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House backs memorial asking federal agencies to allow maintenance of Camas Creek channel to help eastern Idaho irrigators
Summary
The Idaho House passed Senate Joint Memorial 104 directing federal agencies to permit maintenance of the Camas National Wildlife Refuge channel so seasonal flows reach Mud Lake. Debate centered on water delivery, tribal treaty rights, and the scope of state control over federal lands.
The Idaho House passed Senate Joint Memorial 104 on March 24 by roll call, 53‑15, asking federal agencies to permit work to clear and maintain Camas Creek so water that enters the Camas National Wildlife Refuge can flow through to Mud Lake and serve downstream irrigators.
Senate Joint Memorial 104 asks federal agencies involved with the Camas National Wildlife Refuge to authorize maintenance of the creek channel and other steps to help water move through the refuge into Mud Lake, which serves roughly 24,000 irrigated acres. The memorial’s sponsor described historical permitting and maintenance: "The last time it was permitted was in 1990... we have not been able to get in and maintain that creek since the mid‑90s," Representative 15 said, and cited a multi‑year shortfall he quantified as about 44,000 acre‑feet that does not make it through the refuge.
Opponents warned the memorial's language could be read to request broader changes, including shifting management or ownership of federal lands. Representative 29 urged caution, noting treaty obligations and federal law. "The U.S. Constitution and the treaties with the First Nations people are the supreme law of the land," Representative 29 said, arguing the memorial should not be interpreted as transferring ownership or denying tribal rights.
Supporters said the immediate aim is to secure permits to remove sediment and debris and restore flow so Mud Lake storage can be recharged, reducing reliance on groundwater pumping. The House sustained a roll call after members requested one; the Journal records the outcome as 53 ayes, 15 nays, 2 absent/excused. The memorial will be transmitted to the Senate and delivered to the relevant federal agencies.
Ending: Lawmakers split along lines about urgency and the proper role of federal lands; the memorial asks federal partners to authorize maintenance work intended to restore seasonal flows to Mud Lake and reduce aquifer pumping by local irrigators.
