Otter wants survey of Idaho’s aquifers

Gov. Butch Otter wants to spend $20 million to develop sophisticated models of all of the aquifers underlying Idaho.

Idaho has been struggling to resolve water conflicts throughout eastern and Southern Idaho that arose in part because people didn’t understand how surface water and the aquifer worked together. Otter said he wanted the state to be better prepared the next time population growth and economic change forced water conflicts.

“We simply must not repeat the problems we are seeing along the Snake River,” he said.

This money would let the Idaho Water Board pay for a comprehensive aquifer study similar to the effort aimed at resolving the dispute between groundwater and spring water users of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.

The funds would be used to complete the Eastern Snake Plain’s study and to plan and develop scientific models for the rest of the state’s underground water systems.

The models show how water comes into the aquifer from rain, canals and rivers, and how it goes out through rivers, springs and pumps. It gives a regional picture of how natural and manmade factors affect the aquifer.

Otter’s idea was well-received among Idaho lawmakers.

The Water Resources Board would not spend all the money immediately, so, with interest, the funds could grow to $27 million or $28 million, said Wayne Hammon, administrator of the Division of Financial Management.

The Treasure Valley is a top priority for planning and technical studies. Next is the Rathdrum Prairie near Post Falls, and in descending order, the Big Wood Valley area; Moscow and Pullman; Mountain Home; Bear River in southeastern Idaho; Teton River; the Big Lost River; and the Portnuef and Blackfoot basins.

Models already are under development for the Treasure Valley, Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie

and Moscow-Pullman aquifers. The Idaho Department of Water Resources would add three full-time staff to work on the studies.

The Idaho Water Resources Department has been working on a package for studying additional water storage projects in the state – including the possibility of new dams. But the plans were not done in time and were not included in the budget, said Dave Tuthill, Idaho Water Resources Department director.