06/06/07 Comprehensive Basin Planning

What started two years ago with senior surface water right holders asking for allotment has resulted in this year's threats of pumping shutdowns. There's only so much water but always a continual demand for it. ANDERSON "We're just running around at this point in time having to basically put our fingers in holes in the dike. We're running out of fingers." Hal Anderson of the Idaho Water Resources Department says that's why a long range water plan for the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer is under development but it won't help today, it's still a couple of years from completion. An advisory committee got together last month. ANDERSON "The Governor's Summit was kind of a kick off to that process. All the major players are represented on that advisory committee. On there we're looking at long term solutions. What's going to be an appropriate adjustment to the water supply and demand that's going to be acceptable by everybody and it's also going to include mechanisms on how to fund it." The framework plan was submitted last year to the state legislature which has approved two years of funding with hopes of producing a comprehensive water plan for the eastern Snake Plain. Anderson says he hopes there can be compromises rather than court cases where he says there will be winners, but there will be losers. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott