Senate committee hears four gubernatorial appointees to lake and water boards; Priest Lake gates and aquifer transparency raised

The Senate Resources Committee on Oct. 24 took testimony from four gubernatorial appointees to water and lake commissions, hearing local concerns about aging dam gates at Lake Pend Oreille and questions about groundwater recharge transparency and cloud-seeding programs.

Appointees introduced themselves and described their backgrounds and priorities. The committee did not vote on confirmations at this meeting; witnesses were introduced and committee members asked questions that the committee said would be followed up at a subsequent meeting when confirmation votes typically occur.

What appointees said

Linda Mitchell — Pend Oreille, Priest, Lakes and Rivers Commission Linda Mitchell, who told the committee she has served on the Pend Oreille, Priest, Lakes and Rivers Commission since its inception “almost 22 years ago,” said the commission’s most urgent issue is the condition of dam gates on Lake Pend Oreille. “We have one of our gates, get cracks in it. And this was discovered last year. It's cracks in the steel. That's a very serious issue,” Mitchell said. She said the gates were designed for a 50-year lifespan and are now about 70 years old and that replacement of all gates is necessary. Mitchell told senators that if a gate were to fail it “will empty our lake 11 feet from its normal pool level in the summer,” and that roughly “3,000 lakefront owners” would be affected because many docks are permanent.

Mitchell said the Army Corps of Engineers owns the dam and is responsible for replacement work; she urged continued state engagement and pressure to expedite repairs. She also flagged growth around the lake, shoreline erosion, septic-system concerns and water quality as ongoing issues.

Craig Hill — Priest Lake representative Craig Hill, a lifelong resident of Priest Lake and proprietor of Hill’s Resort, described long experience on local water issues including work on a breakwater and the outlet dam at Upper Priest Lake. Hill emphasized local knowledge and continuity; he and Mitchell both noted the committee’s role in public outreach and education on lake issues. Hill said the commission’s past work included ideas to add gate height to hold back more water in drought years and that local history on kokanee spawning informed recent management decisions.

Dean Stevenson — Idaho Water Resource Board, District 3 Dean Stevenson, who described himself as a farmer and pump irrigator from Minidoka and Lincoln counties, said his time on the Water Resource Board has involved statewide water issues, including work in the Wood River/Bellevue Triangle area and concerns on the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA). He acknowledged constituent concerns about curtailment and bypass flows, and said the board is working to improve transparency about bypasses at Milner and related recharge efforts. “We probably have erred somewhat in transparency on that, and we're working forward on that,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson and other board appointees described bypass releases that take place between Minidoka Dam and Milner Dam in winter; he said some water routed downstream is part of recharge partnerships and that flood flows in spring and summer are distinct from planned bypasses tied to cloud-seeding and recharge efforts.

Mark Gibbs — Idaho Water Resource Board Mark Gibbs, from Grace, Idaho, described his prior public service on the state Fish and Game Commission and his recent appointment to the Water Resource Board. Gibbs emphasized restoring and stabilizing the aquifer and supporting cloud-seeding programs and reservoir projects where feasible. He said cloud seeding has shown measurable returns in snowpack in areas where it is used and referenced interest in expanding cloud seeding, including in the Bear River Basin.

Questions and committee focus

Committee members asked appointees about the timeline, funding responsibility and federal role in replacing Lake Pend Oreille gates; Mitchell said the Army Corps of Engineers is responsible and that state pressure helps expedite federal action. Senators pressed Stevenson and Gibbs about bypasses and alleged transparency problems connected to water sent past Milner and how that relates to recharge claims; both appointees said they believed the board’s actions were legal and that they would work to improve legislative and public communication about bypasses and recharge partnerships with Idaho Power.

Process note

None of the appointees were voted on at this meeting; the committee conducted introductions and questions. The committee’s chair said confirmations typically occur at a later meeting after the introduction and Q&A stage.

Ending

Appointees summarized local priorities — dam-gate replacement, invasive-species vigilance at Priest Lake, aquifer stabilization, and cloud-seeding partnerships — and committee members said they would follow up on technical questions, fiscal responsibilities and transparency in the board’s bypass/recharge work.