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HJM008........................................by RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
WATER STORAGE PROJECTS - Stating findings of the Legislature and supporting
a study of additional water storage projects in the state of Idaho and
encouraging the Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Army Corps of
Engineers, the Governor of the State of Idaho, the Idaho Water Resource
Board, the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and other federal, state
and local agencies to cooperate with the residents of the state of Idaho in
initiating and completing the study of additional water storage projects
including, but not necessarily limited to, the Minidoka Dam enlargement,
Teton Dam replacement and Twin Springs Dam, identifying those projects that
are feasible, and moving forward with implementation and construction of
those water projects that most benefit the residents of the state of Idaho.
02/08 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/11 Rpt prt - to Res/Con
02/14 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/15 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/19 3rd rdg - ADOPTED - 64-0-6
AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barrett, Bayer, Bedke, Bilbao, Black,
Block, Bock, Boe, Bolz, Bowers, Brackett, Bradford, Chadderdon,
Chavez, Chew, Clark, Collins, Crane, Eskridge, Hagedorn, Hart,
Harwood, Henbest(Burgoyne), Henderson, Jaquet, Killen, King, Kren,
Labrador, Lake, LeFavour, Loertscher, Luker, Marriott, Mathews,
Mortimer, Moyle, Nonini, Pasley-Stuart, Patrick, Pence, Raybould,
Ringo, Roberts, Ruchti, Rusche, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(02),
Shepherd(08), Shirley, Shively, Smith(24), Smith(30)(Stanek),
Snodgrass, Stevenson, Thomas, Trail, Vander Woude, Wills, Wood(27),
Wood(35)
NAYS -- None
Absent and excused -- Bell, Durst, McGeachin, Nielsen, Thayn, Mr.
Speaker
Floor Sponsor - Stevenson
Title apvd - To Senate
02/20 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Env
03/11 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 10th Ord
03/12 10th Ord - ADOPTED - voice vote
Floor Sponsor - Cameron
Title apvd - to House
03/13 To enrol - Rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/14 Pres signed
03/17 To Secretary of State
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-ninth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2008IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 8 BY RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE 1 A JOINT MEMORIAL 2 TO THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, THE COMMIS- 3 SIONER OF THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGI- 4 NEERS, THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF IDAHO, THE MEMBERS OF THE IDAHO WATER 5 RESOURCE BOARD, THE DIRECTOR OF THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, 6 AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE STATE OF IDAHO IN THE 7 CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. 8 We, your Memorialists, the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 9 State of Idaho assembled in the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-ninth 10 Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that: 11 WHEREAS, water is among the most precious natural resources of the state 12 of Idaho; and 13 WHEREAS, residents of Idaho have been experiencing shortages in water 14 availability and deliveries in recent years; and 15 WHEREAS, continued, unprecedented drought, population growth and urban 16 development, conjunctive administration, Endangered Species Act requirements 17 and other additional demands are being placed on the already scarce water 18 resources of the state; and 19 WHEREAS, Idaho stores a small percentage of its average annual runoff in 20 comparison with other states; and 21 WHEREAS, additional storage would be beneficial for Idaho residents for 22 irrigation, domestic, municipal, commercial, industrial, recreational, flood 23 control, resident fisheries, wildlife and other purposes; and 24 WHEREAS, new storage reservoirs can take many years to plan, design and 25 construct; and 26 WHEREAS, the Minidoka Dam enlargement, Teton Dam replacement, Twin Springs 27 Dam, Galloway Dam and Lost Valley Dam have initially been identified by the 28 Director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources as potential projects that 29 could be constructed; and 30 WHEREAS, studies have been undertaken, or have been proposed, which indi- 31 cate that there are potential storage sites that would provide significant 32 additional storage to residents of the state of Idaho, which can be built in a 33 safe, environmental and economical manner, and which will provide significant 34 long-term benefits to the state of Idaho; and 35 WHEREAS, additional studies have been proposed specific to the Minidoka 36 Dam enlargement, Teton Dam replacement and Twin Springs Dam; and 37 WHEREAS, the Bureau of Reclamation is agreeable to the study of Minidoka 38 Dam enlargement, but the opportunity to do so is limited by the fact that 39 environmental compliance and design work are ready to commence on the replace- 40 ment of the spillway at the Minidoka Dam, making time of the essence for the 41 storage enlargement study; and 42 WHEREAS, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, by virtue of the 2007 43 amendments to the federal Water Resource Development Act, has feasibility 44 authority to study water supply and flood control on the Boise River, includ- 2 1 ing Twin Springs Dam. 2 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses- 3 sion of the Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and 4 the Senate concurring therein, that we support the study of additional water 5 storage projects. 6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we encourage the Bureau of Reclamation, the 7 United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Governor of the State of Idaho, the 8 Idaho Water Resource Board, the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and other 9 federal, state and local agencies to cooperate with the residents of the State 10 of Idaho in initiating and completing the study of additional water storage 11 projects including, but not necessarily limited to, the Minidoka Dam enlarge- 12 ment, Teton Dam replacement and Twin Springs Dam, identifying those projects 13 that are feasible, and moving forward with implementation and construction of 14 those water storage projects that most benefit the residents of the state of 15 Idaho. 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representa- 17 tives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this 18 Memorial to the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, the 19 Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Army Corps of 20 Engineers, the Governor of the State of Idaho, the members of the Idaho Water 21 Resource Board, the Director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and 22 the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho in the Congress 23 of the United States.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 17835
This proposed legislation recognizes the need for additional
storage water supplies in the State of Idaho and supports the
studies necessary to implement additional storage. Additional
water storage is needed to address drought, population growth and
urban development, conjunctive administration, Endangered Species
Act requirements and other demands. The State of Idaho stores a
small percentage of its average annual run-off (25%) in
comparison with other states. The Missouri River Basin, for
example, can store approximately 400% of its average annual run-
off. Some initial storage studies have been completed and
additional studies are proposed, including Bureau of Reclamation
studies of Minidoka Dam enlargement, projected to provide an
additional 40,000 to 50,000 acre-feet of water storage, and Teton
Dam replacement, as well as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers'
feasibility study of water supply and flood control on the Boise
River, including Twin Springs Dam, which is authorized by
amendments to the federal Water Resources Development Act,
enacted into law during 2007.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Bureau of Reclamation projects the cost of studying the
enlargement of Minidoka Dam as $1.4 million. The cost for an
initial study of Teton Dam replacement is estimated at $400,000.
Other than the in-kind use of IDWR staff time, there would be no
cost to the State of Idaho to participate in the Corps of
Engineers' feasibility study of water supply and flood control on
the Boise River, including Twin Springs Dam.
CONTACT:
Name: Rep. Bert Stevenson
Rep. Dell Raybould
Phone: (208) 332-1111
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL IMPACT HJM 8