IDWR launches technical review to resolve Butte County curtailment, Surface Water Coalition appluads path forward
BUTTE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho's Surface Water Coalition is applauding efforts to find a potential path toward ending water shut-offs in Butte County.
On Wednesday, the Idaho Department of Water Resources launched a collaborative technical review to determine if three "junior" groundwater districts can join a statewide mitigation plan, potentially bringing an end to an active curtailment order.
The Path to Resolution
The negotiations involved the SWC, the Idaho Ground Water Appropriators, and three districts currently facing shut-offs: the Big Lost River Irrigation District, the Upper Big Lost River Ground Water District, and the Little Lost River Groundwater District.
Under the state’s "prior appropriation" doctrine—the "first in time, first in right" legal framework—senior surface water users must receive their water before junior groundwater pumpers. Following the passage of Senate Bill 1341 in 2024, water users in these areas were required to join a mitigation plan to avoid shutdowns. Because these three districts failed to join an approved mitigation plan by the November 2025 deadline, they were subject to IDWR curtailment orders to protect senior rights.
RELATED: Butte County farmers face possible water shutoffs amid curtailment enforcement
Technical Review and the "Stay" Decision
Following today's discussion, all parties agreed to move forward with a technical review process of the proposed First Addendum to add the three groundwater districts to the 2024 Mitigation Plan. Over the next three weeks, technical experts from all sides will evaluate data and the terms of a "First Addendum" to the 2024 plan to ensure that adding these new districts won't negatively impact the users already enrolled in the plan.
The IDWR will facilitate technical meetings throughout April. All parties are scheduled to reconvene on May 4, 2026, for a follow-up status conference to review the experts' findings and determine the next steps for the 2024 Mitigation Plan.
In a news release, the SWC President Alan Hansten applauded today's progress, voicing the SWC's support for additional groundwater districts to join the 2024 Mitigation Plan but emphasized that the process must be "done right," following legal requirements and ensuring fair treatment for those already in the plan.
“The 2024 Mitigation Plan was the result of months of negotiation between senior surface and junior groundwater users, with the goal of protecting all Idaho water users. The process to adjust this plan needs to be done right,” Hansten said. “We are committed to moving forward with decisions based on sound data and consistent standards to ensure the success of the 2024 Mitigation Plan and the longevity of practical water management.”
A Potential "Stay" in Butte Curtailment Order
In addition to the discussion over the technical review, another major point of discussion during the conference was whether to pause the curtailment order while these "good-faith negotiations" take place.
IDWR Director Mathew Weaver is expected to announce a final decision on a potential "stay" of the curtailment order in the coming days.
