IDWR to buy trout farm from Parks Dept.
Published 2:21 am Tuesday, April 22, 2014
- Lawmakers and state water officials tour facilities in Idaho's Thousand Springs area of Hagerman on April 16. The Legislature has authorized the Idaho Department of Water Resources to buy the Aqua Life aquaculture facility from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to make certain another water call doesen't result from selling it to a private party.
HAGERMAN, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Water Resources is purchasing a state-owned trout farm, concerned another water call against Magic Valley groundwater users could result if the facility were transfered to private ownership.
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Spring water rights from the Aqua Life aquaculture facility may also play a role in mitigating for other water calls, including one by Rangen, Inc., an experimental trout farm in the vicinity.
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation bought Aqua Life, developed decades ago as a commercial fish hatchery, as part of a land purchase to create a new state park preserving the home of famed Idaho author Vardis Fisher. The parks department looked to sell the facility in 2009 in response to a $7 million reduction to its budget.
The state Legislature, however, sought to keep the facility publicly owned following the recent Rangen ruling, in which the IDWR director determined a call previously dismissed as futile had been made relevant by the improved accuracy of Idaho’s groundwater model. Rangen and Aqua Life share a common water source, Billingsley Creek.
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At the end of the last session, the Legislature authorized IDWR to pay the parks department $1.635 million for the facility and water rights — equal to the 2011 appraised value. IDWR is further directed to make an annual $250,000 payment to the parks department to address the loss of lease revenue and the increased value of regional groundwater rights since the Rangen decision. The revenue will go toward a state park trust fund for developing parks in the Thousand Springs area. The parks department will retain ownership of the rest of the Fisher property and may choose to develop it as a park, though the Fisher home has burned.
A closing date has not been finalized. IDWR Planning Bureau Chief Brian Patton said Aqua Life has a 58 cubic feet per second water right from Big Springs, which flows into Billingsley Creek, though actual supply fluctuates from 30-40 cfs. The facility also has a 112 cfs water right in Billingsley Creek, with actual diversions ranging from 20-30 cfs.
Patton said several scenarios are under consideration to mitigate with the Aqua Life water rights. He said the facility may be leased to Idaho Ground Water Appropriators, which could sublease it after meeting its mitigation needs.
“I don’t know if it’s enough to completely resolve all of the calls. We’re thinking it’s going to be a piece of the puzzle,” Patton said.
IGWA Executive Director Lynn Tominaga emphasized IGWA is pursuing other alternatives that may be less expensive than leasing the facility.
“We’re looking at that as a possibility, but we have a number of other options we’re going to take a look at,” Tominaga said.
Rep. Marc Gibbs, R-Grace, attended a recent legislative tour of Aqua Life and other area trout facilities in the area. Gibbs said calls resulting in widespread curtailment would be “economically disastrous,” but it’s become apparent to him that there are many ways to resolve water problems short of shutting off wells.
“The important thing is the (Aqua Life) water rights were retained for the state,” Gibbs said.