Turn the pumps back on: Curtailment order temporarily lifted for most Butte County farmers

ARCO, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Mat Weaver has lifted the curtailment order on Butte County farmers through May 4th.

The decision means farmers in the Big Lost River and Little Lost River Basins will be able to water their crops for the next two weeks.

During that time, “good faith” negotiations will continue between the Idaho Ground Water Appropriators and the Surface Water Coalition over accepting three ground water districts in the Big Lost River and Little Lost River basins into the 2024 Mitigation Plan. 

Weaver's decision only applies to farmers who are members of the ground water districts applying to join the plan.

Local News 8 spoke with representatives from both the SWC and IGWA before Weaver issued his decision.

"Those farmers out there – those growers – had their crops dying on the vine because it's been a very dry, warm spring, and they have very rocky, kind of shallow soil,” said Idaho Ground Water Appropriators Chairwoman Stephanie Mickelsen. “So for them, this is the critical time where they may not end up with a crop if we don't get this resolved."

The Butte County farmers started the process to join the 2024 mitigation plan late last summer.

"They have to first set up a ground water district. Then they have to go hire an attorney,” Mickelsen explained. “All of this takes time because you have to have public notices and all those kind of legal requirements met in order to do that. So they have been working on this for a significant period of time."

Tensions between the two groups culminated when Weaver declined to lift an order to cut off the Butte County farmers’ water on Thursday.

That decision brought both two groups of irrigators closer together, with negotiations continuing in earnest.

"I think over the next two weeks, we'll continue to meet and discuss those and try and reach a resolution,” said Surface Water Coalition Attorney Travis Thompson. “That's really the point for today is to agree to continue those good faith negotiations."

On Friday afternoon, the traditional rivals – SWC and IGWA – jointly asked Weaver to allow Big Lost River and Little Lost River Water District farmers to continue to irrigate.

"Just some real hard work on both sides - attorneys getting together and trying to find a path forward for some negotiations to continue that dialogue," Thompson said.

For full coverage of the latest developments, check out our article from Friday afternoon.

RELATED |  Surface Water Coalition, Groundwater Districts seek emergency stay on Butte Co. curtailment