IdahoIdaho approves tribal water settlement and allows off-reservation rentals
Idaho approves the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s 2026 water rights settlement and provides a water bank for voluntary rentals outside the reservation.
What it does
Idaho approves the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s 2026 water rights settlement. State agencies and officers with duties under the agreement must take the steps needed to carry it out.
The tribal water bank allows voluntary rentals of the tribe’s federally reserved water rights in the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane river basin for use outside its reservation. Rentals may also support minimum stream flows.
Argument forVoluntary rentals could help people outside the reservation obtain water while letting tribal water-right owners choose whether to participate.
Argument againstRenting water rights for use outside the reservation could limit owners’ use of that water during agreed rental periods.
More detail
Idaho approves the settlement and requires state agencies and officers with duties under it to carry them out. The approval covers the 2026 Coeur d’Alene Tribe water rights settlement in the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane river basin court case. The steps taken to carry out the agreement must be consistent with this law. The settlement approval and implementation duties took effect on March 26, 2026.
The state Water Resource Board must appoint a local committee to help operate the tribal water supply bank and arrange water-right rentals. The bank covers water rights reserved under federal law and held by or for the tribe in the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane river basin. These rights cover uses that consume water, including river water and groundwater. Both the owner and renter must agree, and the rented water must serve a useful purpose outside the reservation. Rights for part of an approved use period may be rented to meet the board’s water rights for maintaining minimum stream flows, as allowed by applicable law. State water-bank law and rules for storage-water rentals apply unless they conflict with this section. The water-bank provisions took effect on March 26, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 30Reported Signed by Governor Brad Little on March 26, 2026 Session Law Chapter 181 Effective: 03/26/2026Became Law
- Mar 26Delivered to Governor at 12:58 p.m. on March 26, 2026To Governor
- Mar 26Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to GovernorMinor
- Mar 25Signed by President; returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 25Received from the House enrolled/signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 25Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to SenateMajor
- Mar 24Returned from Senate Passed; to JRA for EnrollingMinor
- Vote recorded Read third time in full –. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 24Read third time in full – PASSED - 34-0-1AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward, Zito, ZuiderveldNAYS – NoneAbsent and excused – Bjerke(Bjerke)Floor Sponsor - HartTitle apvd - to HousePassed 2nd Chamber
- Mar 23Retained on calendar
- Mar 17Read second time; filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 16Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second readingMinor
- Mar 10Introduced, read first time; referred to: Resources & EnvironmentMinor
- Mar 10Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Mar 9Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 64-0-6AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson(Larsen), Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Haws, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mathias, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – NoneAbsent – Green, Hawkins, Healey, Manwaring, McCann, PohankaFloor Sponsor - MendiveTitle apvd - to SenatePassed 1st Chamber
- Vote recorded Read Third Time in Full –. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Read second time; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 5Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second ReadingMinor
- Mar 2Reported Printed and Referred to Resources & Conservation
- Feb 27Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for PrintingIntroduced
Environment & Energy