Researchers release their water-impact study

Report: Cutting groundwater use would cost the state millions

By KATHLEEN O'NEIL
koneil@postregister.com

Turning off groundwater irrigation in eastern Idaho to satisfy a coalition of Twin Falls canal companies would create a net loss of $204 million to Idaho's economy, a nonpartisan report concluded.

It also found there would be a net loss of more than 3,000 jobs statewide from shutting off irrigation water to 990,000 acres of farmland that is irrigated by groundwater from the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer.

That's how many acres would be affected if everyone with a groundwater right established after 1949 was curtailed.

Doing so would allow about 90 percent of the water currently taken from the aquifer to travel downstream to help increase flows to the seven canal companies that filed a call for water in January.

The report issued Monday had been requested by an Idaho legislative committee studying the issue.

It was written by two economists, from Utah State University and the University of Wyoming, to analyze the impacts of curtailment statewide and in the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer region. The region covers parts of 16 counties, including Bonneville, Bingham and Jefferson counties.

State Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, chairman of the Senate Resources and Environment Committee, said he thinks this report will spur the Legislature into action.

"If we accept the figures in the report, it means the Legislature has to do something here before we leave," Schroeder said. "The economic impact to the state would be unacceptable."

He said the state might take it up as soon as next week, even if the two parties haven't reached a settlement.

There is also growing support among legislators for using state funds to pay for mitigation measures, something the report helps demonstrate the need for, Schroeder said.

Two previous reports on the economic impact of shutting down the groundwater pumpers had been issued by both the groundwater users and the surface-water coalition.

Those reports had drastically different conclusions: One said the call would devastate Idaho's economy, and the other found that shutting off water would help the economy by restoring increased productivity to Twin Falls farmers and Hagerman fish farmers, as well as increasing hydropower generation.

The state's report limited its focus to the impact on agriculture-related businesses and tax revenues. It found that giving the Twin Falls irrigators more water would produce another $23 million for the state, as well as a $6.9 million gain from aquaculture businesses.

However, it estimated those gains would be offset by $243 million losses to Idaho from cutting back on water for the groundwater users.

"I think this report confirms what people's suspicions had been," said state Rep. Dell Raybould, R-Rexburg, a chairman of the committee that requested the report. "It's only a surprise to people who haven't been following the issue."

Raybould said he anticipates the economic impact would be even greater than the report estimated because it didn't include the cost to municipalities that would have to enforce a stoppage of nondomestic water use. That would include watering golf courses and parks, as well as business uses, including car washes.

One of the report's authors presented his findings to legislative committees in the House and Senate on Monday.

The committees don't have any plans to get involved in helping to find a solution to the issue yet. They had been hoping to see an agreement from the two sides, Raybould said.

The report won't have much of an impact on those negotiations, said Mike Creamer, an attorney for the Idaho Groundwater Appropriators.

The talks are still ongoing, and the two sides have come closer together on mitigation for some geographical areas but not for others, he said.

They still hope to find a resolution before April 1, when the director of water resources is expected to issue an order that would likely cut off some water use for groundwater users, Creamer said.

''I think this report confirms what people's suspicions had been."