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 dont 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, lets say you have a creek, and youd like
to take 5,000 gallons of water a day from the creek. Heres
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 cant 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 & $100.000 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 theyll 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/wells/
The State of Idaho does not want a trade in
water rights, so if you dont 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
doesnt have any processes in place to remove those
rights
.if you have any questions, please contact the
Water Agent at the Regional Office in Coeurdalene.
For any questions or for more information
please email info@revrealty.us
"In 2013, we began looking for property that we could
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