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Hydrologic and legal assessment of ground water management alternatives for Idaho. Research technical completion report WRIP/371405 Item Info

This report is a hydrologic and legal assessment of conjunctive management of surface and ground water with emphasis on the water resources of the upper Snake River Basin in Idaho. The first portion of the report is the development of a hydrologic management classification of basins tributary to the upper Snake River. The last part of the report is a legal examination of the uncertainties and complexities of conjunctive management of surface and ground water under the appropriation doctrine. Eleven basins tributary to the upper Snake River were selected for detailed study based upon existing data: Little Lost River, Big Lost River, Big Wood River-Silver Creek, Camas Prairie, Portneuf River, Michaud Flats, Rockland, Raft River, Rock Creek-Goose Creek, Salmon Falls Creek and Blue Gulch. Most of the south side tributary valleys have either existing or potential overdevelopment problems. Calculation of time lag estimates between pumpage in a tributary basin and impact on the Snake River are based upon lag times within the individual basins as well as the Snake Plain aquifer, if appropriate. Several basins have estimated lag times of more than 100 years. The legal uncertainties and complexities of conjunctive management examined as part of this study include: questions involving the magnitude and timing of the impact of junior tributary diversions upon supplies in the main source, both in private litigation between water users and in administrative regulation of water use; selection of junior tributary diversions for closure when senior appropriators on the main source are not receiving their full supplies; questions of burden of proof both in private litigation and in administrative regulation; and the influence of policy objectives upon conjunctive management decisions. A number of more or less technical legal issues are identified and discussed. Where Idaho law gives little guidance, comparison is made to legal developments in Colorado. The study also focuses on a fundamental and difficult policy issue that may arise in a number of conjunctive management situations, conflict between the policies of vested rights and optimum development.

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Title:
Hydrologic and legal assessment of ground water management alternatives for Idaho. Research technical completion report WRIP/371405
Authors:
Ralston, Dale R.; Broadhead, Roxane; Grant, Douglas L.
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1984-05
Description:
This report is a hydrologic and legal assessment of conjunctive management of surface and ground water with emphasis on the water resources of the upper Snake River Basin in Idaho. The first portion of the report is the development of a hydrologic management classification of basins tributary to the upper Snake River. The last part of the report is a legal examination of the uncertainties and complexities of conjunctive management of surface and ground water under the appropriation doctrine. Eleven basins tributary to the upper Snake River were selected for detailed study based upon existing data: Little Lost River, Big Lost River, Big Wood River-Silver Creek, Camas Prairie, Portneuf River, Michaud Flats, Rockland, Raft River, Rock Creek-Goose Creek, Salmon Falls Creek and Blue Gulch. Most of the south side tributary valleys have either existing or potential overdevelopment problems. Calculation of time lag estimates between pumpage in a tributary basin and impact on the Snake River are based upon lag times within the individual basins as well as the Snake Plain aquifer, if appropriate. Several basins have estimated lag times of more than 100 years. The legal uncertainties and complexities of conjunctive management examined as part of this study include: questions involving the magnitude and timing of the impact of junior tributary diversions upon supplies in the main source, both in private litigation between water users and in administrative regulation of water use; selection of junior tributary diversions for closure when senior appropriators on the main source are not receiving their full supplies; questions of burden of proof both in private litigation and in administrative regulation; and the influence of policy objectives upon conjunctive management decisions. A number of more or less technical legal issues are identified and discussed. Where Idaho law gives little guidance, comparison is made to legal developments in Colorado. The study also focuses on a fundamental and difficult policy issue that may arise in a number of conjunctive management situations, conflict between the policies of vested rights and optimum development.
Subjects:
Groundwater Legislation Appropriation Conjunctive use Snake River
Location:
Snake River Basin
Collection:
IWRRI
IWRRI number:
198410
Rights:
In copyright, educational use permitted. Educational use includes non-commercial reproduction of text and images in materials for teaching and research purposes. For other contexts beyond fair use, including digital reproduction, please contact the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu. The University of Idaho Library is not liable for any violations of the law by users.
Publisher:
University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
jh
Date Digitized:
2016-12-14

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Preferred Citation:
"Hydrologic and legal assessment of ground water management alternatives for Idaho. Research technical completion report WRIP/371405", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-198410.html
Rights
Rights:
In copyright, educational use permitted. Educational use includes non-commercial reproduction of text and images in materials for teaching and research purposes. For other contexts beyond fair use, including digital reproduction, please contact the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu. The University of Idaho Library is not liable for any violations of the law by users.
Standardized Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
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