IdahoIdaho directs funds to water planning and aquifer monitoring
For fiscal year 2027, the act directs money to water planning and aquifer monitoring and sets how certain state water claims' filing fees are counted.
What it does
The Department of Water Resources receives $390,000 from the General Fund for planning and technical services and two water-right claim reviews.
The act directs $716,000 to the Aquifer Planning and Management Fund for tracking and modeling aquifers.
The department may use qualifying unspent federal recovery money for one-time water infrastructure costs.
Money appropriated for certain state water claims counts toward their filing fees, with extra time if the amount falls short.
Argument forAquifer monitoring and modeling could help the state track water supplies and plan how to manage them.
Argument againstMoving $716,000 from a development fund could leave less money there for other needs, while supporting aquifer monitoring.
More detail
The act appropriates $390,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Water Resources. The money is assigned to Planning and Technical Services and the Northern Idaho and Bear River Basin adjudications. The money is for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
The act transfers $716,000 from the Revolving Development Fund to the Aquifer Planning and Management Fund. The transfer is to the Department of Water Resources. The money is for aquifer monitoring, measurement, and modeling. The transfer is scheduled for July 1, 2026, or as soon as practical afterward, for use through June 30, 2027.
The act lets the Department of Water Resources reuse certain unspent ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Fund money. The provision applies to money appropriated or reappropriated to the Department of Water Resources for fiscal year 2026. Only unspent, uncommitted balances for Planning and Technical Services are covered. The money must support one-time water infrastructure project costs; the State Controller must confirm the amount with the Legislative Services Office before processing it. The money may be used from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
The act counts certain General Fund appropriations toward filing fees for specified water-right claims. The provision applies to claims in Idaho's general stream adjudications. The claims must be filed by the Idaho Water Resource Board or the Governor and concern stream flows, public lake levels, or recreation. Any excess counts toward future fees for those same purposes. If the appropriation falls short, the Department director must extend the filing time, and the next year's appropriation counts toward the unpaid fee. Any excess carries forward to future fees for those same claims; a shortfall is covered by the next fiscal year's appropriation.
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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
- Apr 2Signed by Governor Brad Little on 04/02/26 Session Law Chapter 269 Effective: 07/01/2026Became Law
- Apr 1Reported delivered to Governor at 1:24 p.m. on 04/01/26To Governor
- Apr 1Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to GovernorMinor
- Apr 1Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to SenateMajor
- Mar 31Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of SpeakerMajor
- Mar 31Returned From House Passed; referred to enrollingMinor
- Mar 30Rules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required – PASSED - 48-18-4AYES – Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Burgoyne, Cannon(Cannon), Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Healey, Hill(Brown), Holtzclaw, Manwaring, Mathias, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Raybould, Raymond, Rubel, Sauter, Shepherd, Shirts(Batt), Tanner(14), Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Bruce, Cayler, Harris, Hawkins, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Price, Rasor, Redman, Scott, Skaug, Tanner(13), Thompson, WisniewskiAbsent – Egbert, Haws, McCann, PalmerFloor Sponsor - ManwaringTitle apvd - to SenatePassed 2nd Chamber
- Vote recorded Rules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required –. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 30Read second time; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 27Read First Time, Filed for Second ReadingMinor
- Vote recorded Read third time in full –. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 27Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
- Mar 27Read third time in full – PASSED - 26-7-2AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke(Bjerke), Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Grow, Harris, Lakey, Lent, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, WoodwardNAYS – Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lenney, Nichols, Zito, ZuiderveldAbsent and excused – Galloway, GuthrieFloor Sponsor - CookTitle apvd - to HousePassed 1st Chamber
- Mar 26Read second time; filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 25Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second readingMinor
- Mar 25Reported Printed; referred to Finance
- Mar 24Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for PrintingIntroduced
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