Kids play near the entrance of Twin Lakes reservoirs near Clifton, ID. The canal company has backed their opening to June 1.
CLIFTON, ID – Twin Lakes Canal Company in Franklin County, Idaho moved the opening for their reservoirs from May 16 to June 1. Canal officials said they had people staying in their campgrounds last weekend and they were not social distancing. They decided the safest thing to do is close it down until June.
“People need to check our website, twinlakescanalcompany.com to see if the reservoirs are open,” said Twin Lakes Canal Company President Hank Povey. “The campground will be patrolled this year.”
The company’s website said the waterways might open from June – Sept. 4th, 2020.
All boats using the reservoirs must be inspected for Quagga Mussels. Watercraft with ballast compartments or bladders are prohibited on the lakes, (even if they are sealed off).
The canal company will also open their other reservoirs in June. Condie Reservoir will open to boats, only up to 10 HP watercraft, and there is no need to have the boat inspected at the station.
Winder Reservoir will also open, but watercraft is not allowed.
Currently, Franklin County is free from COVID-19 cases, but the area is a popular for camping, fishing and boating in the spring and summer and the worry is someone from out of the area will introduce it.
Visitors coming in from out of state to recreate in Idaho have been asked to quarantine themselves for 14 days, said an Idaho COVID-19 Hotline operator.
“If they bought their fishing license before April 15, the 14-day quarantine is waved,” the operator said. “The restriction may be gone by June.”
“We generally open the reservoirs May 2,” said Twin Lakes Canal Secretary Judy Phillips. “We’ve moved the opening to June 1, depending on what the governor does.”
The Franklin inspection station has been operating from sun-up to sundown.
Last year, 118,000 boats were inspected, 45 were found with mussels.
For questions on watercraft at Twin Lakes, contact Marty Murphy at (208) 241-3867.