?' And, ironically, we started thinking it would be pretty cool," Miller said.
The proposal involves installing a button that allows visitors to "turn on" the falls if they arrive on a low flow day. On days when no one pushes the button, the falls stay off and Idaho Power can continue generating electricity uninterrupted.
"If you're the first person in the park, it's a gorgeous day like today when the park opens at 8 AM, you can be the first person to turn on the falls," Miller said.
The deadline for public comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is Oct. 29.
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