2001 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 358 – Minimum stream flow, Lemhi River

HOUSE BILL NO. 358

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Daily Data Tracking History



H0358.....................................................by WAYS AND MEANS
MINIMUM STREAM FLOW - LEMHI RIVER - Adds to existing law to authorize the
Water Resource Board to appropriate a minimum stream flow right in a
designated reach of the Lemhi River; and to direct the Water Resource Board
to appoint a local rental committee to facilitate operation of the water
supply bank within the Lemhi River Basin.
                                                                        
03/12    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
03/13    Rpt prt - to Res/Con
03/14    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/15    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/16    3rd rdg - PASSED - 64-0-6
      AYES -- Barraclough, Barrett, Bedke, Bell, Bieter, Black, Boe, Bolz,
      Bradford, Bruneel, Callister, Chase, Collins, Crow, Cuddy, Deal,
      Denney, Ellis, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(13), Field(20), Gagner,
      Gould, Hadley, Hammond, Harwood, Higgins, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones,
      Kellogg, Kendell, Lake, Langford, Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague,
      Meyer, Montgomery, Mortensen, Moss, Moyle, Pearce, Pischner, Pomeroy,
      Raybould, Ridinger, Roberts, Robison, Sali, Schaefer, Shepherd,
      Smith, Smylie, Stevenson, Stone, Swan, Tilman, Trail, Wood, Young,
      Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Campbell, Clark, Henbest, Kunz, Sellman,
      Wheeler
    Floor Sponsors -- Wood & Barrett
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/19    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Env
03/20    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/21    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/22    3rd rdg - PASSED - 34-0-1
      AYES -- Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Brandt, Bunderson, Burtenshaw,
      Cameron, Danielson, Darrington, Davis, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes,
      Goedde, Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, King-Barrutia, Lee, Lodge,
      Noh, Richardson, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Sims, Sorensen, Stegner,
      Stennett, Thorne, Wheeler, Whitworth, Williams,
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Deide
    Floor Sponsor -- Burtenshaw
    Title apvd - to House
03/23    To enrol - rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/26    Pres signed - to Governor
04/10    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 373
         Effective: 04/10/01

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  First Regular Session - 2001
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 358
                                                                        
                                BY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO MINIMUM STREAM FLOWS; AMENDING CHAPTER 15, TITLE 42,  IDAHO  CODE,
  3        BY  THE  ADDITION  OF  A NEW SECTION 42-1506, IDAHO CODE, TO AUTHORIZE THE
  4        WATER RESOURCE BOARD TO APPROPRIATE A MINIMUM STREAM FLOW WATER RIGHT IN A
  5        DESIGNATED REACH OF THE LEMHI RIVER; AMENDING CHAPTER 17, TITLE 42,  IDAHO
  6        CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 42-1765A, IDAHO CODE, TO DIRECT THE
  7        BOARD  TO  APPOINT A LOCAL RENTAL COMMITTEE TO FACILITATE OPERATION OF THE
  8        WATER SUPPLY BANK WITHIN THE LEMHI RIVER BASIN AND TO PROVIDE FOR  USE  OF
  9        THE  WATER  SUPPLY  BANK TO MAINTAIN THE BOARD'S MINIMUM STREAM FLOW WATER
 10        RIGHT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
                                                                        
 11    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 12        SECTION 1.  That Chapter 15, Title 42, Idaho Code, be,  and  the  same  is
 13    hereby  amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
 14    ignated as Section 42-1506, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 15        42-1506.  LEMHI RIVER -- MINIMUM STREAM FLOW APPROPRIATION. (1) The  water
 16    resource  board  is  hereby authorized and directed to appropriate and hold in
 17    trust for the people of the state of Idaho a minimum stream flow  water  right
 18    in  a designated reach of the Lemhi river in accordance with the provisions of
 19    this section. The minimum stream flow appropriation in  the  designated  reach
 20    shall be in the amount of thirty-five (35) cfs from January 1 through December
 21    31,  provided that fifteen (15) cfs of the appropriation shall be subordinated
 22    to all diversions, including high waters or flood waters, authorized under the
 23    Lemhi river basin decree (Lemhi County Case No. 4948).  The  designated  reach
 24    begins  at  water  diversion  L-6  located on the Lemhi river in the southeast
 25    quarter (1/4) of section twenty-four (24),  township  twenty-one  (21)  north,
 26    range  twenty-two  (22) east of the Boise meridian, and ends at the confluence
 27    of the Lemhi river with the Salmon river near the southwest corner of  section
 28    thirty-two (32), township twenty-two (22) north, range twenty-two (22) east of
 29    the Boise meridian, Lemhi county.
 30        (2)  The  water  resource  board shall appropriate the minimum stream flow
 31    water right authorized under this section in accordance with the provisions of
 32    section 42-1503, Idaho Code. In acting upon the application  for  permit,  the
 33    director  of  the  department  of  water resources need not determine that the
 34    appropriation is capable of being maintained based upon  records  of  existing
 35    stream flows because it is anticipated that the water right will be maintained
 36    through  operation  of the water supply bank within the Lemhi river basin con-
 37    sistent with the provisions of section 42-1765A, Idaho Code.
 38        (3)  Upon the board's filing of an application for permit  to  appropriate
 39    water  as  directed  by  this section, the director of the department of water
 40    resources is authorized and directed, on an interim basis pending final action
 41    on the application for permit, to distribute water under the filing in  accor-
 42    dance with the doctrine of prior appropriation using a priority date as of the
 43    filing of the application for permit.
                                                                        
