Idaho Senate committee advances bill to curb domestic-well irrigation in critical groundwater areas

An Idaho Senate committee voted to send Senate Bill 1083 to the fourteenth order for possible amendment after extended testimony from water users, municipal officials, homebuilders and farmers.

The bill, sponsored in the hearing by Senator Kelly Anthon, would narrow the scope of Idaho's "domestic exemption" in areas designated as having stressed groundwater — allowing in-home water use and watering of personal livestock but requiring a water right for other outdoor irrigation uses in those areas. The measure also would create a voluntary option to combine in-home uses onto a single well, add a new enforcement process with larger penalties, and add local planning provisions requiring counties and cities to analyze water availability in comprehensive plans.

Why it matters

Proponents said the bill addresses a growing mismatch between longstanding agricultural water rights and newer residential development outside municipal boundaries. Senator Kelly Anthon said the measure is intended to create parity for senior water-right holders: "That's the problem ... when there's a water shortage ... the pastures are green, and their sprinklers are pumping. That's the problem, and the problem continues to grow. This is about parity," Anthon told the committee.

What’s in the bill

Paul Arrington of the Idaho Water Users Association told the committee the proposal, three years in development, focuses on four areas: fairness in administration…