In Idaho, we have two distinctly separate areas, as water
goes, North Idaho, where clear fresh water is abundant, and
central & southern Idaho, where it is not nearly as abundant.
Water here is easy to get to, and permit & license wise,
pretty easy to get through the “rights” to it as
well. Below is an explanation & clarification I received
from our Water Board on November 22, 2013, enjoy:
In the State of Idaho, there are 2 kinds of water rights,
surface water and ground water.
A well is considered to be ground water, this applies to
any water well on an individual domestic property, (NOT
multi family or commercial, etc.) and the owner of the well
is entitled to up to 13,000 gallons per day of water from
the well.
WELLS –
Initially, you need a permit if you intend to drill a well.
The Water Right is what authorizes you to use the water
coming from the well that you drill. There is an exemption
that makes it to where you don’t need a water right
to use the water, that exemption is defined in Idaho Code
42-111, and states that generally speaking, if you use the
water for in house use, eating, showering, washing a car,
etc. & watering of domestic livestock & irrigation
of up to 1/2 acre, the total use cannot exceed 13,000 gallons
per day, without a permit. The permit cost to drill a well
is $75.00, non-domestic wells are $200.00, and a non-domestic
well is a well that would be used for purposes other than
using the water for a normal household.
SURFACE –
The second type of water rights effects any surface source,
like a spring, pond, creek, lake or river. So, let’s
say you have a creek, and you’d like to take 5,000
gallons of water a day from the creek. Here’s how it
works:
You apply for a permit, the permit fee is dependent on
how much water you are applying for, permits start at $100.00
which covers .2 CF per second, or about 10 garden hoses
running at one time. The next level up is $250.00 and covers
1 CF per second, which is a tremendous amount of water,
or a 12 inch by 12 inch cube of water…..per second.
Takes typically 6 months to a year to get the permit and
you can’t start using the water legally until you get
the permit.
After you get the permit, you develop the use of the water,
install your pipes, etc, and then submit a proof of beneficial
use, (a form on their website) will cost you $50.00 for
the lower use & $100.00 for the higher use.
At that point, the State will send out someone
to do a field examination, (which is just them looking at
what you have done & how much water is actually flowing
through) & then they’ll issue the license. It will
take years to get the State out to your place to examine
it.
SPRINGS –
Spring Development, as long as the actual spring opening
is less than 18 vertical feet below the surface, do not
need to be permitted in this State. You do, however, need
a license to use the water from any spring development.
Call me if you want more information on this, it is pretty
lazy stuff…
http://www.idwr.idaho.gov/WaterManagement/WellInformation/default.htm
The State of Idaho does not want a trade in water rights,
so if you don’t use the water you have a right to use
for more than (5) consecutive years, you have forfeited
the right to that water. Also, the State doesn’t have
any processes in place to remove those rights…if you
have any questions, please contact the Water Agent at the
Regional Office in Coeur d’Alene.
Hope it helps-
Chris
Back Home
|