Last week, the Idaho Ground Water Appropriators (IGWA) advocated for a continuing $30,000,000 investment in aquifer sustainability and water infrastructure.
The motion passed the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) to continue the investment and is headed to the House next week, where representatives expect the water-focused funding to pass. The funds come from House Bill 445, which is the appropriation of money allocated to the Department of Water Resources.
WATCH | How state representatives are fighting for groundwater—
“I think we realized a couple of years ago that we were at a crossroads and we had to make a decision as to whether or not we were going to invest in the future or we were going to start drying up farm ground,” said Rep. Stephanie Mickelson, District 32.
As Idaho's concern about drought grows, the future of water and how it is handled is vital.
Mickelson says, from farming to ranching and the agriculture industry as a whole, “All these things require water, and it also requires a partnership between the state and the growers and the ranchers in this state, and I'm so happy that the state stepped forward and recognized how important it was for them to make the investment.”
