[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6287472,"mediaKeyId","2552078-3aa635baf69b7280450b18ee30f87dba","parentId",2552078,"title","Idaho water officials report on adjudications, ESPA settlement, recharge and major projects","audioSeconds",541,"startMs",979000,"endMs",1520000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2552078-3aa635baf69b7280450b18ee30f87dba&start=979&end=1520","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2552078-3aa635baf69b7280450b18ee30f87dba/thumbnail_979000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6287472/Idaho/Idaho-water-officials-report-on-adjudications-ESPA-settlement-recharge-and-major-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287472-0f36a21a0e310bfda4d1d9e94e3d8a51/orig.mp4?Expires=1770897229&Signature=XsKTKluTqx~OxMOWIlvS3Ku3o2gOUFmNuiit7lDtFtG69cKHyUCe14yWCaE6dfd2UAy7E4fZrucNxQnJCLMHj7ae1KJ2do6zcIneS7d~SITKTGofOHqLj0hswW-KWmKxH5F7rvoiHa7HF7G0cZ8DJ6Lt~fs3BiGvbNPoCZcZpKcd2eY7XpxBkk0pyejXP3gbwYLogcWalXMlF7xKMYk0MN8OyVecDwEsvYwleDgu49tAwNexWEI7tq5i67xGi7Se1Ia6FcYhu~chUxaYbp2dUWIoSC0hIf8p9jpt6PDcv6XtxaylAvu1HgBubp0ITlQq92x8nI3pQdl4OvqL8ORlig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate of Idaho","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","Matt Weaver, director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and Jeff Raybould, chairman of the Idaho Water Resource Board, told the Senate Resources & Environment Committee about a range of legal, administrative and project developments affecting statewide water management.

Weaver said the department petitioned the courts to commence adjudication of the Kootenai River Basin and expects a commencement order by midyear. He described a recent federal court decision on the forfeiture of federally held stock water rights as mixed — “found some issues in favor of the state some issues in favor of the feds” — and said the federal government appealed the decision to the Ninth Circuit.

Weaver reviewed administrative setbacks and recoveries, including a loss and subsequent rebuild of the department’s electronic document management system that had affected access to more than a million water-right records; he said the system is restored and a small gap period is expected to be searchable by midyear.

On budget matters, Weaver said the governor has recommended $30,000,000 of ongoing funding for water projects and the department has asked for several enhancements including five new water-administration positions, continued fund transfers supporting staff, a full‑time public information officer, GIS licensing and an online application for proof forms.

Weaver described changes under a 2024 statute (cited as 42-233C Idaho Code) that expanded the area of common groundwater on the Eastern Snake Plain, bringing about 1,500 irrigation water rights into the delivery-call proceeding and authorizing the director to bring tributary basins into the same administrative area. The department plans spring public meetings in the Raft, Little Lost, Bannock and Portneuf basins and anticipates longer timelines (five to ten years) in basins lacking water-district administration.

Weaver reviewed last year’s delivery call and curtailment process on the Eastern Snake Plain, saying the curtailment was a required administrative step under Idaho law and related case law. He said that parties negotiated a temporary and then a four‑year settlement; “I approved it as a mitigation plan and issued that order in January,” Weaver said. The settlement, he said, focuses mitigation on farm-level compliance over a four-year period and protects many water users who belong to groundwater districts from district-level curtailment.

Raybould described funding and project work managed by the Idaho Water Resource Board. “More than $575,000,000 has been appropriated to the Water Board since 2019,” he said, and he summarized programs funded from that pool, ARPA allocations and competitive grant programs. He cited program totals and caps: a statewide aging-infrastructure grant program that covers up to one-third of project costs capped at $2,000,000 (about $56,000,000 awarded through five rounds to 90 projects), a groundwater-to-surface-water grant (11 grants, $13,000,000 total, up to 50% of cost capped at $5,000,000), telemetry/monitoring grants up to $250,000 (applications due March 28), and a flood-management grant program covering up to 50% of costs to a $200,000 cap (about $6,100,000 awarded to 77 projects).

