Input sought on aquifer draft plan

By Cindy Snyder, Ag Weekly correspondent
Friday, December 19, 2008 4:37 PM CST

CINDY SNYDER/Ag Weeekly Vince Alberdi, a member of the comprehensive aquifer management plan advisory committee, shared his reasons for supporting the plan. Public comments is being taken on the plan until Jan. 5.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho - It took a 16-person advisory committee 18 meetings and countless subcommittee meetings to finish it, but the draft aquifer management plan for the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer is done. The meetings began in May 2007.

One of the most common critiques of the draft plan at a public input meeting held in Twin Falls in early December is that the plan lacks specifics.

Randy MacMillan characterized Clear Springs Foods as a tepid supporter of the plan. He represented aquaculture on the advisory committee, but spoke at the meeting as a representative for Clear Springs Foods, where he heads up the research department. Clear Springs is the largest trout producer in Idaho.

“We view the plan as a tremendous opportunity for the state and for ESPA water users to take control of management of the aquifer,” MacMillan said.

“But we think the opportunities are fairly fragile.”

He, along with other representatives from the aquaculture sector, wanted more assurances included in the plan that specified by how much and when the aquifer level would improve.

Linda Lemmon is an aquaculture producer but also uses a domestic well in her home and canal shares to irrigate farmland.

“One of the disappointments I have with this plan is that I would have liked to have been here twelve months ago,” she said. “I want more assurances about the actions and results.”

As a canal company shareholder, she would be willing to put money into projects that convert deep-well-irrigated land to canal shares or even weather modification projects; but as a spring user, she’s torn about supporting those activities.

‘It’s hard to swallow putting money into a plan and only getting one cfs (of water) when the springs are down ten, twenty, thirty, fifty cfs,” she said. “Am I getting a return on my investment?”

Vince Alberdi, who continued as a member of the advisory committee after retiring as manager of the Twin Falls Canal Co. a year ago, said the plan is not perfect but the solutions are tangible.

“This will start helping reverse the declines,” he said.

Now that the plan has been written, Alberdi said he believes funding and implementation are the two biggest hurdles to overcome. Even though it would be easy to say the plan will cost too much to implement, especially now with the economy struggling, he hopes the Legislature will find funding.

“If we do (fund it), I think we will look back and be glad we took the first step,” he said.

Nearly all of the seven individuals who gave oral testimony at the meeting had been involved with the advisory committee or a subcommittee. About 50 people attended the meeting.

The draft plan outlines three different alternatives to change the water budget by three different levels: by 300,000 acre-feet, by 600,000 acre-feet and by 900,000 acre-feet. One acre-foot would cover an area the size of a football field to the depth of 12 inches.

The plan calls for the middle scenario - a 600,000 acre-foot change in the water budget - to be accomplished over a 20-year time frame using a variety of conversions, aquifer recharge and demand reduction strategies.

That plan is estimated to cost $600 million excluding operation and maintenance costs.

To get the plan started, the draft plan calls for a Phase One implementation phase with a target of changing the water budget by 200,000 to 300,000 acre-feet over a 10-year period. That is expected to cost between $70 and $100 million, with 60 percent coming from ESPA water users and 40 percent from the state.

While $100 million sounds like a lot of money, it works out to $10 million a year or $50 per acre-foot, said Brian Olmstead, manager of the Twin Falls Canal Co.

“We do support the plan,” he said. “It’s not a magic bullet, it’s not a quick solution. You can’t overturn thirty years or more of over allocation quickly. But we do feel this will generate some water.”

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