Dozens of farmers, others show up at Greater Idaho Falls Chamber meeting as Gov. Little discusses water curtailment
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IDAHO FALLS — It wasn’t potato harvest or a farmer’s expo, but around 80 tractors paraded down Lindsay Boulevard in a show of force Tuesday morning on their way to listen Gov. Brad Little’s speech to the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber.
Lining the entire west bank of the Idaho Falls Riverwalk, farmers from 45 farms in eastern Idaho had a strong message for the governor regarding water rights and the recent water curtailment order that affected more than a half million acres in eastern Idaho.
“We’re extremely concerned about the current negotiations with the Idaho Department of Water for the water curtailments that happened in east Idaho on May 30,” said Eagle Eye Produce Chief Operating Officer Derek Davis. “We, honestly, we believe that Idaho has a management problem. It’s not a water issue. So we want to make sure that water is managed across the state better than it’s ever been, and that includes, you know, additional infrastructure. We’d like to have some other solutions versus shutting down farmland in eastern Idaho.”
Speaking to the Governor, Bonneville-Jefferson Groundwater District Vice-Chairman Carl Taylor called attention to the plight of farmers throughout the region.
“This ‘little water issue’ quickly became the largest water curtailment in the history of the United States, and we need to face that,” Taylor said.
Gov. Brad Little tackled the issue head-on during his opening remarks.
“I know in one week period alone, I made probably 40 phone calls to farmers on both sides of the issue, imploring them to come to a resolution of the position we were in,” Little said.
During his administration, more than half a billion dollars has been invested in water.
But Little acknowledged that the current 2015 agreement between Surface Water Coalition users in Twin Falls and groundwater users in eastern Idaho “hasn’t aged well.”
On June 26, Little issued an executive order requiring “groundwater users and surface water users (to) meet to establish an improved mitigation plan, as soon as possible, no later than Oct. 1.”
“My executive order earlier this summer created a framework for farmers and water users to get their work done as productively and expeditiously as possible,” Little said. “I can tell you that waiting until the last minute is unacceptable to me. We must give certainty to all water users in future years.”
The next meeting between the two groups is scheduled for Aug. 7.
“The parties are currently having very productive discussions, led by Lieutenant Governor (Scott) Bedke and the Water Board, with waters (users) from both sides at the table,” Little said. “I know they’ve had productive discussions about averaging, about improving the current model, about how groundwater districts administer, and then what is the state’s share of effective recharge going forward.”
Not everyone who attended the Chamber luncheon was satisfied with the Governor’s responses.
“He seems to be okay with whatever these farmers negotiate,” Melaleuca Executive Chairman Frank VanderSloot told EastIdahoNews.com after the meeting. “The truth is, one side has a gun to the head, and the other the other side holding the gun. … The same groups are back to the table, and I think they needed some help from the Legislature and the Governor, and it doesn’t feel like they’re going to get it.”
Following the event, Little spoke with EastIdahoNews.com and stressed that the October 1 deadline is designed to ensure that a curtailment order during the growing season does not happen again.
“There are farmers all over the state that know they’re going to have less water,” Little said. “People need the certainty. They need to know early, and that’s what these meetings are on, so people know from a time certain — the food processors, the bankers, the equipment dealers, and most importantly, the farm families know what they can do. We can do this. We do it all over the state of Idaho.”
He agreed that this year’s curtailment order had a major impact.
“That was kind of the agreement in 2016 that if something didn’t happen, there was going to be a curtailment,” Little said. “But they all knew that was coming. It was very untimely, but it won’t happen again, I guarantee you that.”
Jacob Risenmay was one of the youngest people to attend the meeting. The 17-year-old comes from six generations of farmers, and he works on a dairy farm growing hay and grass. Risenmay rode one of his family’s tractors, a 1937 Model B John Deere, in the convoy.
“We’ve been turning soil here since 1910. I’m here to represent my family and make sure our legacy can continue for me and future farmers,” Risenmay said. “We really need to be able to keep our farmers doing their jobs.”
The governor’s remarks also touched on the state’s economy, education, Idaho LAUNCH, infrastructure, property tax relief and fire management.
You can watch his full address and the question and answer session led by Greater Idaho Falls Chamber CEO Paul Baker in the video player at the top of this story.