(1) The board of directors may apportion among district members mitigation plan obligations requiring district members to limit the amount of water diverted under their respective ground water rights or perform other actions to mitigate material injury to senior priority water rights caused by ground water use within the district.
(2)  Each member shall bear a proportionate share of the district’s total mitigation obligation. The proportionate share shall be based on:
(a)  The ratio which the quantity of water the member is authorized to divert under the member’s ground water right(s) bears to the total quantity of water authorized for diversion under the ground water rights of all members of the district; or
(b)  The ratio which the number of acres the member is authorized to irrigate under the member’s ground water right bears to the total number of acres authorized for irrigation under the ground water rights of all members of the district.
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Terms Used In Idaho Code 42-5244A

  • Board: means the board of directors of a ground water district organized pursuant to this chapter. See Idaho Code 42-5201
  • Director: means the director of the department of water resources. See Idaho Code 42-5201
  • District: means a ground water district established, or to be established, pursuant to this chapter. See Idaho Code 42-5201
  • Ground water: when used in this chapter means water under the surface of the ground whatever may be the geologic structure in which it is standing or moving, as provided in section 42-230(a), Idaho Code. See Idaho Code 42-5201
  • Member: means a ground water user whose lands, facilities and/or water rights are included in and subject to a ground water district and its policies. See Idaho Code 42-5201
  • Mitigation plan: means a plan to prevent or compensate for material injury to holders of senior water rights caused by the diversion and use of water by the holders of junior priority ground water rights who are participants in the mitigation plan. See Idaho Code 42-5201
  • Nonirrigator: means a ground water user holding a ground water right for commercial, municipal, or industrial purposes within a ground water district. See Idaho Code 42-5201
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Property: includes both real and personal property. See Idaho Code 73-114
  • Water right: means the legal right to divert and beneficially use the public waters of the state of Idaho where such right is evidenced by a decree, a permit or a license issued by the department, a beneficial or constitutional use right evidenced by an adjudication claim or claim based on section 42-243, Idaho Code, or a right based on federal law. See Idaho Code 42-5201
(3)  The board shall adjust each member’s proportionate share of the district’s obligation based on priority date, unless the mitigation plan benefits all members equally. The board may additionally adjust a member’s proportionate share of the district’s obligation based on consumptive use under the member’s ground water rights or other attributes of the member’s ground water rights.
(4)  Any nonirrigator who is a member of a ground water district, or whose ground water rights are appurtenant to property located within a ground water district, may propose a separate mitigation plan to the director. If the director approves the nonirrigator’s mitigation plan, and the nonirrigator implements the mitigation plan, the nonirrigator shall be entitled to a credit for the contribution made by that nonirrigator’s mitigation plan toward the district’s mitigation obligation as determined by the director.