It’s that time of the year again: the irrigation systems are winding down and the canals are being turned off. So ... what does the off season look like for the companies that run them?
Irrigation season typically runs from mid-April to mid-October. Once the weather shifts, landscapes go dormant and demand for water drops.
“That is when all the companies kind of plan for the following season and start making repairs and evaluating their systems and requirements,” said Mike Harrisson, the water manager at the Boise City Canal Company.
The canals mostly serve urban parks and residential areas and will be shut down on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Maintenance crews then inspect them, check the head gates for debris and look for downed trees to clear up the channels.
“We won't really attack it until, you know, all the leaves are off the trees,” he said.
As for the critters who live in and around the water while the canals are flowing, Harrison said not to worry about them.
“They know where to go, frogs and so on like that. They'll bury in for the winter. Ducks will migrate,” he added, saying most of the fish are already in systems where water remains, like the river and Logger Creek.
While canals rarely freeze, as temperatures drop homeowners might want to shut down their sprinkler system to prevent damage to the pipes.
