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 that only the people of Idaho can solve.

Idaho is suffering from a lack of underground water. That's a tough message because Idaho is having a good water year, but this isn't about the water you can see. It's about the water you can't see. The Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) is rapidly disappearing. And has been for decades.

In other words, the water balance is out of whack. More water has been leaving the aquifer than has been entering it. The aquifer, which is larger than Lake Erie, has been steadily declining for 60 years. How much water have we lost? Since 1952, we have lost the equivalent of 5 trillion gallons of water – enough for the domestic use of the entire population of Idaho for the next 75 years.

Why do we need to change this and direct the groundwater level in the right direction?

Because the aquifer is our most important source of water in the state. It supplies agriculture throughout Idaho, especially in eastern Idaho. It is the only source of drinking water for most plains communities and for countless domestic wells. It feeds the Snake River, our lifeline for agriculture, recreation, energy, fishing, and many other uses.

I am committed to the success of agriculture in Idaho, especially in Eastern Idaho. Personally, I have been fully committed since the beginning of my term to investing in water infrastructure and bringing the right people to the table to solve the problem. The Legislature and I have invested half a billion dollars in the last three years to improve water supplies.

And we're not just throwing money at solving the problem without getting results. Recent data suggests the Idaho Water Resource Board's Managed ESPA Recharge Program is helping turn things around, albeit slowly.

Additionally, in August 2023, I hosted a statewide water summit with hundreds of Idaho stakeholders to identify challenges and potential solutions to Idaho's water problems. I directed the Idaho Department of Water Resources to establish the ESPA Groundwater Management Plan Advisory Council, which has met regularly since 2023, with the goal of creating a groundwater management plan to help us balance our groundwater.

And just a few weeks ago, I signed an executive order, the Protecting Idaho Water Sovereignty Act, that sets a path for a new agreement driven by Idaho farmers – NOT the government. Several negotiating meetings took place over the summer, and I'm confident farmers will find solutions that will avoid future water shortages, no matter where they farm.

But I must make one thing clear: I will not impose a solution on the government.

Why?

Because the ONLY solution that is acceptable to me is one that is worked out by farmers. If we don't do this together, the EPA or the courts (or worse, Congress!) will decide our water fate.

Idaho farmers, not the government, must find a solution. And that's exactly what's happening. Just last week, I met with water users from across the eastern Snake Plain and watched what happens when farmers work together. Their ingenuity far surpasses any government idea.

But the danger of losing control of our water management and decision-making to the government is more real than ever. The most conservative U.S. Supreme Court in our country's history just blocked an agreement between rural Western states that allows the federal government to assert control over water in times of disagreement.

We don't want that to happen in Idaho.

Agriculture is too important for us to risk leaving our water to anyone other than ourselves.

Folks, this isn't a case of us versus them, or eastern Idaho water users versus Magic Valley water users. In fact, a quarter of the state's elderly surface water users live in eastern Idaho. Idaho laws are designed to protect Idahoans and our water. It may not always be pretty, but it protects property rights and preserves our water sovereignty.

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

I will fight tooth and nail against the federal government to keep control of our water for Eastern Idaho agriculture and for future generations. That means farmers have to make decisions for themselves.

Governor Brad Little is the Governor of the State of Idaho. He can be reached at: Office of the Governor, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720; Phone: 208-334-2100; Fax: 208-854-3036; Email: gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/contact.html.