Wells and Groundwater Management

Interactive map application hosted by the Idaho Department of Water Resources to view Wells and Groundwater Management Areas in Idaho. The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) has statutory authority for the state-wide administration of the rules governing well construction and the licensing of drillers in Idaho. Prior to drilling a well, the well owner or well driller must first obtain a drilling permit from IDWR. All wells must be constructed by a well driller with a valid license from IDWR. Examples of permittable wells include all water wells, monitoring wells, low temperature geothermal wells, geothermal wells, injection wells, and other artificial openings and excavations in the ground greater than 18 vertical feet below land surface. Nitrate Priority Areas: The Nitrate Priority Area (NPA) Ranking Process developed by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in consultation with the Groundwater Monitoring Technical Committee (GWMTC), provides the rationale for numerically ranking areas in Idaho with identified groundwater degradation from nitrates. Areas of Drilling Concern: Idaho Code provides the Director of IDWR authority to designate areas of drilling concern on an aquifer by aquifer basis to protect public health and to prevent waste or contamination of ground or surface water due to factors such as aquifer pressure, vertical depth of the aquifer, warm or hot groundwater, or contaminated ground or surface waters. Critical Groundwater Area: A CGWA is all or part of a groundwater basin that does not have sufficient groundwater to provide a reasonably safe supply for irrigation or other uses at the current or projected rates of withdrawal. Groundwater Management Area: A GWMA is all or part of a groundwater basin that may be approaching the conditions of a CGWA. Groundwater Districts: The Legislature adopted the Groundwater District Act in 1995 that enables groundwater users to organize their own Groundwater Districts which have broader authorities than Water Measurement Districts. Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer: This boundary represents the Area of Common Groundwater Supply over the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.