Resources and Conservation Committee sends water‑recharge, canal governance and wildlife bills to the House floor

At a meeting of the Resources and Conservation Committee, members voted to send a package of natural‑resource bills to the House floor, including House Bill 334, which sets a 350,000 acre‑foot annual recharge target for the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer; two bills clarifying irrigation‑district and canal company authorities; a bill to let guided participants trap under a licensed guide; and a bill to create a depredation appeals board.

The committee advanced the most contested measure, House Bill 334, after testimony from water users and irrigation interests. Representative Stephanie Mickelson, sponsor for the bill, said the 350,000 acre‑foot target was the product of negotiation "between the surface water coalition and the ground water districts." Farmer Brian Murdoch of Murdoch Farms testified in support but urged the committee to prioritize recharge "in the Upper Valley" — above American Falls — because recharge near Twin Falls and Milepost 31, he said, has short retention time and quickly returns to springs. Murdoch also said the State Water Board has paused funding for some injection wells, including projects in Bingham County, and said he expects funding to resume once technical and community concerns are addressed.

Paul Arrington of the Idaho Water Users Association told the committee recharge is a key tool to address water calls across the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer and urged passage. Claire Power (committee member) clarified technical and legal constraints, saying the timing of reservoir fills and the priority date of water rights determine where the board can divert water for recharge. She also noted testing standards around injection wells and said monitoring has shown water‑quality improvements where recharge has been done.

The committee voted to send House Bill 334 to the floor with a do‑pass recommendation; the chair announced "the ayes have it." No roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Two bills dealing with irrigation governance moved…