Hazards

The spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels poses threats to water resources and water-resource infrastructure. Water-resource agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation need cost-effective monitoring methods to provide early detection for immediate response.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a growing concern in Idaho. Within the past five years, Idaho agencies have issued at least 57 HAB notices on 29 water bodies throughout the state. Toxins produced by HABs pose risks to human and animal health. Local economies may also be adversely affected when algal blooms discourage outdoor recreation. Routinely monitoring the state's many water bodies is too...

The most common cause of bridge failure is scour, when high-velocity streamflow scours streambed material from around bridge piers and abutments. As of 2017, the National Bridge Inventory listed 265 of Idaho's nearly 4,500 bridges (about 6 percent) as "scour critical." When rivers rise quickly, bridge inspectors have little or no time to mobilize and monitor bridges at risk of scour. Real-time...

In August 2013, the Beaver Creek wildfire burned more than 100,000 acres of public and private land northwest of Hailey, Idaho. According to the U.S. Forest Service, about 57 percent of the area is considered moderately burned, and the risk of post-fire soil erosion is high on more than 8,400 acres.