Lawmakers hear $30 million water funding ask; agency seeks staff to manage growing water-district workloads

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard March testimony from the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Idaho Water Resource Board on the department's budget, project pipeline and staffing needs. Department Director Matt Weaver and Board Chairman Jeff Raybould told the committee the agency is managing hundreds of millions of dollars in project commitments while seeking new staff and an ongoing general‑fund increase.

The presentation showed a water management account with an ending fiscal‑year 2024 balance of about $293,000,000, revenue to date this fiscal year of roughly $38,000,000 and expenditures of about $11,200,000, leaving an uncommitted balance around $29,000,000 after committed project funds of about $290,000,000, budget analyst Janet Jessup said. "That leaves us with an uncommitted fund balance of about $29,000,000," Jessup told the committee.

Why it matters: committee members pressed agency leaders on how quickly large, multi‑year water projects can move from planning to construction and on whether available funds are being spent efficiently. Lawmakers questioned a governor's recommendation included in materials for a $30,000,000 ongoing transfer to the water management fund and a department request for five new full‑time positions to create a Water…