A grand project to prevent hard feelings between surface and ground water users in Western Idaho from escalating further has been successful so far, according to today's report in the Idaho Statesman.
The Idaho Department of Water Resources was able to divert storage water north of the Snake River in the Magic Valley into the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. Half a million dollars from industrial sources including the Idaho Dairymen's Association gave them the right to lease the water instead of seeing their water pumps turned off.
The issue of course, is how to keep water-dependent industries alive with aquifer water and not violate laws that give the senior holders of surface water the first right to the water.
The aquifer was able to absorb 91 percent of the 29,500 acre-feet of water that ran through the canal between October 1 when the irrigation season ended and November 30 when cold weather set in. The courts will be involved again before this all settles down, if it ever does.
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