Groundwater Districts

Formal measurement and reporting of water use on a large scale is an outgrowth of various conflicts between water users in southern and eastern Idaho during nearly a decade of drought that began in 1987. in 1995, the Legislature adopted the Groundwater Act established a mechanism for ground water users to form their own Groundwater Districts for the purpose of mitigation and litigation concerning water issues. Groundwater districts and existing irrigation districts can petition the Department to be excluded from the Water Measurement District and perform the water measurement and reporting responsibilities for water users within their districts. The groundwater district may represent its members in various water use issues and related legal matters, develop and operate mitigation and recharge plans, and perform other duties as described under Idaho Code § 42-5224.