Idaho Water Resource Board set recharge objectives

The Idaho Water Resource Board is working to move access water from the Eastern Snake River out onto the plains to recharge the aquifer.

This means that junior water rights would have to reduce or potentially stop pumping ground water.

The states rights were established back in the 1950s; and with the decline there isn’t enough water to meet those demands, that effect the water that is available to cities, industry and also agriculture.

If those entities have to reduce the amount of water they get, then it in turn can effect the economy.

The Idaho Department of Water Resource Board’s ultimate goals is to recharge 250,000 acre feet per year into the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer to help stabilize the aquifer and build it back up.

Last year the Idaho Department of Water Resource was able to reach 75,000 acre feet of recharge water.

However, this year they are projecting 80,000 acre feet, leaving 170,000 acre feet of water needed.

The Recharge Program Manager for Idaho Department of Water Resources, Wesley Hipke said, “In order to reach our goal we need to bring more projects.”

Hipke also said, “The plan is to more than double our current recharge capacity.”

Recharge is accomplished by delivering water via unlined irrigation canals and dedicated spreading basins where it is allowed to seep into the aquifer.

A new recharge canal is being built in the Egin Lakes recharge area to increase recharge capacity from 50 cubic feet per second to 150 cubic feet per second per year.

“Its proposed to be completed by March,” Hipke said.

The Water Board is paying for the full cost of that project which was $1,030,000, the Water Board has a water right for approximately 1,200 cubic feet per second to divert water from the Snake River for recharge.

Hipke explains, “It’s not an easy solution, there are limiting factors pertaining to recharge which have to do with water availability, infrastructure and development in the future.”

The Eastern Idaho Water Rights Coalition gathered to discuss the recharge project.

Chairmen of Fremont Madison Irrigation, Jeff Raybould who is also part of the Idaho Water Resource Board said, “We need to better manage our water resources it has implications for cities, for individual domestic users, industry as well as agriculture.”

Rocky Mountain Environmental Hydrologist, Roger Warner said, ” There’s going to be several steps taken to stabilize our water supply so that all the entities and uses can continue to thrive.”

For more information visit http://www.easternidahowater.org/. and www.idwr.idaho.gov