Committee Agrees to Print Bill Allowing Irrigation Districts to Contract for Recharge if Board Members Receive No Profit

The Senate Resources and Environment Committee on Wednesday voted to print RS31977, a draft bill that would create a statutory exception allowing irrigation districts to enter contracts related to groundwater recharge when some district board members are also groundwater users.

Paul Arrington, with the Idaho Water Users Association, told the committee the change responds to efforts across the Eastern Snake Plain to use managed recharge as a tool to address water-supply challenges. He said current statutes limit the types of contracts irrigation districts may sign when a board member or officer stands to benefit. "We are worried that a strict reading of that law would prevent irrigation districts who are partners in these recharge efforts from engaging in those processes," Arrington said. He added the proposed change would allow the contracts "so long as those board members who may be interested receive none of the profits of that."

The bill as presented would carve out an exception to the statutory restriction on irrigation-district contracts that could otherwise disqualify districts from partnering in recharge projects because some board members are groundwater users. Arrington said revenue from recharge work often is used to reduce assessments for district members.

Committee members posed no substantive questions during the hearing. A motion to introduce and print RS31977 passed on a voice vote; no recorded roll-call tally was given.

If printed, RS31977 would move into the committee process for further drafting and debate. Arrington said he would return for follow-up as the measure advances.