Shaping Idaho's Water Future

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Idaho Legislation

Idaho Ground Water Appropriators (IGWA) is an active participant in Idaho’s legislative sessions, educating legislators and providing a unified voice for groundwater users.

Legislative achievements include:

Legislative support for IGWA mitigation plans
State funding of groundwater management and conservation projects
Expanding conjunctive management to tributary basins
Requiring hearings before IDWR amends the SWC methodology order
Narrowing the domestic well exemption to exclude subdivisions
Requiring subdivisions to utilize surface water where available
Amendment of IDWR agency rules
Adjusting Idaho laws governing groundwater districts when needed

Water issues don’t stop at county lines. IGWA represents Idaho groundwater users in major regional agreements that affect water supply, storage and aquifer health.

Columbia River Map with tributaries

Map: Kmusser, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) — modified

The Nez Perce Agreement (2004–2034)

This landmark deal secured:

Tribal water rights
Flow augmentation obligations (hundreds of thousands of acre-feet per year)
Minimum instream flows for fish
Conservation and habitat programs
Legal certainty for over 150,000 water rights

IGWA is actively involved in renewal talks to:

Protect local storage and recharge access
Maintain irrigation productivity
Balance ecological and economic needs

The Columbia River Treaty

This binational agreement (U.S. & Canada) governs:

Water storage and release
Hydropower coordination
Flood control and environmental goals

Recent developments:

Tentative update proposed in 2024 but not ratified
Future may involve Treaty termination or renegotiation

Implications for Idaho:

Reduced Canadian storage could pressure Snake River reservoirs
Threatens ESPA recharge reliability

IGWA’s Commitment

IGWA ensures groundwater users:

Have a voice in multistate negotiations
Influence policy that protects recharge and aquifer health
Prevent one-sided agreements that could destabilize Idaho’s rural economy

150,000+ Idaho water rights affirmed under SRBA

Other Legislation & Further Reading

2024

SB 1341: This legislation provides clarification and expansion of common ground water supply in the Eastern Snake River Plain.

https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1341.pdf

2025

HB445 $30M in water infrastructure projects:

https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/H0445.pdf

SB1083 Domestic water use:

https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1083E1.pdf

Water Policies & Legislation
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In the News
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