A pivoting irrigation system waters a crop of barley on a farm located near Arco, Idaho, during a late summer day. Idaho is a top barley-producing state, growing both malting and feed varieties. (Johnathan Cohen/Getty Images)
There is a fight happening in southeastern Idaho right now, over the most important resource we have: water. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of misinformation being spread that is trying to pit farmer versus farmer, and even farmer versus Idaho, over what some are calling “an attack on farmland.”
It’s time we cut through the noise and start talking about the facts. Here’s the truth about what’s actually happening in southern Idaho:
First, no farmland in Idaho is being shut down, and Gov. Brad Little did not command any farmers to close their farm. Farms with junior groundwater rights have the opportunity to continue farming by complying with the mitigation plan they entered into in 2016 to restore the aquifer and mitigate.
Second, the Idaho Department of Water Resources is a state agency that does report to the governor as it follows state law. The department approved the above referenced 2016 mitigation plan and enforces the plan.