Idaho’s water is in trouble and farmers are the solution

Most people don’t know it, but Idaho has a problem — a big problem only Idahoans can solve.

Idaho is facing a water shortage underground. It’s a tough message to convey because Idaho is in a good water year, but this is not about the water you can see. It is about the water you can’t see. The Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) is rapidly dwindling. It has been for decades.

Said another way, the water budget is out of balance. There has been more water coming out of the aquifer than going in. The aquifer, larger than the size of Lake Erie, has been steadily declining for 60 years. How much water have we lost? Since 1952, we have lost the equivalent of five trillion gallons of water — enough for the domestic use for the total population of Idaho for the next 75 years.

Why do we need to turn this around and get aquifer levels headed in the right direction?

Because the aquifer is our most important source of water in the state. It sustains agriculture across Idaho, especially in eastern Idaho. It is the sole source of drinking water for most municipalities on the plain and countless domestic wells. It feeds the Snake River, our lifeblood for agriculture, recreation, energy, fisheries, and many other uses.

I am committed to the success of Idaho agriculture, especially in eastern Idaho. I have personally been fully engaged since the start of my administration to invest in water infrastructure and bring the right folks to the table to solve the problem. The Legislature and I put half a billion dollars toward water quantity investments over the past three years.

And we aren’t just throwing money at the problem without results. Recent data suggests that the Idaho Water Resource Board’s Managed ESPA Recharge Program is helping to turn the ship around, albeit slowly.

In addition, I hosted a statewide water summit in August of 2023 with hundreds of Idaho stakeholders to identify challenges and potential solutions to water issues in Idaho. I directed the Idaho Department of Water Resources to create the ESPA Groundwater Management Plan Advisory Council which has met regularly since 2023 with a goal of creating a groundwater management plan that will help us balance our aquifer’s checkbook.

And just weeks ago, I signed an executive order, the Protecting Idaho Water Sovereignty Act, which charts a path forward on a new agreement that is driven by Idaho farmers — NOT the government. Several negotiation meetings have taken place over the summer, and I’m confident that farmers will create the solutions that will avoid future water shortages no matter where you farm.

But let me be clear about something: I will not mandate a government solution.

Why?

Because the ONLY solution that is acceptable to me is one that is crafted by farmers. If we don’t do this together, then the EPA or the courts (or worst, Congress!) will determine our water destiny.

Idaho farmers, not the feds, must come up with the solution. And that is exactly what is happening. Just last week, I sat down with water users from all over the Eastern Snake Plain and watched what happens when farmers collaborate. Their ingenuity far outpaces any government idea.

But again, the threat of losing control of our water management and decision-making to the feds is more real than ever. The most conservative U.S. Supreme Court in our nation’s history just blocked an agreement between rural western states in a ruling that allows the federal government to assert control of water in times of disagreement. 

We don’t want that to happen in Idaho.

Agriculture is too important to risk handing our water over to anyone but our own.

Folks, this is not about “us versus them” or eastern Idaho water users versus Magic Valley water users. In fact, a quarter of senior surface water users in the state are located in eastern Idaho. Idaho law is meant to protect Idahoans and our water. It might not always be pretty, but it protects property rights and maintains our water sovereignty.

As Governor, my job is to protect Idaho water and everything and everyone that depends on it. I encourage all Idahoans to join me in this effort. 

I will fight tooth and nail against the federal government to retain control of our water for eastern Idaho’s agricultural economy and future generations. That means farmers making decisions for themselves. 

Governor Brad Little is governor of the state of Idaho. He can be reached at: Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720; phone: 208-334-2100; fax: 208-854-3036; email: gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/contact.html.