BOISE, Idaho — If the Bear River in Southeast Idaho sounds familiar, it should. The main tributary of the Great Salt Lake was located at the center of February’s Border War between Idaho and Utah.
It all goes back to the end of January when Utah lawmakers proposed putting an export tax on gas flowing north to Idaho. However, when Idaho House Speaker Mike Moyle (R - District 10) caught wind of the plan, he threatened to shut off the water that flows from the Bear River into Utah.
Speaker Moyle appeared before the Ways and Means committee on Thursday to propose a resolution that would evaluate what lawmakers could do to keep more of Idaho’s water in the Gem State.
"The last couple of months, we've had this issue with our friends to the south in Utah, dealing with fuel and water,” said Moyle of the ongoing interstate dispute.
Moyle claims that the Utah legislature tried to solve the two issues at once, but the speaker insists the matters must be kept separate.
"If you listen to the press in Utah, you will think that somehow Idaho cut a deal with Utah over what they did on their fuel bill and our water," said Moyle. "I'm here to tell you there's no deal. They're not tied together; they're separate issues."
Hear what Mike Moyle has to say about the ongoing water dispute between Idaho and Utah
The House Speaker went on to explain to Idaho News 6 Senior Reporter Don Nelson that there is a long history concerning water rights between Idaho and Utah.
According to Moyle, the U.S. Government codified a Bear River Compact in 1980.
"That deals with the water coming out of the Bear River, and that compact was with Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah. In that compact, Idaho gets the 1st 125,000-acre foot of water that comes through that basin. We don't use all of that water right now. I think we use about 17,000-acre feet of it."
Moyle now wants to complete a fact-finding mission to discover how Idaho can keep more of its water inside the Gem State.
The resolution sets up two committees that will report back to the legislature. One will return its findings by June and the second by September. Both will utlimately be presented before the Natural Resources Committee.
Idaho News 6 asked Moyle what he hopes to accomplish with the resolution.
His simple reply, "We do not want Utah taking our water."
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