{"id":2267290,"date":"2024-06-13T19:50:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T23:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/idaho-farmer-warns-governors-water-rules-will-blot-out-hundreds-of-square-miles-of-farms\/"},"modified":"2024-06-13T19:57:57","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T23:57:57","slug":"idaho-farmer-warns-governors-water-rules-will-blot-out-hundreds-of-square-miles-of-farms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/idaho-farmer-warns-governors-water-rules-will-blot-out-hundreds-of-square-miles-of-farms\/","title":{"rendered":"Idaho farmer cautions that governor&#8217;s water regulations could wipe out vast farm areas"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fidaho-farmer-warns-governors-water-rules-will-blot-out-hundreds-of-square-miles-of-farms%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2267290&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Idaho\u2063 Department of Water Resources issued a significant water curtailment \u2063on 500,000 acres\u2062 of farmland, which has\u200d sparked major concern \u200damong farmers. \u2064Enforced from May 30,\u200d the curtailment was a\u2064 result of groundwater districts failing to \u2062adhere to approved mitigation plans outlined by \u2062the IDWR. This event is \u2063significant, as the local agricultural \u200bcommunity fears it may result in massive crop losses \u200cif watering is restricted. Represented by the Idaho Groundwater Appropriators, the affected parties\u200d include \u200da <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flashback-former-ag-barr-initiated-spying-program-on-americans-back-in-1992\/\" title=\"FLASHBACK: Former AG Barr Initiated Spying Program on Americans Back in 1992\">wide range<\/a> of groundwater users such as agricultural, industrial, and municipal \u2062sectors, \u200dprimarily in \u200dsoutheastern\u200b Idaho. This group has described the measure \u200das the largest water curtailment in U.S. history.<\/p>\n<p>In an \u200bopinion piece for the Idaho Statesman, a local \u200bfarmer named \u200cJake Stander argues that the issue is less about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-this-the-biggest-threat-to-our-survival\/\" title=\"Is This the Biggest Threat to Our Survival?\">water scarcity<\/a>\u200c and more about\u2062 poor\u200d management. He \u2062critiques a 2016 agreement\u2064 that \u2063mandated \u2063significant cuts in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/officials-say-california-dry-conditions-expected-to-continue\/\" title=\"Officials Say California Dry Conditions Expected To Continue\">groundwater usage<\/a>, which was reevaluated\u200b in 2022. Stander believes the reinterpreted agreement is flawed and impractical, contributing to the current predicament faced by Idaho\u2019s farmers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/idaho\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Idaho<\/a> Department of Water Resources issued a water curtailment on 500,000 acres of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/farming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> farmland<\/a>, concerning farmers about the repercussions.<\/p>\n<p>The curtailment was issued on May 30 because groundwater districts were reportedly not complying with \u201capproved mitigation plans\u201d from the IDWR. Key to the controversy was that farmers were worried about losing their crops if they did not keep the water flowing.<\/p>\n<p>The Idaho Groundwater Appropriators, which represents agricultural, industrial and municipal ground <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-asks-californians-to-cut-water-use-in-drought\/\" title=\"Newsom Asks Californians To Cut Water Use In Drought\">water users<\/a> across southeastern Idaho, called the order the largest water curtailment in the history of the United States, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/media\/idaho-farmer-sounds-alarm-water-restrictions-damage-500k-acres-farmland-significant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>per<\/a> Fox Business.<\/p>\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahostatesman.com\/opinion\/readers-opinion\/article289046094.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>op-ed<\/a> published in the <em>Idaho Statesman<\/em>, farmer Jake Stander suggests the problem isn\u2019t a lack of water in the state but rather mismanagement. <\/p>\n<p>Stander argued that a 2016 agreement that required heavy groundwater reductions and was later reinterpreted in 2022 is \u201cflawed\u201d and overly relied upon by the IDWR. According to Stander, changes in the plan have made it \u201cunworkable,\u201d possibly causing hundreds of thousands of acres to be shut down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe governing body overlooks the constantly shifting goalposts that, in effect, turn the mitigation plan into a blank check for water extortion,\u201d Stander wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Potato farmer Brian Murdock is reportedly looking at a $3 million loss in profits if the curtailments continue. However, some state leaders said farmers should have been smarter when planting their crops.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Idaho groundwater users] should have considered all factors before planting their crops, opting for those that require less water,\u201d Idaho state Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld <a href=\"https:\/\/idahodispatch.com\/idaho-water-wars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Following a\u00a0March 31, 1954, agreement, people with newer water rights are considered \u201cjunior\u201d and entities with \u201csenior\u201d water rights take precedence. With the curtailment being ordered, senior holders get priority.<\/p>\n<p>On June 11, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke said he\u2019d hoped farmers and water users could work out an agreement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgreements between farmers and water users are always better than ones made by the government or in a courtroom,\u201d Bedke said in a press release. \u201cI am optimistic that our water users will find a path forward that can meet the requirements for 2024, as well as come back to the table to craft an agreement to ensure our future generations have access to a predictable water supply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Murdock said Gov. Brad Little (R-ID) is failing to do his job.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s choosing to try to make the two groups, us and this canal system \u2026 try to fight it out in what we call mitigation and come up with a private agreement among ourselves, rather than following the way the Idaho Constitution and the water law has kind of dictated that it should be,\u201d\u00a0Murdock said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Idaho Department of Water Resources implemented a water curtailment on 500,000 acres of farmland on May 30, citing non-compliance with mitigation plans by groundwater districts. Farmers fear crop losses due to the restrictions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2542,"featured_media":2267291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24163021108111.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2267290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24163021108111.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2542"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2267290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2267291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2267290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2267290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2267290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}