Aquifer Management Plan to go into effect

H264: Aquifer management plan: signed by the Governor and effective 4-23-09
This legislation approves the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) Comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan (CAMP) as a component of the Comprehensive State Water Plan and provides that the Idaho Water Resource Board prepare and submit for approval to the legislature a funding mechanism needed to implement Phase One of the CAMP.

The CAMP establishes a long term program for managing water supply and demand in the ESPA it also establishes an incremental net change to the ESPA water budget of 600,000 acre feet. The Phase One water budget target is 200,000 to 300,000 acre feet over the next ten years. The CAMP calls for the establishment of an advisory committee to assist the Board in the development of an implementation plan, which will include establishing mechanisms to collect funds for implementation of Phase One from the various participants.