05/08/08

Last month, the Idaho Water Resources Board, North Snake and Magic Valley ground water districts and the city of Twin Falls completed a series of transactions to purchase the Pristine Spring’s Fish Farm operation.

What that entails is the state will own 400 acres of land, more than 200 c.f.s. of water and various facilities on the property. Officials say it will avoid a curtailment of approximately 30,000 acres of ground water and an 80 to 100 million in revenue losses to the region.

Lynn Tominaga of Idaho Ground Water Appropriators says, "The purchase of Pristine Springs has actually resolved some of those issues in providing water to one of those spring owners that are making the call. So what this allows for is for that water delivery call to be met."

Officials say the financing breaks down to the city paying $10 million, the ground water districts $11 million and the state $6 million.

The purchase saves the city from buying a $33 million surface water treatment facility and an unknown amount of Snake River surface water.

Hal Anderson, Idaho Dept. of Water Resources says, "This provided actual water to the Blue Lakes aquaculture facility, it also provided water for the city of Twin Falls and a future supply to help them deal with a continuing demand on their system and also meet some of the water quality issues they have to."

SeaPac is an export business and leased the property for many years. The water resources board will lease the property to them for the next two years.

Ken Ashley, President of SeaPac of Idaho says, "It's a very unique piece of property and this sale is a great deal for the state of Idaho, a great deal for the people of Twin Falls and but yet this sale is very bittersweet to the trout industry."

Brittany Cooper – KMVT News.