Blackfoot fights flooding caused by blocked canal

BLACKFOOT — The city of Blackfoot was battling flooding near Airport Park on Tuesday.

Blackfoot residents near the park woke up Sunday morning to water from the Corbett Canal creeping into their backyards.

The flooding is being caused by a blockage in the underground portion of the Corbett slough, Public Works Director Richard Mangum said.

Crews began pumping the water out with a high-volume pump on Sunday, and the city had the slough professionally snaked to remove the blockage. However, city workers were unsuccessful. By Monday morning the flooding had increased and was still increasing Tuesday, officials said.

Mangum said some options available were sending down divers into the canal to find the blockage, or working to get the canal shut down temporarily.

He suggested now would be a good time for the canal company to shut down the canal at the head gates located near Firth.

“Farmers are preparing to cut the hay, so they aren’t using as much water,” Mangum said.

So far, no homes have been impacted by the flooding, but the waters have reached the Blackfoot City Municipal Airport, the greenbelt, the lake at Jensen Grove and a number of backyards.