Reaching an agreement on the newly enacted 2024 Stipulated Mitigation Plan between the Surface Water Coalition and nine groundwater districts spanning the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) was only the first milestone. The next challenge? Securing the funding to make it work.
During his State of the State Budget Address on Jan. 6, Gov. Brad Little requested and asked legislators to commit $30 million for water projects. That funding was included in House Bill 445, the fiscal year 2026 budget enhancements for the Idaho Department of Water Resources, which the Idaho House debated at length on March 27.
The bill outlines the following priorities:
- Aquifer recharge and groundwater management
- Water storage and conveyance, including reservoirs, diversion structures, pipelines and canals
- Efficiency and conservation improvements in water supply and delivery
- Emergency repairs and resilience upgrades for water infrastructure
Several legislators spoke passionately in favor of approving the funding. Rep. David Cannon (R-Blackfoot) stated, “There is no more urgent issue in the immediate term or the medium term or in the long term that is more important to the state of Idaho than water. In my view, HB 445 is one of the most important bills to come through this session.”
Others pushed back, citing concerns about a lack of transparency, legislative oversight and a perceived lack of relevance to their specific districts, and some even highlighting past funding that hasn’t been spent.
Rep. David Leavitt (R-Twin Falls) acknowledged the importance of water to the state but raised doubts about how the $30 million would be allocated. “This is a massive amount of money,” he said. “We don’t know where it’s going to be spent.” He also pointed out potential delays due to regulatory hurdles, stressing the need for a clear, itemized project list to ensure proper legislative oversight. “As it stands, we’re handing over a blank check in good faith,” he added.
Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen (R-Idaho Falls), who has extensively worked on the issue, highlighted the significant value of agriculture in the Eastern Snake River Plain to Idaho’s economy, noting that it contributes $11 billion annually. She also emphasized the $1.8 million in water losses each year due to the lack of infrastructure to capture the water.
“I hear complaints about they’ve set aside all this money, and yet they haven’t spent it,” Mickelsen said. “I would bring your attention to the fact that you can’t go out and start raising an Anderson Ranch dam or lining the New York Canal or doing the Lewiston Orchards project until you have all of your funding in place. It’s taken many years to gather up some of these funds for these projects, and this money has been allocated out for projects that we are waiting for or in the process of building out.”
To clarify concerns on where the money would go, Rep. Wendy Horman (R-Idaho Falls) distributed documents outlining specific projects.
"That’s why I handed out the list of projects – to show you this is not a secret," Horman said. "If you don’t know what these projects are, it’s because you’re not looking."
Horman also addressed concerns about the use of funds and legislative involvement.
"Maybe you’re just looking at the statement of purpose, which is a great summary, but if you read the appropriation bills, you’ll see exactly where the money’s going." She added, "It also suggests the legislature is powerless to hold people accountable. We’re not. We can issue subpoenas, demand reports, compel agencies to attend hearings and adopt laws stating our priorities – and we do."
The Idaho House ultimately passed the budget 56-13, sending it to the Idaho Senate, where it passed 23-12 on April 1.
Among the opponents, Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld (R-Twin Falls) voiced concerns about existing, unused water infrastructure funds.
"I was concerned about this. I voted against the policy, partly because we already have a statewide recharge infrastructure with 40 million dollars sitting untouched," Zuiderveld said. "In total, we have about 250 million dollars across different accounts waiting to be used. I think we have a DEQ problem, not a funding problem. Maybe we can address that next year, but for now, I'll be a no."
Sen. Josh Kohl (R-Twin Falls) and Sen. Doug Okuniewicz (R-Hayden) also raised concerns about legislative involvement.
"I'm a supporter of water infrastructure," Kohl said. "But this appropriation is ongoing into perpetuity, and we don’t have a clear project list. The legislature needs more involvement. Over the interim, I plan to work with stakeholders to ensure visibility on these projects and make sure taxpayer money is spent wisely and efficiently."
HB 445 was signed by Little on April 3.
