EAGLE, Idaho — Farmers' Union Canal water delivery in Eagle will start at just 80% this season due to low snowpack — a reduction leaders say hasn't happened in decades. The shortage comes just as the canal's board faces internal conflict over a controversial wastewater agreement.
Low snowpack, currently at only 60%-70% of normal, means less water for farms, lawns, and parks along the canal. Leaders warn the irrigation season could end weeks earlier than normal.
WATCH: Hear the latest from the Farmer's Union
Idaho News 6 spoke with Farmers' Union leaders in January about their partnership with the Eagle Sewer District.
RELATED | Eagle neighbors oppose $20M plan to add treated wastewater to irrigation canal
Recently, Eagle neighbor Bert Browen reached out with concerns about the reduced water delivery. Browen serves as the Water Master of Buckhorn, managing water for about 400 acres and 60 to 70 water users. He has lived in Idaho his entire life and has managed water on these properties for 30 years.
"We’ve got the best crew we’ve ever had that manages the water, but they can only manage as much as we have," Browen said.
Irrigation water will be in the canal starting April 13. Normally, water is turned on in mid-April and lasts until October. But in a low water year, Browen said it may have to be shut off in August or September.
The canal serves a wide area, stretching from Veterans Park all the way to the border of Middleton. Browen noted that as recently as 10 years ago, most of the water past Eagle was used for farm ground. Today, that landscape has shifted to residential housing, horse and cattle pastures, yards, new schools, and parks.
Recent 80-degree days have dried out the ground even more, meaning the next time it rains, the moisture will simply soak in.
Browen said neighbors will need to adjust their habits to conserve water.
"They may need to try some new water preservation tactics like letting their grass grow longer or taller," Browen said.
Browen offered additional advice for homeowners, including to water a little more but less frequently — every third or fourth day instead of every other day — which he said is actually better for the grass.
"I think a lot of the people that have moved into the area in the last four or five years have never seen a low water year," Browen said.
The water shortage marks the first real stress test since the canal's $20 million wastewater agreement with the Eagle Sewer District. In January, shareholders packed the annual meeting, forcing a quorum for the first time in decades. Driven by demands for more transparency about the wastewater plan, shareholders voted to replace four board members, including Browen.
Farmers Union President Corey Blaine, the only member retained from the previous board, described the January meeting as a "hostile takeover" by a small group of concerned shareholders who brought a lot of proxies to the meeting.
RELATED | Wastewater agreement in limbo after Eagle residents vote in a new board
Blaine said some new members are now pushing for an expensive contract buyout with the Eagle Sewer District.
"It's in the millions above $4 million, and I hope shareholders know how that's going to impact them directly," Blaine said.
Blaine said the financial impact of a buyout would be significant for shareholders. He said his two shares of water would cost $20,000, while a large subdivision like Terra View would face costs over $300,000.
Browen said he is hearing from water users who want to make sure the board of directors is solving problems, not creating new ones, regarding the Eagle Sewer agreement. He says there is already plenty going on during water season without new obstacles.
However, new obstacles may lie ahead.
Blaine said two of the new board members have been "pushy and arrogant" with the Eagle Sewer District, allegedly telling them: "We're not threatening you, but we are. We're going to get you fired just like we got our current board fired."
According to Blaine, the board has not been able to finish a meeting this year without arguments, calling it "disruptive" and claiming some board members are bringing in "non-shareholders, disruptors at meetings." He said one of the new board members stated they would resign as soon as the Eagle Sewer issue is taken care of.
Blaine said he had to file a lawsuit against Farmers Union to retain his spot on the board, despite receiving the most votes of any candidate since the 1980s.
He alleged that two board members offered him a deal to stay on the board if he helped them fire two other board members so they could appoint two friends who "happen to all live in the same subdivision on the same lateral," which Blaine called a huge conflict of interest.
The boardroom conflict is challenging the very transparency shareholders demanded in January, Blaine said.
"The shareholders knew what they wanted at the annual meeting, and they voted them on, and now we're not being transparent," Blaine said. "We're trying to replace board members behind closed doors."
On the environmental concerns regarding the wastewater agreement, Blaine noted that people frequently bring up pharmaceuticals and PFAS (forever chemicals). He argued that if people are concerned about those constituents going into the canal, they should be equally concerned about them going into the Boise River and affecting everyone downstream.
"If you're concerned about it going into this ditch, you should be worried about it going downstream and going into everyone else's yards and farms downstream," Blaine said.
Blaine said the canal's Water Master, Daniel Hoke, compared this year's drought conditions to 1991. Blaine praised the canal's employees, noting they all had job offers to go elsewhere, but the canal was able to keep them with raises.
"We need to support them and stop having chaos within our board so that we have employees around that are going to open and close these head gates," Blaine said.
As the board navigates its internal divisions, the immediate focus remains on managing the limited water supply.
"Maybe we can get some rain, but we can't count on that. So we're going to have to make some preservation choices for the water that's flowing in the canal," Browen said.
The Farmers' Union's next meeting will take place at Eagle City Hall on April 2 at 5:30 p.m. Blaine urged shareholders to get involved, attend meetings, and send letters to the board to voice their opinions.
You can reach out to the board by clicking here.
