IDAHO FALLS The 1994 irrigation season is starting with too much water too early for eastern Idaho farmers. And while it may not bene

fit farmers, it could help salmon migrating to the Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has started increasing water releases from the Upper Snake River basin because reservoirs are nearly full. However, most crops are not yet in so irrigators are unable to use the water.

That means some of the water flowing down the Snake River probably will not be used for irrigation, though it may help flush endangered and threatened salmon toward the ocean.

The Bureau of Reclamation increased flows at Minidoka Dam near Rupert to 3,400 cubic feet per second Wednesday. Releases could climb to 4,800 cfs by today, said Mark Croghan, the bureau's hydrologic engineer in Burley.

American Falls Reservoir and Palisades Reservoir both are nearing capacity. Flows at American Falls are expect

ed to increase to 5,000 cfs today, while releases from Palisades, near the Wyoming border, will increase to 2,300 cfs today or Saturday, up from the winter flow of 1,500 cfs.

The reservoirs usually are not full this early in the spring because the Bureau of Reclamation releases water for flood control. But that was not necessary this year because of low winter snowpack, said Mike Beus, the agency's water operatio

ns branch chief in Burley.

Water released from Palisades cannot be used by most eastern Idaho farmers yet because their irrigation canals are not scheduled to be opened for use until mid- to late-April.

Croghan said about 5,000 cfs is expected to flow past Milner Dam west of Burley this weekend out of the reach of upstream irrigators but perhaps just in time to help young salmon begin migrating toward the sea in mid-April.

Water released from American Falls takes about 13 days to reach Lower Granite Dam in southeastern Washington, the first of eight dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers that migrating salmon must negotiate.

The Bureau of Reclamation plans to release 527,000 acre-feet from southern Idaho reservoirs this year to aid migrating salmon. But Beus said early spring releases from Upper Snake reservoirs will not be credited toward that total because the water was not requested.