Cinder Cone Butte Critical Ground Water Area and Mountain Home Ground Water Management Area

The Cinder Cone Butte area, located in Elmore County, was declared a CGWA on May 7, 1981. Following the declaration, a study was conducted to evaluate the entire Mountain Home area. As a result of that study by Norton and others (1982), the Mountain Home GWMA, which surrounds the Cinder Cone Butte area, was designated on November 9, 1982. The Mountain Home GWMA is located in Elmore and western Ada counties. The areas were designated due to declining ground water levels.

New ground water appropriations are not allowed in the Cinder Cone Butte CGWA. The order declaring the Mountain Home area a GWMA states that the area is approaching critical, "although there appear to be subareas where new appropriations could be authorized without injuring existing water rights."

A management policy was not included in the designation of either area. On June 6, 1996, the Director issued an order establishing an advisory committee. The Committee has the following objectives:

• Collect and review data;
• Mediate water related issues involving water users;
• Develop draft ground water management plan;
• Develop and propose implementation of a ground water recharge program;
• Serve as a forum for communication of water related issues.

The composition of the Committee is specified in the order. The Committee does not have any formal enforcement authority.

Ground water levels in wells are measured periodically in the area. Current hydrographs of the wells can be viewed using the Online Ground Water Level Database or figures showing annually-updated hydrographs for selected wells can be viewed here.