Published 10:48 am Thursday, May 29, 2025
The Idaho Water Resource Board at its May 23 meeting approved more than $30 million for farmers and groundwater districts in the east and south-central regions to carry out key terms of a 2024 settlement agreement.
The agreement involves Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer groundwater users who hold junior rights and a coalition of surface water users with senior rights. The aquifer has been declining for decades for reasons including growth, development and the use of more efficient irrigation systems that return less water.
The 2025 legislature passed House Bill 445, which provides the Department of Water Resources with an additional ongoing $30 million-plus. For the fiscal year that starts July 1, the legislation requires the board to spend $30 million on water projects in the east and south-central regions — each region gets half — under the new ESPA Water Sustainability Projects program.
Spending that the board approved for the first year was based on feedback from water users about their desired priorities, according to a news release from Gov. Brad Little’s office.
The first-year spending plan directs $20 million to the ESPA groundwater-to-surface water conversion projects grant program, which the board is continuing from last year.
Another $5 million goes to a surface water operational efficiencies program, and $4 million is to be spent on recharge infrastructure to boost water levels in the ESPA; the board operates a recharge program between irrigation seasons.
A surface water coalition measuring and monitoring support grant program receives $1 million.
The funding initiatives dovetail with key terms of the settlement agreement — including requirements that groundwater districts reduce consumption, surface water coalition users in the south-central region boost usage efficiency, all water users track consumption monthly, projects target increased aquifer reach gains in Blackfoot-to-Minidoka stretch, and work continues to reach a higher annual volume target for state-managed recharge, according to the release.
The agreement requires groundwater districts to reduce consumption by a set annual volume, averaged over four years. Districts can reach the targets by groundwater-to-surface water conversion projects, private aquifer recharge projects and more.
IWRB in December approved the first round of conversion projects.
As for surface water coalition members in the south-central region boosting water efficiency, a new grant program will incentivize efficiency and conservation without reducing incidental recharge to the ESPA. That should help reduce conflicts between groundwater and surface water users, according to the release.
“Idaho is committed to supporting farmers and maintaining our water sovereignty,” Little said. “I appreciate my legislative partners for approving my plan for ongoing water funding. This first round of funds will help our farmers to roll up their sleeves and develop projects to sustainably manage their water for years to come, and we’re not done yet.”
Board chairman Jeff Raybould and Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke last summer worked hard to bring users from the state’s east and south-central regions together to craft the settlement agreement.
“I commend the board for following through on our vision,” Bedke said in the release. “Now the ball is in our farmers’ court to move forward with projects to implement the agreement.”
Board members and staff worked hard in “putting together these budgets in short order and creating new grant programs to help our farmers and communities stretch limited water resources as far as possible to find a sustainable balance in the ESPA region,” Raybould said.
