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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Water issues prompt questions, discussion at IDWR budget hearing…

There have been lots of questions from legislative budget writers this morning at the Idaho Department of Water Resources budget hearing, which includes Gov. Butch Otter’s big-ticket water proposals for next year. Roger Chase, chairman of the Idaho Water Resource Board, told JFAC, “Water is a finite resource in Idaho, it doesn’t matter where you’re at, it’s a finite resource.” As for aquifer recharge, he said, “One of the things we know is it’s got to go on forever.”

Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, asked IDWR Director Gary Spackman if he’s aware of alternate funding proposals that are being discussed for the water sustainability initiative. “I’m aware,” Spackman responded. “We look at a lot of alternatives.” Bair said, “I think there’s a better avenue than what you presented here today … a way of doing it without such a large general fund expenditure.”

Chase has sent out a guest opinion to Idaho newspapers about the water issues facing the state; it explains the circumstances surrounding a recent agreement between groundwater users and surface-water users of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, and concerns about declines in aquifers around the state and the issue of sustainability in Idaho’s water supplies; you can read it here.

Spackman told lawmakers the state did not sign the agreement, but there “may have been some expectations created in those discussions ... that the state would accomplish the 250,000 acre-feet of recharge in an ... accelerated timeline.” He said some of that accelerated timeline is reflected in IDWR’s budget proposal, including requests for additional staff and for funding for water sustainability projects.”



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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