Lt. Gov. Bedke says water deal will be done by mid-November

BOISE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — We are hearing more about the potential water deal that the state and surface and groundwater users have been working on for months.

Several vital stakeholders, including the Idaho Water Resource Board and the Idaho Department of Water Resources Board, were at the Capitol on Monday for the natural resources interim committee meeting.

For those working on the water deal, the yearly meeting became a goal so they could present it.

“All of those entities were well represented in the room,” Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke said. “They had their opinion makers. They had their leadership that they elected in the room, and they came up and said they now have an agreement they can be proud of.”

The deal includes a plan for recharge, conversion, and measuring, much of which is still not public because it has not been ratified yet.

The entire district won’t be penalized if one farm doesn’t comply.

It also gave them a chance to determine whether future legislation was needed—and it’s not. The final deadline for this deal is next.

“It will be done by Nov. 14,” Lt. Gov. Bedke said. “That was the date that they came up with. We were optimistic here six weeks ago thinking that we could be done by no but I think that underestimated just how busy farmers are during harvest.”

Farmers now have the time to really consider the agreement and decide if it works for them. If it doesn’t, this agreement doesn’t need unanimous approval.

“A lot of hard work, compromise, and good will went into the new mitigation plan, and we are getting very close to finalizing a deal that protects agriculture and our most precious resource. The farmers will now present a solid plan to their peers in the next two weeks. I have been fully engaged on this issue for months, and it is rewarding to see us inch closer and closer to a milestone worth celebrating. I applaud Lt. Governor Bedke and Chair Raybould for their work to mediate the process and the farmers for working so hard to find common ground. The Interim Natural Resources Committee learned what I have observed for months - farmers working together is better than any government solution,” Governor Little said.

KMVT will provide updates about the water deal until the deadline.

Copyright 2024 KMVT. All rights reserved.