“I want that certainty as soon as possible”-Governor Little addresses groundwater users’ concerns
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - Governor Little is addressing the concerns of East Idaho groundwater users. Local News 8 met with the governor for an one on one interview Thursday, outside of an ongoing meeting between water users on both sides of the state.
The Governor told local News 8 he was confident in the progress the group has made ahead of the October 1st deadline for a new mitigation agreement between water users, as outlined in Little’s executive order to protect Idaho’s water sovereignty.
“My position, which is very hard, is we need to do it this time of year for next year so that there’s certainty,” said Governor Little. “I don’t want to have it be like it we did it this year, where it’s in April, May, and June, because of how disrupting that is. That is not fair.”
Watch our full coverage of the interview tonight on Local News 8 at 5.
The executive order and subsequent meetings resulted from a water curtailment order issued by the Idaho Department of Water Resources on May 30th. The order cut off 500,000 acres of east Idaho farmland from pumping groundwater to reduce a shortage of water for first rights holders.
Governor Little’s order ended the curtailment, providing a temporary agreement between water users for the 2024 season. Water users on both sides of the state have since entered into three months of negotiations to develop a new agreement.
UPDATE: Aug. 8, 2024 5:00 p.m.: (Surface Water Coalition release) - Following the water negotiation meeting on Wednesday, August 7 of stakeholders from the Groundwater Management Plan Advisory Council, the Surface Water Coalition released the following statement:
“There is a sense of renewed hope within the group. New ideas are coming out of these discussions, ideas that we believe might provide valuable tools for us as we work towards a long-term plan for the future. However, some of these ideas are very complex and will require a lot more work and refinement. We wholeheartedly thank those who are literally working day and night to make sure our efforts provide meaningful, enduring solutions for the betterment of Idaho. There are currently several proposals being worked on and our Coalition members are hopeful that they will help us create a path forward.”
Per the Governor’s Executive Order No. 2024 - 06, a Groundwater Management Plan must be submitted for review by September 1; a new mitigation agreement must be finalized prior to October 1, 2024.
