IDAHO WATER ISSUES Roger Chase Idaho Water Resource Board

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1 IDAHO WATER ISSUES Roger Chase Idaho Water Resource Board

2 First in time, first in line Water is considered a property right in Idaho

3 Water Sustainability Projects Statewide Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Palouse Basin Aquifer Future Water Supply Study Lewiston-Area Deep Regional Aquifer Investigation Potential Galloway Reservoir Treasure Valley Aquifer CAMP, recharge study, & ground water model Arrowrock Reservoir Potential Enlargement Upper Salmon Basin/Lemhi/ Pahsimeroi Flow Enhancement Wood River Aquifer Ground Water Model Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer & Snake River Efforts Island Park Reservoir Potential Enlargement Mt. Home AFB Water Supply & Mt. Home Aquifer Study

4 One of our Greatest Assets QUALITY SUSTAINABILITY

5 Existing Problems Using more water than we have. Polluting our waters. Lack of understanding of water issues by most people.

6 New Problems Climate change. Temperature change. Soil erosion.

7 Increasing Issues Recreational needs. Species issues. Increased storage needs.

8 Coeur d Alene

9 Confluence of the Snake & Clearwater Rivers

10 The Lemhi River is one of the cornerstones of Idaho s salmon recovery efforts.

11 Teton mtns Mountains Idaho side

12 Henry s Fork

13 Oneida Narrows Bear River

14 Combined System Idaho Power Hells Canyon Complex Thousand Springs-fed minimum flows pass through IPCO hydropower system ESPA discharge to Snake River at Thousand Springs ESPA discharge to Snake River at American Falls Swan Falls Dam Minimum Flow of 3,900 cfs/5,600 cfs Thousand Springs Area Delivery Calls Milner Dam Milner Zero Flow Surface Water Coalition Delivery Call American Falls-area springs partly supply river flows that feed Surface Water Coalition canals

15 Volume Change of Water Stored Within the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer and Thousand Springs Total Discharge Aquifer Storage Thousand Springs Discharge Change +17,000,000 AF Change -13,000,000 AF Average annual loss of aquifer storage is about 215,000 AF Aquifer storage and flows from the Thousand Springs are directly correlated Total Thousand Springs Flows

16 How much ESPA water comes from tributary basins? 700 (9%) ESPA Recharge (KAF/yr) (14%) 1,112 TributaryUnderflow 578 (8%) Tributary Seepage Recharge from Surface Water Irrigation 5,300 (69%) From IDWR 2013

17 Magic Springs Rangen Pipeline in Hagerman

18 Public Private: How to Get Water Into the Ground Use unlined canals that divert from river and cross the plain Most cost effective way to divert & recharge large volumes of water Contract with canal companies & irrigation districts to carry water to recharge Creates public/private partnership & outsources work to canal companies Supplement with spreading basins

19 Mile Post 31 Recharge Site on Milner-Gooding Canal

20 Challenges to Aquifer Stabilization Challenges to Aquifer stbilization Water right priority: IWRB holds 1980 priority date water rights for recharge, and 1998 applications for recharge variable supply other recharge will have more junior priority dates. Infrastructure: Needed to move water during winter in lower basin and during short windows of time in upper basin. Declines: May be further declined in incidental recharge from canals and surface water irrigators if efficiency improvements continue.

21 Challenges Challenges Ground Water pumpers giving up 240,000 AF -- after aquifer recovery they should be made whole prior to new users being considered. Recharge needs to be monitored for both quantity of water recharged as well as water quality to protect aquifer.

22 Swan Falls Dam

23 Cities and Canal Shares Cities and Canal Shares Cities and canal companies need to work together to better utilize city-owned canal shares Be creative in reusing water and finding new water sources Cities are understanding their political power

24 IWRB Ground Water Conservation Grants Cities and Canal Shares The Ground Water Conservation provides financial assistance to pursue ground water conservation projects. Pursuing conservation can help water providers reduce water demands, lower operational costs, and reduce or postpone the need for additional water supplies. Eligible Entities: Municipalities, Homeowner Associations, Water User Associations, Private Corporations, Irrigation Districts/Companies, Ground Water Districts Grant Amount: $5,000 - $20,000; applicants must provide $2 for every $1 awarded by the Board

25 Some Examples: IWRB Ground Water Conservation Grants Cities and Canal Shares Conduct irrigation system audits for City municipal parks and implement infrastructure upgrades to improve operating efficiency and conserve ground water. Implement a ground water conservation rebate program. Qualified applicants would receive rebates for removal of turf and replacing it with low-to-no water alternatives. Retrofit existing landscape irrigation systems with smart controllers and upgrade rotor heads and nozzles.

26 Boise

27 Cloud Seeding

28 We must continue to find ways to be more efficient with our water use Flow meter installation on irrigation pipeline from Snake River

29 We must protect our water quality and recognize that our water resources are limited. Water quality monitoring at aquifer recharge site

30 We have to be diligent and look down the road; even little things can have major consequences.

31 Stabilizing and recovering the aquifer will be difficult, but working together can make it happen!