03/13/09

Hoping to avoid the loss of thousands of jobs, groundwater users on the Snake River Plain Aquifer have submitted a plan to compensate aquifer spring users and thereby allow continued use of the aquifer by cities, factories, food processors, dairies, farmers and other entities that depend on the water for their economic survival.

Magic Valley Ground Water District and North Snake Ground Water District filed a 2009 replacement water plan and third mitigation plan with the Idaho Department of Water Resources late Thursday afternoon.

The filing was in response to a March 5 order from the IDWR, for up to 430 water users in Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka and Twin Falls counties to shut off their water, so that Clear Springs Food Inc. can continue to receive an additional 2 cubic feet per second in water flow.

Lynn Carlquist, Chairman of North Snake Ground Water District said, "We hope the director will accept and implement our mitigation plan and that the curtailment won't take place. As a simple matter of economic survival for these six counties, we need to address the curtailment so it does not occur."

The plan provides for measures not seen in past proposals, including the "over-the-rim" direct delivery of ground water from existing wells to Snake River farm's intake.