The Problem
Idaho is facing a severe water crisis with record-low snowpack, depleted reservoirs, and early reliance on stored water in many basins. Budget cuts have reduced stream gages (fifteen at risk of shutdown), making water rights administration harder and increasing conflicts among users. Permitting delays for water rights transfers and applications (three to eighteen months or more) slow farming, development, and recharge projects. Large institutional investors and out-of-state interests sometimes buy up water rights, reducing local control and prioritizing profits over Idaho families and agriculture. Public recreation lands must remain protected, but underutilized parcels could support storage or recharge with local approval. Without action, agriculture, rural communities, and the economy suffer from shortages, disputes, and lost productivity.
What I'll Do Day One as Governor
Sign an executive order directing state agencies to secure and manage water resources using existing authority. Right away:
Direct the Idaho Department of Water Resources to prioritize unprotested applications and transfers with ninety-day maximum processing for simple cases, building on existing rules.
Partner with local irrigation districts and counties to require binding referendums for any state land use in water projects (recharge, storage), ensuring local approval.
Partner with the State Tax Commission to propose higher taxes or fees on large out-of-state or institutional owners of water rights (ten or more rights), while giving credits to Idaho family farms and local users.
Launch pilots in three to five basins (for example, Snake River Plain and Upper Snake) to test expedited permitting and local referendum process, with results posted on Transparent Idaho in ninety days.
Use savings from Budget Allocation, State Procurement and Contracts, and Agency Performance Audits reforms to restore full stream gage monitoring and fund recharge projects (no new spending).
This uses powers I already have under executive oversight of state agencies and existing water management statutes. No new laws needed first.
How This Is Different From Now
Right now, water rights permitting is guideline-based with delays. Monitoring is being cut due to budgets. There are no state disincentives for institutional buyers, and local input is limited. This way adds hard timelines, binding referendums for state land decisions, investor restrictions, and transparency. It enforces existing water rights laws more aggressively while protecting senior users, agriculture, and rural priorities.
What I'll Push the Legislature For
Easy laws to make it permanent:
Codify ninety-day maximum timelines for simple water rights applications and transfers.
Require binding local referendums for state land use in water storage or recharge projects.
Authorize higher taxes or fees on institutional owners of ten or more water rights, with credits for local family farms.
Mandate full funding for stream gages and prioritization of recharge projects.
No big new spending. All improvements are funded by savings from other reforms.
How We'll Check It Works
We will keep it honest with:
Public dashboards on Transparent Idaho showing permitting status, water rights transfers, gage data, and local referendum results.
Independent audits on timeline compliance, investor fees, and recharge progress.
Citizens Task Force to review complaints, track local input, and recommend improvements.
Yearly report on processing times, new rights issued, recharge capacity added, and affordability for farmers.
Everything open for anyone to look at and ask about.
How This Connects to Other Reforms
This reform secures Idaho's water future by speeding up permitting and protecting local control, which directly supports Housing Supply Acceleration by faster approvals for residential projects and Rural Broadband by quicker infrastructure builds. Local referendums ensure community input aligns with the same principle used in housing land decisions. Savings from budget, procurement, and audits reforms fund gage restoration and recharge projects here. Audits verify permitting efficiency and water use outcomes. This reform ties into the full plan by ensuring water availability supports agriculture, growth, and rural resilience without compromising existing rights or recreation lands.
Answers to Common Questions
Won't this hurt senior water rights holders?
No. The reform prioritizes and protects existing senior rights. It focuses on faster processing for all users without changing allocation rules.
How do we protect recreation lands and the environment?
Recreation lands remain fully protected and off-limits. All projects comply with existing environmental laws, and local referendums add community oversight.
What if locals vote no on a water project?
The project stops. The binding referendum gives communities the final say.
Does this cost taxpayers more?
No. Gage restoration and recharge are funded by savings from Budget, Procurement, and Audits reforms. No new taxes or spending are required.
How does this connect to the Regulatory and Permitting Streamline?
It builds on the permitting reform's timelines and portal for water-specific applications, speeding up approvals without weakening protections.
How does this connect to the budget reform?
Savings from budget reallocations fund gage monitoring and recharge, while better water management reduces long-term costs from shortages.
How does this connect to agency performance audits?
Audits verify permitting efficiency, gage data accuracy, and recharge project outcomes.
What about large institutional investors in water rights?
Higher taxes or fees on owners of ten or more rights make it less attractive for out-of-state or corporate entities, while credits support local family farms.
How will we know if it is working?
Public reports on Transparent Idaho will track permitting speeds, gage coverage, recharge progress, and water availability for users.
What if federal rules or interstate compacts affect water?
We follow federal and interstate rules first (such as Snake River Compact) but add state transparency and local priorities within those guidelines.