East Idaho Cities Reach Deal with Magic Valley Water Rights Holders to Avoid Water Curtailment
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Cities in eastern Idaho will not see water curtailment this year as they reached a deal with the Surface Water Coalition.
The Post Register reports that the Idaho Department of Water Resources on Wednesday approved a one-year plan to cover a coalition of cities in eastern Idaho including Idaho Falls and Pocatello. The decision comes before the May 3 deadline set by the state that would have cost the cities 44,200 acre-feet of water.
Water attorneys are now looking to negotiate a long-term deal to protect cities from future curtailment while avoiding mandatory cutbacks, which city officials say is incompatible with long-term city growth.