BOISE, Idaho – Today, the 2024 Natural Resources Interim Committee met at the Idaho State Capitol and heard from the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) about the current status of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) Ground Water Management Plan and the ESPA Mitigation Plan. Lt. Governor Scott Bedke has served as a mediator, along with Idaho Water Resource Board Chairman Jeff Raybould, during the negotiations between the senior surface water users and junior groundwater districts and is pleased with the great progress that has been made to create and update these plans.

Lt. Governor Bedke released the following statement regarding IDWR’s confirmation that the mitigation plan is in the final stages for agreement:

“The Committee members heard today what I have been observing first-hand all year – that everyone benefits when we talk farmer to farmer to find a solution. The updated mitigation plan puts our best ideas together, outlining a path forward that follows Idaho law, keeps our agriculture industry flourishing, and supports the health of the ESPA,” said Lt. Governor Bedke. “The final touches are being added to the comprehensive plan as we speak, and then our farmers and irrigators will present their hard work to their peers in the next couple weeks for approval.”

“I appreciate the willingness of all our water users over the past few months to sit down together, address the real issues at hand, and then put in the work to find a communal path forward. That is the true Idaho way,” Lt. Governor Bedke continued.

The mitigation plan’s purpose is to create guidelines for the state to best manage surface and groundwater conjunctively; ensure senior water right holders receive their share of water as owed by Idaho’s prior appropriation doctrine; and inform junior water right users of their requirements to protect the ESPA and maintain safe harbor. The Surface Water Coalition and Idaho’s nine Ground Water Districts are expected to have a signed ESPA Mitigation Plan by November 14, 2024.

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