IWRB Settlement

The Idaho Water Resource Board toured a $15.9 million groundwater to surface water conversion project with Bonneville Jefferson Groundwater District officials. I called Brian Patton, chief of the Planning Bureau, David Sparks, Idaho AG today. Speaker2: The Water Resource Board is trying to provide funds and take interest for projects that help the parties achieve success with a 2024 water settlement agreement on the Eastern Snake Plain aquifer. That includes both taking an interest and possibly funding that Jefferson Clark Groundwater District Pipeline, where they are proposing to deliver excess surface water when it's available in good water years out into grounds that are now only served with groundwater. And that gives them options going forward in helping to meet their settlement agreement obligations at the same time. The board also did already provide funds for the Twin Falls Canal Company Efficiency Project, which is intended to reduce the water demand of the Twin Falls Canal Company, which is one of the major canals within the surface water coalition that made the delivery call against the groundwater users and the aquifer. So if their demand can be reduced, that takes some pressure off the situation and again helps the parties achieve success in the 2024 settlement agreement. Speaker1: Complicated, but so important.