Commissioners vote to pursue one-year water-district membership to address curtailment

County operations staff and the board reviewed flow-rate estimates and options for securing additional water. Scott (event director/staff) and other staff reported flow-rate comparisons: an American Falls option would net roughly 33,075,131 gallons per year, while a Bingham County option—based on preliminary figures—would be about 33,794,981 gallons, a difference of roughly 700,000 gallons per year if numbers are correct.

Legal counsel advised that "the only thing that's going to get us out of the curtailment order at this point is joining 1 of the water districts," and recommended pursuing a one-year contract while staff completes application and verification steps. Counsel said joining the same district as nearby municipalities could facilitate negotiating for partner-held water shares in the future.

Staff described operational steps required to place water into service (well cycling, system blowout and pump testing) and cautioned that turning on irrigation is not an instantaneous process. Commissioners expressed concern about delay, staff's ability to obtain timely responses from other counties, and the operational impacts if the district application timeline extends. One commissioner moved to proceed with the assumption of signing a one-year agreement with American Falls/Aberdeen and to submit an application to the county water bank so the county would be positioned to obtain shares if available; the motion carried by voice vote.

The board directed staff to submit the application, pursue the district membership option, and report back with any required certification or well testing.