REXBURG, Idaho » State officials say they are close to signing an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to study water storage options in southeast Idaho, including rebuilding the failed Teton Dam.

Hal Anderson of the Idaho Department of Water Resources said the study will look at various options in the Teton River basin. The Teton Dam failed spectacularly in 1976, killing 11 people and 18,000 livestock.

Anderson said the state and federal bureau would split the $800,000 cost of the study to look at ways to add 100,000 acre-feet of water storage in the basin.

An acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre with a foot of water.

"We have a lot of water, just not the infrastructure to manage it," Anderson told the Standard Journal. "We don't want to shut the door on any good ideas."

Lisa Stark of the Bureau of Land Management said that once the agreement is signed, work on the study could begin this summer. She said the study will look at many storage options.

"We're going to start broad," Stark said.

The Fremont Madison Irrigation District has pushed for more water storage in the basin, and for rebuilding Teton Dam.

"We'd like to see all of the options explored," said Dale Swensen, manager for the irrigation district. "We believe it's prudent to look at all options. That doesn't mean it has to be the rebuilding of the dam. The state is right on track."

Trout Unlimited opposed the original Teton Dam.

"TU is following the study closely, and we look forward to working with the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation to study an array of options that address eastern Idaho's water supply needs," said Kim Trotter, director of Trout Unlimited's Idaho Water Project.

"While some might think eastern Idaho is in need of additional surface water storage, there are many alternatives that are safer, more cost effective, faster to implement, and better for our natural resources than rebuilding Teton Dam," she said. "TU will continue to work with the agencies and other stakeholders to identify these alternatives and will follow the study closely."