Phil Rhodes
2007-01-25 18:54:27 UTC
From AP: Idaho governor eyes adding dams to Snake River
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has proposed building more dams
and expanding existing ones to keep more water from the Snake River in Idaho
and recharge the dwindling Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.
"Rather than looking at how to divide up scarcity, we ought to be looking at
how we can get more to stay here," Otter said Wednesday at the Idaho Water
Users Association convention. "The more water that we can keep from getting
past that head gate, the more water we can have."
Otter said he had met with Bureau of Land Reclamation officials about two or
three new potential dam sites, which he did not identify. He also did not
say which dams might be raised to impound more water.
Bill Sedivy, executive director of Idaho Rivers United, said the state
doesn't have the hundreds of millions of dollars that would be needed to
raise existing dams or build new ones and federal officials have said they
can't help with funding,.
"A much more cost-effective action would be to figure out how to use water
more wisely and more intelligently, rather than throwing big money at dam
projects that don't make sense," Sedivy said. "A way more prudent approach
is teaching Idahoans how to use what existing water resources we have more
prudently."
He said the state ranks third in the nation in per-capita water use, mostly
because of rising consumption in the rapidly growing Treasure Valley.
Idaho farmers have learned to be efficient and residential users need to do
the same, Sedivy said.
Tension over rights to water from the aquifer has risen with a case pending
before the state Supreme Court, which has been asked to resolve a dispute
between canal companies that hold senior rights and groundwater pumpers with
junior rights.
A decision could come between now and April, and any ruling could be
followed by state legislation that would revise laws on water rights to ease
the economic impact.
Repeating a campaign pledge, Otter said he planned to call a water summit to
tackle disputes over water rights.
"I will be the champion of the solutions you do come up with as long as they
fit the state Constitution," the governor said.
Former association president Harold Mohlman of Rupert praised Otter's
approach.
"If you have a governor who's basically saying he's for water, you're going
to get something done," Mohlman said. "There's groups of us here, we're
fighting right now, the junior and the senior water users, and it's
important to have a governor who supports us all."
Last year then-House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, failed to get the
Legislature to approve an aquifer recharge plan, but Steve Howser, general
manager of the Aberdeen Springfield Canal Co. said Otter might succeed.
"Every time we come up with a plan, the difficulty is funding," Howser said.
"The leadership to acquire that funding has to come from the governor's
office."
http://www.yakimaherald.com/page/dis/288050528345228
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has proposed building more dams
and expanding existing ones to keep more water from the Snake River in Idaho
and recharge the dwindling Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.
"Rather than looking at how to divide up scarcity, we ought to be looking at
how we can get more to stay here," Otter said Wednesday at the Idaho Water
Users Association convention. "The more water that we can keep from getting
past that head gate, the more water we can have."
Otter said he had met with Bureau of Land Reclamation officials about two or
three new potential dam sites, which he did not identify. He also did not
say which dams might be raised to impound more water.
Bill Sedivy, executive director of Idaho Rivers United, said the state
doesn't have the hundreds of millions of dollars that would be needed to
raise existing dams or build new ones and federal officials have said they
can't help with funding,.
"A much more cost-effective action would be to figure out how to use water
more wisely and more intelligently, rather than throwing big money at dam
projects that don't make sense," Sedivy said. "A way more prudent approach
is teaching Idahoans how to use what existing water resources we have more
prudently."
He said the state ranks third in the nation in per-capita water use, mostly
because of rising consumption in the rapidly growing Treasure Valley.
Idaho farmers have learned to be efficient and residential users need to do
the same, Sedivy said.
Tension over rights to water from the aquifer has risen with a case pending
before the state Supreme Court, which has been asked to resolve a dispute
between canal companies that hold senior rights and groundwater pumpers with
junior rights.
A decision could come between now and April, and any ruling could be
followed by state legislation that would revise laws on water rights to ease
the economic impact.
Repeating a campaign pledge, Otter said he planned to call a water summit to
tackle disputes over water rights.
"I will be the champion of the solutions you do come up with as long as they
fit the state Constitution," the governor said.
Former association president Harold Mohlman of Rupert praised Otter's
approach.
"If you have a governor who's basically saying he's for water, you're going
to get something done," Mohlman said. "There's groups of us here, we're
fighting right now, the junior and the senior water users, and it's
important to have a governor who supports us all."
Last year then-House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, failed to get the
Legislature to approve an aquifer recharge plan, but Steve Howser, general
manager of the Aberdeen Springfield Canal Co. said Otter might succeed.
"Every time we come up with a plan, the difficulty is funding," Howser said.
"The leadership to acquire that funding has to come from the governor's
office."
http://www.yakimaherald.com/page/dis/288050528345228