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The Idaho Water Resource Board 

Duties and authorities include: comprehensive basin planning, protected rivers designations, minimum stream flow program, water project financing, water supply banks and water rentals.

A better view on the roles & responsibilities of IWRB

By Hal Anderson, Planning and Technical Services Division Administrator

       The roles and responsibilities of the Board and the Department is a constant source of confusion to most of the citizens we serve and even some of us in the department. This article is an attempt to provide an overview on the responsibilities of the Board and how it is supported by IDWR. Article XV, Section 7 of the Idaho Constitution called for the creation of a “Water Resource Agency” but did not establish the agency. In 1965, the 38^th legislature established the Idaho Water Resource Board and defined its organization, powers and duties. Board organization and duties are established in Idaho Code § 42-1732 through § 42-1734 for those of you that might be interested in learning more.

 My understanding as to why the Board was created was concern that a more politically powerful state or other entity would gobble up Idaho water. When the Board was created it was provided authority, subject to legislative approval to “formulate and adopt a comprehensive state water plan for conservation, development, management and optimum use of all unappropriated water resources and waterways of the state in the public interest.” 

When the Board and the Department merged in 1974 Idaho Code § 42-1732 was modified to put the Board within the Idaho Department of Water Resources. To assist the Board the legislature added to the Additional Duties of the Director, § 42-1805(6) “to perform administrative duties and such other functions as the Board may from time to time assign to the Director to enable the Board to carry out its powers and duties.”

In addition to formulating and implementing the state water plan and comprehensive basin plans, which includes authorities to designate natural and protected rivers, the Board also provides financial assistance for water development and conservation projects. The Board has two accounts, water management and revolving development that it makes loans and grants from. The Board can also issue debt in the form of revenue bonds, where the proceeds are loaned to the entity requesting the financial assistance. The loan repayments then are the revenue used to repay the debt service on the bonds. The Board also adopts rules for well construction, well driller licensing, injection wells, geothermal resources, mine tailings impoundments, safety of dams and stream channel alterations. The Idaho Water Supply Bank is also the Boards responsibility as well as implementing legislative mandates as was done in 1995 with managed recharge. The most recent example of legislative mandates was the acquisition of the Bell Rapids water rights.

 Additional authorities and funding were given to the Board by the legislature this past session to facilitate the purchase of the Bell Rapids water rights for the purpose of satisfying the terms of the Nez Perce Agreement and to provide a water source to help mitigate problems on the Eastern Snake River Plain. The Water Board is made up of eight members, appointed by the Governor to a four-year term. No more than four can be from the same political party and to insure representation of water users across the state one member is appointed from each of four districts and no more than three can be from any one district. Typically the Board meets every 6 to 8 weeks and often has special telephonic meetings to address specific issues that need immediate action. The Board has set up subcommittees to work on specific tasks or programs. For example the Board recently established a new subcommittee to evaluate the operation and use of the Water Supply Bank. Cynthia Bridge-Clark and Brain Patton spent time briefing the subcommittee and responding to questions that would be useful in determining if there is a need for Water Bank rule changes or new policies. In summary the Board is really about water resource development and planning. The Director supports the Board as needed and assigns us, as staff, to help carry out its powers and duties.

Note: The reports on this web site are in Adobe Acrobat format. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view these documents. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, it can be downloaded for free from Adobe by clicking on the yellow Adobe box.

last modification: December 18, 2007

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