CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) is shutting down any groundwater development projects in the southern portion of Canyon County for the next 5 years.
The IDWR moratorium effectively halts 21 pending applications for groundwater permits in the affected area of the county. Altogether, the 21 permits would have allowed landowners to irrigate approximately 7,000 acres of additional farmland in Canyon County.
“To protect vested groundwater rights and the people of the region from the depletion of groundwater resources, it is necessary to quantify the impact of current injection well activities and the pending applications prior to approving additional groundwater appropriations in South Canyon County,” stated Mathew Weaver, Director of IDWR.
In the coming years, IDWR will enhance its monitoring of the aquifer levels in South Canyon County, an area they claim has been inadequately tracked via previous analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Now, IDWR will collect data over the next 5 years to determine whether or not the area can support additional groundwater development over the long term.
"Issuing additional permits without better knowledge of the impacts of development pursuant to the approved permits could jeopardize the water supply necessary for existing groundwater rights,” explained Weaver.
However, the 5-year moratorium does not extend to applications for drilling permits on existing wells. As written, water rights owners will be allowed to replace or deepen established wells, and transfers will also be permitted.
Read the entire IDWR order below:
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