11/26/08 ESPA public meetings

Now that the Idaho Water Resources Board has approved the draft Comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan the public can comment on it before it goes to the state legislature early next year. Next month there are public meetings about the plan in Pocatello on December 2nd, Twin Falls on the 4th and Idaho Falls on December 10th. Water Resources Department's Hal Anderson says this plan is an effort to adjust water supply and demand in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer now and in the future. ANDERSON "The major focus of the plan is what's called the Phase One Actions and that includes adjusting supply and demand through various programs such as converting ground water to surface water irrigation, managed recharge and a number of other things like that." The plan lists several options to change the use of 600 thousand acre feet of water. All of this is predicated on the amount of available money and that price tag is seven to ten million dollars per year for the first ten years. ANDERSON "It really puts the whole eastern part of the state and the state as a whole on a very positive track." The Eastern Snake is the first of the Idaho aquifers that will have a comprehensive management plan with at least a half dozen others to follow. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott