Drought and Water

The snowpack across Idaho is at or above normal for this time of year, which is welcomed news after the lengthy irrigation season the state saw in 2022, tapping many reservoirs to extremely low levels.  In fact, Erin Whorton with NRCS-Idaho said the only locations that are not above 100% of average are in extreme north Idaho.  The sol...

A Congressional Review Act, or CRA, put forward by both Idaho senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, cleared the Senate Thursday, challenging the Biden administration’s Waters of the United States rule, which grossly expands federal regulatory authority over water.   “...

Governor Tina Kotek has issued two more drought declarations in Central Oregon.  The emergency declarations for Deschutes and Grant counties clear the way for state coordination of resources in an area now in its fourth year of drought.  ...

Last week, EPA Administrator Michael Regan defended his agency’s issuing its final WOTUS rule in December, ahead of what could be a watershed Supreme Court WOTUS ruling later this year.  Regan was pressed by Republican senators at an Environment and Public Works hearing on why EPA jumped ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling expected by June in Sackett vs. EPA, a case many bel...

The Biden administration's version of the Waters of the U.S. rule went into effect Monday, but not for everyone.  Over the weekend, a Texas federal judge put the updated WOTUS on hold in Idaho as well as the Lone Star State.  The Court’s order Sunday granted a preliminary injunction halting the Biden WOTUS rules only for Idaho and Texas, who co-led a lawsuit.  The suits argued that E...

Earlier this week, senators Tammy Baldwin and Susan Collins introduced the bipartisan Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, or The Healthy H2O Act.  Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat and Collins, a Maine Republican, say the bill will provide water testing and treatment technology grants directly to individuals and non-profits in rural communities.  Current...

Earlier this week, the EPA proposed the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS chemicals.  As part of EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the agency proposed to establish legally enforceable levels for six PFAS known to occur in drinking water.  Th...

The Oregon snowpack, and specifically the southern Oregon snowpack, is looking great for this time of year.  According to NRCS-Oregon, the Lake County-Goose Lake Basin is at 147% of average, the Owyhee is 140% of normal snowfall, and the Harney Basin is sitting at 156% of average.  In fact...

The U.S. House voted last week to repeal, on a largely symbolic 227-198 vote, the EPA’s controversial WOTUS rule.  The Senate could follow suit as soon as this week.  Democrats argued clean water is a human right that will suffer with the GOP’s move.  However nine Democrats, inclu...

Wildfires took center stage during a Senate Budget Committee hearing in Washington D.C. Wednesday.  Oregon’s senior Senator stressed that more must be done on the federal level to prevent wildfires and improve the workforce tasked with battle these blazes when they start.   “These...