WSP04906

• File Number: 8021
• Description: Section D General Correspondence-Western States Water Council
• Date: 2/19/1966
• Author: William Holden
• Title: Western States Water Council Meeting Attachment No 6-Statement of Idaho Policy and Practices for Development and Conservation of Her Water Resources
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Attachment No.6

00127~

STATEMENT OF IDAHO'S POLICY AND PRACTICES FOR
DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION OF HER WATER RE-
SOURCE:'. PRESENTED TO THE WESTERN STATES WATER
COUNCIL AT PHOENIX, ARIZONA,FEBRUARY 19,1966 BY
WILLIAM S.HOLDEN,CHAIRMAN OF THE IDAHO DELEGATION

For over a half a century it has been the established polky

in Idaho by statute and case law to prevent waste and wasteful uses of

water, to encourage good conservation practices in the use of water

and to prevent loss in streams, channels and distribution systems.

NLl appropriator is entitled to make a wasteful use of water, and

no appropriator is permitted to take more of the water to which he is

entitled than is necessary, at the time, for the beneficial use for

which it is appropriated. There are standards by which the quantity

of water sought to be diverted is limited.

It is provided by statute

that no one may divert more than one cubic foot of water per second

from a stream's normal flow for each 50 acres of land to be irrigated,

nor may a person store more than 5 acre feet of water per year for

each acre to be irrigated, unless it can be shown to the Department

of Reclamation that a greater quantity is necessary. The quantity of

water is usually measured at the point of diversion and the appropriator

is entitled to a reasonable allowance for loss of water in transit between

its point of diversion and its place of use.

As a means of conserving water and preventing waste, our law

provides that a person may appropriate so-called salvage water, i.e.,

if a person by constructing a pipeline for water to flow through or

by removing obstructions from a stream's channel effects a saving

of waters that otherwise would be lost due to seepage or evaporation,

that person is entitled to reap the benefit of his labors; and, after

~he amount salvaged is determined as closely as possible, the person

.ffecting the :;avings may be awarded its use. This is also true of

.'..- _'<'1oped '.""ers, and the parties making the development are entit led

to the use of the waC2' developed. In addition, our statutes

specifically provide for the appropriation of seepage and drainage, or