Lawmakers Want To Increase Idaho’s Water Storage Capacity

Members of Idaho’s House and Senate are trying to work with federal partners to expand the state’s water storage capacity.  House Joint Memorial 14 calls on the Administration, Congress, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Reclamation to partner with the state to increase water storage capacity.

The memorial outlines ongoing challenges, including declining aquifer levels, recurring curtailments for groundwater users, reduced snowpack, and earlier runoff timing, all of which place increasing pressure on Idaho agriculture.

Lawmakers Want to Add Thousands Of Acre Feet In New Storage

“It notes that Idaho currently lacks the reservoir capacity to capture and store significant amounts of water that leave the state each year," said Idaho Farm Bureau Federation's Dexton Lake.  "To address this, lawmakers have outlined a long-term goal of adding 750,000 acre feet of new water storage by the year 2100.  The memorial encourages feasibility studies to expand existing reservoirs like Minidoka and American Falls, while also exploring new storage projects and funding partnerships.”

How Will These Efforts Be Funded?

Lake added HJM14 would also explore creative financing options, including federal funding and public-private partnerships.  HJM14 is sponsored by representatives Ben Fuhriman and Rod Furniss, as well as senators Kevin Cook, and Van Burtenshaw.

Click Here to learn more about HJM14.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com