Idaho water legislation bill clears Senate committee

Legislation to end years of litigation involving water rights in heavily populated southwestern Idaho cleared another hurdle on Wednesday.

Lawmakers on the Senate Resources and Environment Committee voted 9-0 to send the bill presented by House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, to the full Senate for a vote.

The bill sponsored by the most powerful member of the House made it through a House committee and then the full House with little trouble earlier this month. But senators peppered Bedke with questions during the hour long hearing about the complex issue before agreeing to send the bill to the full Senate with a recommendation to pass it.

“I'm glad it went forward,'' Bedke said after the meeting. “I think all Idahoans can be reassured that even when it seems like there's general agreement, we still owe the issue a thorough hearing, and that's what we had today, and I think our system is better for it.''

The lawsuits involved canal companies, irrigation districts and the state of Idaho. It concerned the storage of water in three Boise River system reservoirs during flood control operations. The agreement between those entities made last summer involves rights to water that refills the reservoirs following flood-control releases.

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