Recently the word ‘curtailment’ has been in the media in connection with those in the agriculture industry, ground and surface water users, and the Idaho Department of Water Resources. Curtailments or a restriction of groundwater pumping, usually happen when there is a prediction of a water supply shortage, and simply put groundwater users with junior water rights are sometimes subject to decisions that protect the interest of those with senior water rights.
Most recently a projection from IDWR suggested there could be a water shortage of 74,100 acre-feet of water to the Twin Falls Canal Company. To put that into perspective one acre-foot of water equals 325,000 gallons. Because of this, the water supply for east Idaho groundwater users with some 6,400 junior water rights, and 500,000 acres of farmland were threatened. This included those in Bingham, Bonneville, Jefferson, and Clark water districts. Those in Madison, Henry’s Fork, American Falls, and Aberdeen districts were not subject to this curtailment order.