Laserfiche WebLink
<br />l"J"8 ' <br />...t. j. <br /> <br />NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION <br />Water Conservation Conference <br /> <br />Boise, Idaho, October 5, 6, 1992 <br /> <br />Idaho Water Banks <br /> <br />1. The original State Water Plan adopted by the Idaho Water <br />Resource Board in 1976 called for the implementation of a water <br />supply bank in Idaho. The approved policy stated: <br /> <br />A water supply bank should be established for the purpose <br />of acquiring water rights or water entitlements from <br />willing sellers for reallocation by sale or lease to <br />other new or existing uses. Legislation authorizing the <br />water supply bank should also provide for the bank to be <br />self-financing... <br /> <br />The reasoning given for this call for a water bank law was <br />that the state was approaching a situation where all water supplies <br />capable of being developed have been utilized. There is difficulty <br />in finding buyers for blocks of water when such water becomes <br />available, primarily because the water rights for sale are either <br />too small to be made into an economical block or too large for a <br />single buyer to acquire. The water bank proposal would create a <br />self-financing program for the acquisition and sale of water <br />entitlements and would act as a mechanism to acquire and hold water <br />for future uses. Water rights would be purchased from willing <br />sellers and then resold to new users at a cost sufficient to cover <br />expenses associated with the original purchase... <br /> <br />In 1979 the Idaho Legislature provided the statutory framework <br />for the state water bank. The act enumerated these purposes for <br />the operation of the bank: <br /> <br />make use of and obtain the highest duty for beneficial <br />use for water <br /> <br />provide a source of adequate water supplies to benefit <br />new and supplemental water uses <br /> <br />provide a source of funding for improving water user <br />facilities and efficiencies <br /> <br />A storage water rental pool has operated in the Eastern Idaho <br />portion of the state since the drought period of the 1930's. It <br />was informal and probably contrary to the existing provisions of <br />state law but was tolerated because all affected interests were <br />willing participants. The adoption of the water bank law in 1979 <br />clarified the legality of the practice. <br /> <br />There are four water banks now officially operating in the <br />state of Idaho. The Water Resource Board operates a state-wide <br />