Raybould also discussed recharge and cloud-seeding work: the board reports more than 2,500,000 acre-feet of recharge since the 2014–15 season with a current average of about 251,000 acre-feet per year and a program that generates roughly 950,000 acre-feet of additional water annually from cloud seeding at an average annual cost near $3,600,000 (about $3.77 per acre-foot), according to his testimony.

Raybould described the Anderson Ranch dam-raise project (approximately 29,000 acre-feet of added storage, estimated cost about $126,000,000 with roughly 11% federal share) and a Mountain Home Air Force Base pipeline project expected to turn over to the Air Force in 2025 with a base treatment plant online in 2026. He and Weaver said many projects are underway and asked for continued legislative support.

Committee members asked technical questions about cloud-seeding operations, program costs and the critical nature of the governor’s $30,000,000 recommendation. No committee votes occurred during the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Resources & Environment Meeting February 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Matt Weaver and Idaho Water Resource Board Chairman Jeff Raybould briefed the committee on court actions, a recently approved Eastern Snake Plain settlement, funding requests, recharge and large water projects including the Anderson Ranch dam raise and Mountain Home pipeline.","taxTitle","Resources & Environment, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Idaho","taxId",57315,"location","Idaho","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287477,"University-run water research institute outlines statewide priorities and advisory structure",211,613000,824000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2552078-3aa635baf69b7280450b18ee30f87dba&start=613&end=824","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2552078-3aa635baf69b7280450b18ee30f87dba/thumbnail_613000.jpg","/articles/6287477/Idaho/University-run-water-research-institute-outlines-statewide-priorities-and-advisory-structure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287477-c5f9b96b4817e88aeb03b1c83bdeee62/orig.mp4?Expires=1770897229&Signature=R-cgbDUnHId4PWe33oRu0ZlK81nPDLbfcDJGR7v0V8DMhfJt~yrMCFbjLUB59LzFdx8v4IO1c9xvAyOuaKGIcjnfgqQvYKfluOXOux056t18vuY1yGLJSnUR3akV67S7Gs~hGaaqEMsEE52qHUMZFPQql0dbHrLEKLh8aSZ5gesenffKNiABEynh6GK4GGtX8fkGNl8OIxJrg-QynmHBaPilQNkGNyt0OAfSMjWFWj9wfNuqKMq3gpbt0bHo1DsbQeQGPxwq1PZubYiO0QGdTjvsqkjmkP5wRV1hyJNHFKZeBUObmS~MbfkXbrUcmof-AwWKtKVKtCZCDsTMpRPrug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kendra Kaiser, director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute at the University of Idaho, gave a brief overview of the institute’s mission and near-term organization to the Senate Resources & Environment Committee.

Kaiser told senators the Water Resources Research Institutes were created by an act of Congress in 1964 and that Idaho’s institute is housed at the University of Idaho. She said the institute will focus on three priorities: planning, conducting and coordinating research to benefit the state; supporting professional development and student workforce readiness; and ensuring research results are accessible to communities that need them.

Kaiser described a two-part advisory structure: an executive board made up of state and federal agencies, industry and a nonprofit seat to advise on funding and political considerations; and a research advisory committee of technical experts who will compile a prioritized list of research needs the institute will use to guide staff and faculty support. “The need is great, and we are really excited to support, all members of Idaho,” Kaiser told the committee.

She said the University of Idaho has reinvigorated the institute over the past year, hiring leadership and engaging stakeholders across the state to build a strategic plan. Kaiser cited ongoing interest in further work on the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer model and said the Idaho Department of Water Resources is the primary lead on that model, while the institute can pursue complementary research that IDWR does not have capacity to undertake.

