2007 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 290 – Water Resources Dept/water rights

HOUSE BILL NO. 290

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Bill Status



H0290......................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENT - Amends existing law relating to water to
provide for the administration of water rights from water sources
hydraulically connected to any aquifer of the state of Idaho; to revise
budget provisions; to revise advisory committee provisions; and to provide
for an appropriation request.
                                                                        
03/07    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
03/08    Rpt prt - to Res/Con

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-ninth Legislature                   First Regular Session - 2007
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 290
                                                                        
                                 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO WATER; AMENDING SECTION 42-620, IDAHO CODE,  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE
  3        ADMINISTRATION  OF WATER RIGHTS FROM WATER SOURCES HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED
  4        TO ANY AQUIFER OF THE STATE OF IDAHO, TO REVISE  BUDGET    PROVISIONS,  TO
  5        REVISE  ADVISORY  COMMITTEE PROVISIONS AND TO PROVIDE FOR AN APPROPRIATION
  6        REQUEST.
                                                                        
  7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  8        SECTION 1.  That Section 42-620, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
  9    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        42-620.  ADDITIONAL  WATER  DISTRICT  EXPENSES  RELATING  TO  COSTS OF THE
 11    DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES FOR ADMINISTRATION OF WATER RIGHTS. ON THE EAST-
 12    ERN SNAKE RIVER PLAIN. (1) The director of the department of  water  resources
 13    shall create or modify water districts pursuant to section 42-604, Idaho Code,
 14    to  administer  all water rights from water sources hydraulically connected to
 15    the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA). In adopting  a  budget  under  section
 16    42-612,  Idaho  Code, the water users in each such water district, any aquifer
 17    of the state of Idaho. Bbeginning in 2006, fiscal year 2008, the  department's
 18    budget  shall  include the department's costs for monitoring conditions of the
 19    ESPA aquifers of the state, updating the ESPA any aquifer ground water models,
 20    updating surface water modeling  tools,  and  updating  accounting  for  water
 21    rights.  The  department's  costs shall be apportioned between water districts
 22    based on the amount of water delivered in the same manner as provided in  sec-
 23    tion 42-612, Idaho Code.
 24        (2)  At  its  annual meeting, each water district distributing water among
 25    rights from water sources hydraulically connected to the ESPA any  aquifer  of
 26    the  state  shall  select  one  (1)  or more water user representative(s) from
 27    within the district to serve on an advisory committee to the director  of  the
 28    department  of  water resources for purposes of implementing the provisions of
 29    this section. The number of water users to be selected to serve on  the  advi-
 30    sory  committee  from  each  water  district shall be apportioned based on the
 31    amount of water delivered in each water district.
 32        (3)  The total amount of the department's costs to be included pursuant to
 33    subsection (1) of this section shall not exceed one million two hundred  thou-
 34    sand  dollars ($1,200,000) in 2005 dollars, multiplied by the inflation factor
 35    for each year as determined by the joint finance-appropriations  committee  of
 36    the legislature.
 37        (4)  The  director  of  the department of water resources shall request an
 38    appropriation from the state general fund to the  department's  annual  budget
 39    for  the  costs  of  the  requirements of subsection (1) of this section. This
 40    appropriation is to be used exclusively for the implementation of the require-
 41    ments of subsection (1) of this section.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                           RS 17157C1

The purpose of this legislation is to provide for management and
monitoring of aquifers of the state and to provide for an
appropriation request.



                          FISCAL IMPACT

The fiscal impact could be $557,000 for fiscal year 2008.





Contact
Name: Rep. Tom Loertscher 
Phone: 208-332-1000
Rep. Dean Mortimer
Rep. Russ Matthews


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                         H 290