Idaho Governor Butch Otter and House Speaker Scott Bedke have announced an agreement between water users and managers on prioritizing water rights from Boise River reservoirs, eliminating the need for a special session of the Idaho Legislature.
Had the governor called a special session, legislators were prepared to propose amending state water law to prioritize existing water-rights allocations following any flood-control operations if area growth and development prompts any sizeable increase in water storage capacity along the Boise River system.
Water users were concerned about the right to refill the reservoir space opened up by flood-control releases in order to ensure their water-rights allocations could be met.
The agreement reached Wednesday involves the Idaho Department of Water Resources, municipal water system operator Suez, the Boise Project Board of Control, and the irrigation districts it serves in southwestern Idaho. It includes specifics about the processes for prioritizing and appealing water-right allocations to thousands of Treasure Valley landowners – from farms and parks to residential lots.
Bedke says the 2019 session of the Legislature would seek to codify the agreement’s provisions. (Idaho Governor’s Office)
