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   In this most unique area of Idaho, the cities of Twin Falls, Jerome, Gooding, Buhl, Wendell, Kimberly and Hagerman sit in an area formed by fire, wind and water. The mighty Snake River and its dynamic canyon etches the boundaries of each city where many falls, including 212 foot Shoshone Falls, can be seen.

   The magnificent Snake River Canyon cuts into hundreds of feet of volcanic rock as a result of the ancient Bonneville Flood. This colossal flood began at ancient Lake Bonneville, a vast body of water who's only remains are the great Salt Lake and North Marsh Creek in Southern Idaho.

   Lake Bonneville, with no outlet to the sea, covered over 20,000 square miles including most of Utah and eastern Nevada and reached into southern Idaho. Eventually, rainfall and glacier melt caused the interior basins of Idaho, Utah and Nevada to fill with water creating two huge lakes and many smaller ones. In addition, Bear River that once flowed into the Snake River was dammed due to a volcanic eruption and now flowed into Lake Bonneville, filling it even more. Finally, an incredible and vast event occurred that released an unimaginable 380 cubic miles of water from Lake Bonneville that lasted for six weeks.

   Violent water flowed into the Snake River at about 48 miles per hour enlarging the Snake River Gorge 6 - 7 times its original size. Today at the Twin Falls Perrine Bridge, the canyon is about 480 feet deep. During the flood, the water level would have been 20 feet above the bridge. This catastrophic flood left Idaho with the Snake River Canyon as we see it today.

Local Statistics

TWIN FALLS - located in Southern Idaho midway between Boise to the east and Pocatello to the west and 70 miles south of Sun Valley. Twin Falls is a vibrant city of over 35,000 people, home to over half of the county's 67,731 (*Census April 2001). The city sits at a high-desert elevation of 3,745 with the Snake River Canyon at our north edge, northern Nevada to our south and the distant Sawtooth Mountains riming the northern horizon.

JEROME - Positioned at the intersection of Interstate 84 East/West and State Highway 93 North/South, Jerome is the gateway to Southern Idaho and the center of the intermountain region. The area is steeped in natural history and is regarded as one of the most unique geological sites in the United States. A sagebrush covered desert until an innovative irrigation system was built in the early 1900's, the area is a major producer of agricultural commodities with a 140-day growing season. The City of Jerome, county seat of Jerome County, is home to over 7,300 of the county's 18,449 total population (*Census April 2001).

MINI-CASSIA - This area includes the cities in Minidoka County and Cassia County. Cassia County's population (Burley, Albion, Declo and Oakley) was 21,720 in 2002 and Minidoka's population (Rupert, Paul and Heyburn) was 19,465 in 2002. The area has a natural resource heritage and has grown with advancing technology. Bordering the Snake River, Mini-Cassia provides endless recreational opportunities, including water and jet skiing, boating, windsurfing, sailing, swimming and a riverside eighteen-hole golf course. South of the River is Oregon Train crossings and the majestic City of Rocks. A National Reserve and part of the Sawtooth National Forest, the 14,500 acres of rock formations offers world-class rock climbing drawing climbers from around the globe. Pomerelle Ski Resort provides runs for beginners and advanced skiers and bikers enjoy rides to beautiful Lake Cleveland. A variety of cultural activities are also available through King Fine Area Center - Idaho's second largest full service theater - and the Howell Opera House.

   South Central Idaho boasts a four-season climate. Daytime highs in July average 91 degrees with evening lows of 54, while January temperatures range from 37 in the day to 19 at night. The area receives little precipitation, about 17 inches of snow and 9 inches of rain annually and the air is dry and clear. Because the area is "high desert" you will find a much lower humidity which makes the "wind chill" or "heat index" more tolerable even though Idaho is considered a "Northern State".

   Twin Falls, Jerome and Mini-Cassia are in an area known as “the Magic Valley.” Canals were built to carry water from the Snake River to Milner Dam in 1905. Shortly thereafter, productive farmland and the town of Twin Falls seemed to spring up out of nowhere on the sagebrush-covered southern Idaho desert. Thus, the term “Magic Valley” was born. Twin Falls, Jerome and Mini-Cassia have long been agricultural centers with several of the largest employers involved in growing and processing food.

   Idaho is the number one trout producing area in the United States mostly from hatcheries located in the Thousand Springs of the Snake River Canyon on the Snake River Aquifer.

History of Southern Idaho

Local Statistics

Farming