[Vision2020] Irrigation District

[Phil Nisbet]

Now that the Naylor’s have chosen to drop their pursuit of a groundwater 
right for irrigation on their property, it is time for the people who live 
between Moscow and Moscow Mountain to start putting on their thinking caps.

Though Latah County as a government has a seat at the table in PBAC, the 
votes and political clout of Moscow mean that the rural folks north of town 
do not have a presence that solely protects their rights to water.

Under Idaho Water Law, it is possible for the people north of town to form 
an irrigation district and that district, once formed, would have localized 
control of water north of town.  That could be augmented to include 
participation of that irrigation district in PBAC, which would give it equal 
footing with the big water users and the ability to be consulted when the 
large water hungry entities there continue using maximum amounts of water.

Members of an irrigation district can vote to elect a water master to solve 
water disputes right on site, rather than relying on having people head to 
court or people having to appeal constantly to IDWR.  Further, it’s a chance 
to look at helping those who have poor to no water flow, maximizing 
conservation and a variety of other potentially useful goods for the people 
who live north of town.

So those of you with property North of Moscow can either rely on the County, 
a county only to willing to bend to the political pressures of the massed 
population of the City, or stand up and form a group of property owners 
whose water is protected by an irrigation district with as much power as the 
bigger groups of water users, Moscow, Pullman, WSU and U of I.  And you had 
better look at doing so soon, before the big consumers of your water, the 
stuff that flows from your properties, into your land and through the 
aquifers below your homes, is all owned by the Cities.

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