IDWR Dictionary

Adjudication

An adjudication is a court action for the determination of existing water rights, which results in a decree that confirms and defines each water right.

Basis of Claim

The method that was used to establish your claim. Examples include prior decree, posted notice, beneficial use (historical) method, license, permit.

Beneficial Use

Beneficial uses include such uses as domestic use, irrigation, stock-watering, manufacturing, mining, hydropower, municipal use, aquaculture, recreation, fish and wildlife, among others. The amount of the water right is the amount of water put to beneficial use. Due to the beneficial use requirement, a water right (or a portion of a water right) may be lost if it is not used for a continuous five-year period.

Diversion

A diversion is a structure used to divert the water from its natural source. Typical diversion structures include pumps, headgates, ditches, pipelines, and dams, or some combination. A diversion is generally required to establish a water right. The Idaho Water Resource Board is authorized to acquire water rights without diversions. These water rights are called "instream flow" water rights, and are typically authorized for purposes of protecting some public interest in a natural stream or lake, such as recreation, wildlife, or natural beauty.

Domestic Right

A right to the use of water for homes, organization camps, public campgrounds, livestock, and for any other purpose in connection with these uses, including irrigation of up to one-half acre of land. "Stock water right" means a right to the use of water solely for livestock or wildlife.

Dual Based Claims

In some cases, the federal government has claimed one right under two theories — a state law basis and a federal law basis. Both theories will be reported on one form for that single water right. In most cases, the priority dates are different and will be listed separately. The federal law basis is separately indicated in a box.

IDWR does not investigate or make recommendations regarding federal law based claims.

Evapotranspiration

The process of transferring moisture from the earth to the atmosphere by evaporation of water and transpiration from plants. Data quantification of water consumption from irrigated crops is derived from satellite imagery used in the IDWR Mapping Evapotranspiration process.

Floodplain

Land that may be submerged by floodwaters. The floodplain built up by stream deposition. The 100-year floodplain identifies the land in the floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.

Geothermal Resource Wells

Wells in Idaho with a bottom hole temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
See also Low Temperature Geothermal Wells

Groundwater (or Ground Water)

Water that is located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of lithologic formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. Groundwater is recharged from, and eventually flows to, the surface naturally; natural discharge often occurs at springs and seeps, and can form oases or wetlands. Groundwater is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal and industrial use by constructing and operating extraction wells. The study of the distribution and movement of groundwater is hydrogeology, also called groundwater hydrology.

Hydrology

The study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water throughout the Earth, including the hydrologic cycle and water resources. A practitioner of hydrology is a hydrologist, working within the fields of either earth or environmental science, physical geography, geology or civil and environmental engineering.

Instream Flow Water Right

A water right that is typically authorized for purposes of protecting some public interest in a natural stream or lake, such as recreation, wildlife, or natural beauty.

Instream Livestock Water Right

A water right that is acquired to water livestock directly from the stream.

Lateral

A ditch used to convey or deliver water; especially for irrigation purposes.

Low Temperature Geothermal Resource Wells (LTG)

Wells in Idaho that have a bottom hole temperature more than 85 degrees F and less than 212 degrees F.

Name and Address

Your name and address should appear here. IDWR will use the most recent name and address in their records for the water right.

Nature of Use

The reason for diverting and using water. Examples are irrigation, domestic, stockwater, mining, municipal, etc.

PLSS - Public Land Survey System

A method used in the United States to survey and identify land. States are surveyed into 6 mile by 6 mile squares called Townships and Ranges. The beginning survey point for Idaho is south of the city of Meridian. Surveying north 6 miles would locate you at Township 1 North. Surveying east from that point would locate you at Range 1 East. This point is identified as Township 1 North, Range 1 East.

Each Township and Range 6x6 mile square is surveyed into 36 Sections, each measuring 1 mile by 1 mile. Sections are surveyed into 4 quarters measuring ¼ by ¼ mile. Each quarter is surveyed into 4 quarter-quarter plots of land measuring 40 acres.

The Idaho State Capitol Building is located at Township 3 North, Range 2 East, Section 10, Northwest ¼ of the Northeast ¼. This is abbreviated as T3N, R1E, Sec.10, NWNE.

Period of use

The period of time during the year when you can use the water for your right.

Place of Use

The legal location where you use your water right; generally described as 1/4 1/4 sections down to a 40-acre tract. Other legal descriptions that might be used are — government lots, block, subdivision, parcel numbers, townsite names, mining claim information, homestead entry surveys and other survey information.

Point of Diversion

The legal location where you divert water from its source; generally described as 1/4 1/4 sections down to a 40-acre tract, or smaller. Other legal descriptions that might be used are — government lots, block, subdivision, parcel numbers, townsite names, mining claim information, homestead entry surveys and other survey information. Legal locations for instream flow claims are marked with a beginning point and an ending point.

Priority Date

A priority date is the date the water right was established. How this date is determined is described in the section below. The priority date is important because the priority date determines who gets water when there is a shortage. If there is not enough water available to satisfy all of the water rights, then the oldest (or senior) water rights are satisfied first and so on in order until there is no water left. It is the new (or junior) water rights that do not get water when there is not enough to satisfy all the water rights.

Purpose of Use

This report only deals with claims for small domestic and/or stock water uses, such as yours.

Quantity

The amount of water recommended in either cubic feet per second (cfs) and/or the volume of water in acre feet per year (AFY). Each of these small domestic and/or stock water claims is not to exceed 13,000 gallons per day.

Quarter Section

A subdivision of a "section" which has an area of one-quarter square mile (160 acres). Four quarter sections lie within every a parcel of land delineated by a "section" as part of the US Public Land Survey System.

Quarter-Quarter Section

A subdivision of a "quarter section" which has an area of one-sixteenth square mile (40 acres). Four quarter-quarter sections lie within every a parcel of land delineated by a “quarter section” as part of the US Public Land Survey System.

Quarter-Quarter-Quarter Section

A subdivision of a "quarter-quarter section" which has an area of one-sixty-fourth square mile (10 acres). Four quarter-quarter-quarter sections lie within every a parcel of land delineated by a "quarter-quarter section" as part of the US Public Land Survey System.

Range

Parcels of land six miles tall laid out in a north-south direction but measure distance east and west from a reference line. Used in conjunction with a “township” as part of the US Public Land Survey System which is used to delineate land based on a grid system.

Section

A subdivision of a parcel of land delineated by a "township" and "range" which has an area of one-square mile (640 acres). Thirty-six sections lie within every a parcel of land delineated by a “township” and “range” as part of the US Public Land Survey System.

Source

The name and/or type of the source where you divert your water. For example — "groundwater," "unnamed spring," "Common Creek."

Surface Water

Water collecting on the ground or in a stream, river, lake, wetland, or ocean; it is related to water collecting as groundwater or atmospheric water. Surface water is naturally replenished by precipitation and naturally lost through discharge to evaporation and sub-surface seepage into the groundwater..

Township

Parcels of land six miles wide laid out in an east-west direction but measure distance north and south from a reference line. Used in conjunction with a “range” as part of the US Public Land Survey System which is used to delineate land based on a grid system.

Water Right Number

Your water right is identified by a number assigned by IDWR. The first two digits identify IDWR's administrative basin number; for example, 71 or 72. If you want to see a map of all IDWR administrative basins, please select BASINS.