The Surface Water Coalition

 The recent legal maneuvering between fish farms and groundwater pumpers in South Central Idaho underscores and amplifies the urgency to properly manage water resources such as the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer which is declining. The Surface Water Coalition, a group of Magic Valley canal companies and irrigation districts has crafted a pilot aquifer recharge program. The Coalition’s efforts seek solutions as opposed to litigation that polarize all sides of the issue instead of fixing it. Ironically, a principal proponent of “fix it…don’t fight in court” is lawyer Tom Arkoosh. “The Surface Water Coalition last year had a media campaign seeking to recruit the interested entities to focus on the rehabilitation of the aquifer as the ultimate solution to this conflict. In the spirit of practicing what we’re preaching, and after the comprehensive aquifer management plan was adopted by the Water Board, we joined together with Idaho Power Company to try and plan and put together a long term protocol to see if recharge can be actually made to work. There’s been a tremendous amount of lip service given to recharge but not much of it has been done. Our hope is the ultimate result of this is we’ll find out how well recharge works.”