Kaiser briefly described her own background: a bachelor’s degree in soil and water systems and environmental biology from Montana State, a Ph.D. in watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry from Duke University, and a postdoctoral appointment in Boise that focused on large-scale modeling and stakeholder-engaged research. Committee members asked a few technical follow-up questions; Kaiser offered to follow up with staff and local stakeholders after the hearing.","Kendra Kaiser, director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute at the University of Idaho, told the Senate committee the institute will prioritize stakeholder-driven research, workforce development and outreach and is forming an executive board and research advisory committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287482,"Reappointed Lake commissioner highlights Priest Lake work, urges federal action on Pend Oreille operations",0,2193000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2552078-3aa635baf69b7280450b18ee30f87dba&start=2193&end=2193","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2552078-3aa635baf69b7280450b18ee30f87dba/thumbnail_2193000.jpg","/articles/6287482/Idaho/Reappointed-Lake-commissioner-highlights-Priest-Lake-work-urges-federal-action-on-Pend-Oreille-operations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287482-fbbd29f006e636f5baad8c191ddfad2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770897229&Signature=B83G27q12EOcYTBFHpM2ckknfm9DI5pb8veW2lbj5Jl8l3CeXxMh6LwIkcFRE3rPfRg8OWM-MHfFdslOGxUCt0gOFX2wkvTEo82MaeSs0hhHq9KS5jvzMmtV8joUP9hDJIIVIElNYhm7bmLE23fWCs~FUpMI21dPvUIdZzqNEIJOYTkJ7EkY7o7nv8KUVJSuYuPkcYhxkm8AQ2auuLFBy0K37D0MQG08uxhG9GJGu4nf5s81jqMUD4GGZWr5toMEZICOeCej3fpQYsAe6DccZwvPwuwbYh3VWBU5biyMYJOYZ8fQxLFroidHm22L1rf0a-Bd9i0g-KX2~Cf3NrRH7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Ford Elsesser, a long-serving member of the Lake Commission from Priest River, told the Senate Resources & Environment Committee that he supports preservation and operational changes aimed at protecting Priest Lake and Lake Pend Oreille.

Elsesser, who said he was first appointed around February 2003 and is now serving a seventh appointment, described the commission as an advisory body that has advocated for infrastructure and erosion-control projects. “We don't have the power to take specific action, but we have, many of the projects we have had have been advocated before by us,” Elsesser said.

The commission successfully pushed for a roughly $5,000,000 rebuild of the Priest Lake dam and work on the thoroughfare that provides boat access to Upper Priest Lake, Elsesser said. He told senators the rebuilt dam performed well during a dry year and that keeping an additional six inches of storage improved conditions on the Priest River compared with earlier dry years.

Elsesser said the commission is also pursuing an economic study of Lake Pend Oreille conducted by the University of Idaho and funded in part by the commission; he said the study is expected to be complete in July. He identified the Army Corps of Engineers' management of Albany Falls Dam as the principal remaining obstacle to restoring the full recreational season Congress promised in 1948, saying that the lake currently achieves, at best, a three-month season in many years.

The commission has also worked with Idaho Fish and Game, the Bonneville Power Administration and Avista to stabilize up to 15 acres a year of erosion on the Clark Fork delta entering Lake Pend Oreille, Elsesser said. He expressed cautious optimism that state-level support and changes in the federal administration could produce a better operational outcome for the lake.

No committee vote occurred at the meeting on Elsesser's reappointment; the chair said a vote would be held at a later meeting.","John Ford Elsesser, reappointed to the Lake Commission, told the Senate Resources & Environment Committee he and the commission have advocated for a $5 million Priest Lake dam rebuild and are pressing federal agencies to restore a full recreational season on Lake Pend Oreille.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Idaho water officials report on adjudications, ESPA settlement, recharge and major projects

University-run water research institute outlines statewide priorities and advisory structure

Reappointed Lake commissioner highlights Priest Lake work, urges federal action on Pend Oreille operations