The legislature finds that the waters of Big Payette Lake and its watershed are threatened with deterioration due to expanding residential development, greater public use and growing land use activities, that these pressures may endanger the drinkability, economic potential, fisheries, natural beauty, recreational use, swimability and wildlife values of the lake; that the state holds all such public lakes in trust for the use of all its citizens; that to preserve and protect such public lakes and to increase and enhance the use and enjoyment of such lakes is in the best interest of all the citizens of the state; that natural lakes form an important basis of the state’s economy and that the increasing demand upon the lake waters of this state require coordinated state and local action to protect, preserve and improve the water qualify [quality] of the lakes.
The legislature declares that it is necessary to embark upon a program of water quality protection for the lake so that future generations of Idahoans may use and enjoy it. This act creates a program to protect, preserve and, where necessary, improve the water quality of the lake while accommodating private, public and commercial activities to the extent prudent and practicable. The program as set forth in this act shall require a working partnership of federal, state and local agencies.