                                       2
                                                                        
  1        SECTION  2.  That  Chapter  17,  Title 42, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
  2    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
  3    ignated as Section 42-1765A, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
  4        42-1765A.  LEMHI  RIVER  BASIN  --  LOCAL  RENTAL COMMITTEE. (1) The water
  5    resource board will appoint a local rental committee to  facilitate  operation
  6    of  the  water supply bank within the Lemhi river basin comprised of the Lemhi
  7    river and all tributary water sources. Section 42-1765, Idaho  Code,  and  the
  8    board's water supply bank rules applicable to the operation of a storage water
  9    rental pool shall apply to the operation of the water supply bank in the Lemhi
 10    river basin, except as inconsistent with this section.
 11        (2)  When  so  appointed,  the  local rental committee for the Lemhi river
 12    basin shall have authority to rent natural flow water rights between  consent-
 13    ing owners and consenting renters.
 14        (3)  Rights  to  the  use of water for a portion of the approved period of
 15    use under a water right may be accepted into the water supply bank and  rented
 16    out  to  satisfy  the board's minimum stream flow water right authorized under
 17    section 42-1506, Idaho Code, provided the owner demonstrates to the  satisfac-
 18    tion  of the director that there will be an equivalent reduction in the extent
 19    of beneficial use made under the right.
                                                                        
 20        SECTION 3.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
 21    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
 22    passage and approval.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                           STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                                  RS 11250
In the early 1900's, anadromous fish were extirpated from 
the Lemhi River as a result of the construction of a 
hydroelectric dam.  After the removal of the dam, efforts 
were undertaken to restore anadromous fish to the Lemhi Basin.  
Through the combined efforts of Lemhi water users, the Lemhi 
Model Watershed Project, and state and federal agencies, numerous 
projects have been completed for the benefit of anadromous fish.  
This legislation is in furtherance of those efforts.  The legislation 
would create a voluntary mechanism for providing additional flows in 
the lower Lemhi River during time of low flow.

The legislation would authorize the Idaho Water Resource Board to 
apply for an instream flow in the Lemhi River from the L-6 diversion 
to the mouth of the river pursuant to Chapter 15, Title 42, Idaho Code.
The Director, however, would be relieved of the duty to find that the 
appropriation is capable of being maintained.  Instead, the water 
necessary to maintain the water right would be obtained through the 
Idaho Water Resource Board’s water supply bank.

The legislation would authorize the Idaho Water Resource Board to 
appoint a local rental committee to facilitate operation of the water
supply bank within the Lemhi River basin comprised of the Lemhi River 
and all tributary water sources.  The purpose for creation of the 
local rental committee is to provide for local decision making 
regarding the operation of the water supply bank.

Natural flow rights could be rented for less than the entire season 
to the extent that the owner demonstrates an equivalent reduction in 
the extent of beneficial use made under the right.  The legislation 
includes an emergency clause because of the need to have statutory 
authority to address this issue during the 2001 irrigation season.

This voluntary market based mechanism will help to resolve local 
water related issues and will minimize potential impacts on the local
economy.


	                   FISCAL IMPACT

Additional appropriations from the General Account are not required 
if this bill is enacted. 




Contact
Name:   Rep. Cameron Wheeler 
	Rep. Lenore Barrett
	Rep. JoAn Wood
Phone:  (208) 332-1000




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE	    H 358