As part of HFF’s 40th Anniversary edition of the Summer Seminar Series, Dr. Rob Van Kirk sat down with founders Mick Mickelson and Mike Lawson in mid-June to ask about the 1980s and what prompted the formation of the Henry’s Fork Foundation in 1984.
Mike recalls floating senior Senator Jim McClure and his wife down the river to show them the beautiful resource that would be hurt if the multiple proposed hydro developments dewatered Mesa Falls. Mick also added that a $750k Forest Service appropriation to build the LogJam parking lot and restroom may have occurred shortly after Mrs. McClure needed to use the facilities during the visit, but none existed! Then there was the time Mike Lawson, a man from a town of 600 people, had to testify in front of Congress! As he’ll tell you, he felt like a fish out of water to say the least.
Plus, hydropower including Fall River Rural Electric and PacfiCorp, and Aquatic Resource Coordinator Matt Hively join the conversation to talk about how the sometimes challenging relationship between fish and hydro has developed and improved over the years.
This, and many other great stories from the early days, made this a wonderful event on a sunny day in Harriman. If you missed it, you can watch the video by clicking below.
Our Aquatic Ecology Program Manager, Dr. Jack McLaren, joined Idaho Falls city and FIPS-Mouche leadership at the opening ceremony parade along the Snake River Greenbelt to welcome competitors to the watershed and to make sure conservation was front and center.
Drone photo of Island Park Dam taken on September 9, 2026 Looking Back on September September brought lows and highs to Island Park. Island Park Reservoir started September at 29% full and quickly fell to a low of 12% full on September 19. The rapid drawdown of the reservoir was the result of managers needing to move water downstream to American Falls (to irrigate farms in the Magic Valley with senior water rights). Such low
This story was written by Audrey Hunter (2026 intern) and was originally published in the Fall 2026 Newsletter. It’s no secret that late summers on Island Park Reservoir haven’t been in perfect conditions in recent years. Warm, turbid, algae-filled water plague reservoir recreationists while diminishing water quality downstream. Cyclical algal blooms decrease water clarity and create less-than-ideal circumstances for the reservoir’s flora and fauna. What’s the solution? HFF’s DIRTT Plan. In-Reservoir Oxygenation Nutrients released from
Drone photo taken on September 9, 2026 The Henry’s Fork Drought Management Planning Committee met on Wednesday, September 16 2026 to develop an updated reservoir management strategy. Downstream of the Henry’s Fork watershed, lower-valley irrigation demand over the rest of the season is anticipated to be slightly lower than projected last week, so Island Park Reservoir and Grassy Lake (in the Fall River drainage) do not need to deliver any more water out of the
