By rssfeeds-admin 
ARCO – Groundwater users in the Big Lost and Little Lost River Basins have officially joined the 2024 Stipulated Mitigation Plan.
Idaho Ground Water Appropriators, the umbrella organization for the nine groundwater districts in eastern Idaho, made the announcement in a Friday morning news release. This ensures that groundwater users in Butte County will be treated like every other participating member under the plan and protected from curtailment.
“This is a huge relief for the farmers in our basin and for our families, our crops and our communities,” Little Lost River Ground Water District Chairman Kirk Nickerson says in the release. “We are deeply grateful for the support we received from IGWA members who stood with us, helped us through the process and made sure we were brought in and treated equally under the mitigation plan.”
The group signed the addendum to join the mitigation plan on March 31. They’d been working for months to comply with state law and join the plan. They sent the request to the Idaho Surface Water Coalition for approval the day before irrigation season began.
RELATED | ‘Extortion’ claims fly as groundwater users in Butte County face curtailment order
The passage of SB 1341 in 2024 — which added these districts to the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer common groundwater supply — required water users in the area to implement an approved mitigation plan or join an existing one to avoid shutdowns. They were given 16 months to comply, with the deadline set for Nov. 1, 2025.
Under Idaho law, surface water users have senior water rights, and groundwater users are required to have a plan to recharge the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer during times of shortage. Earlier this month, the Idaho Dept. of Water Resources issued a drought declaration in response to the water shortage. Although groundwater users are required to conserve a minimum of 205,000-acre-feet of water annually, the water shortage in 2026 means there are no opportunities for recharge.
RELATED | Idaho declares drought emergency for all 44 counties as snowpack hits record lows
The 2024 plan provides a safe harbor that protects groundwater wells from being shut off, but only if users comply with a mitigation agreement.
The IDWR issued a curtailment order for the area on Nov. 21. They started checking groundwater wells in March, and determined that groundwater users throughout the Big Lost and Little Lost River Basin still did not have an approved mitigation plan. Red tags and curtailments were issued for some farmers in the area.
RELATED | Curtailment order remains in effect as Butte County farmers await state’s next move
Days after signing the addendum, Butte County groundwater users and the Idaho Surface Water Coalition met for a status conference to try to resolve the conflict. The parties agreed to lift the curtailment order on April 17.
IGWA say they are excited “to welcome these hardworking farmers into the plan and look forward to continuing to work together through shared mitigation responsibilities, recharging the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer and additional commitments that help ensure water remains available for Idaho agriculture and communities for generations to come, especially in dry years like this one.”
“This is an important milestone for Idaho water users and another sign that the 2024 mitigation plan is working. IGWA is proud of the farmers who continued to come to the table and work together to protect one another, the long-term health of the ESPA and the overall economic stability of Idaho,” IGWA says in a news release.
In a statement Friday, Surface Water Coalition chairman Alan Hansten says the drought and ongoing challenges with water “underscore the importance of a unified, science-based approach to water management that guarantees fairness and long-term reliability.”
Hansten says he appreciates “the good-faith discussions between water users over the past couple of weeks that led us to an agreeable path forward.”
“Every person at the negotiating table represents Idaho farmers and irrigators who depend on this resource. Our goal has always been to build a plan that works not just today but for the long-term stability of Idaho agriculture and the aquifer we all rely on,” he says. “By holding to consistent standards and working through the data together, we have reached a solution that supports all Idaho water users and protects the integrity of the Mitigation Plan.”
The post Butte County water dispute ends as groundwater users join state mitigation plan appeared first on East Idaho News.
Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.