Water users take best route

By Ag Weekly editorial board
Friday, May 25, 2007 4:04 PM CDT

Good news came this week in the way of an agreement between ground-water pumpers and the Twin Falls Canal Company that will likely postpone the shutdown of more than 700 pumpers in the American Falls Reach near Burley. The pumpers have guaranteed to give the senior surface-water users their full supply of irrigation water this season.

For the time being, the agreement announced on Wednesday relieves the Idaho Department of Water Resources from following through on a second round of curtailment orders that would dry up more than 45,000 acres.

That would be devastating to farmers and local economies. A state-ordered report in 2005 by a Utah State University economics professor estimated that curtailing water rights junior to 1949 could cost Idaho residents $204.3 million and curtailing rights junior to 1961 could cost $130 million.

Another report by the University of Idaho said potato and sugar beet growers would bear the brunt of the curtailment fallout. Those are high-value crops that fuel quite a bit of processing in the state and, more specifically, the Magic Valley. In addition those crops are pretty much already planted.

Water users acted in their own best interest by coming up with a plan to satisfy senior rights and keep their own operations in business. But we should all be thankful they did.

Things are not all rosy, however. It remains to be seen if junior right holders can actually provide the water they are guaranteeing. And an earlier curtailment order is still in the works.

That curtailment — in the Thousand Springs Reach — would dry up 33,000 acres. It is currently held up with a temporary restraining order and due for a court hearing May 30. Water users are yet unable to come to an agreement that would satisfy senior water users. IDWR, however, is reviewing offers from water-right holders to sell or subordinate their water.

We hope neither curtailment is necessary or acted out. In the meantime, we’ll be praying for rain.

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