BOISE — Idaho’s top water official has imposed a five-year moratorium on new groundwater permits in southern Canyon County, a move that puts 21 pending applications on hold while the state works to better understand the region’s aquifer.
At a Glance:
- Idaho Department of Water Resources issues 5-year moratorium
- 21 pending groundwater applications on hold in southern Canyon County
- Mathew Weaver cites insufficient data south of Lake Lowell
Mathew Weaver, director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, issued the order Friday, citing insufficient data about groundwater conditions south of Lake Lowell. The moratorium blocks the processing of any new or pending applications for groundwater rights in the affected area — a zone that stretches across a significant portion of southern Canyon County, including farmland south and southwest of Nampa.
The 21 applications currently on hold seek a combined flow of 121 cubic feet per second, enough to irrigate approximately 7,000 acres of farmland…