April 21, 2008Flows At Shoshone Falls Exceed RequirementsVisitors to Twin Falls Park can expect water flowing over Shoshone Falls to be around 460 cubic feet per second (cfs), well above the amount established in an agreement between the City of Twin Falls and Idaho Power. The increased flows are available because of maintenance work on Shoshone Falls Dam. The plant uses about 950 cfs to generate electricity when operating. The aesthetic flow agreement is part of the company’s federal license to operate the Shoshone Falls Power Plant requires Idaho Power to provide flows of 300 cubic feet per second (cfs) during daylight hours between April 1 and Labor Day. The 212-foot-high Shoshone Falls is one of southern Idaho’s most celebrated landmarks. Shoshone Falls Dam first generated power there in 1907 and became an Idaho Power generating resource in 1916. The project can provide as much as 12.5 megawatts of electricity to the company’s integrated power grid. A single megawatt can power approximately 650 homes. The historic power plant is one of 17 hydroelectric projects owned by Idaho Power on the Snake River or its tributaries.
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