October 30, 2015
CapitalPress.com
9
Idaho
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Idaho leader suggests new recharge funding method
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Simulated benefit of ESPA recharge plan *
Capital Press
Idaho Department of Water Resources data suggests
implementation of a recent settlement between the
Surface Water Coalition and junior groundwater
users should allow the region’s water
storage levels to recover.
10
BOISE — New data by the
Idaho Department of Water
Resources shows implemen-
tation of a settlement between
the Surface Water Coalition
and junior groundwater users
should also provide relief for
the state’s other major water
calls.
However, Idaho House
Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oak-
ley, warned his colleagues that
fi nding a new, stable source
of state funding for managed
aquifer recharge could be in-
tegral in the settlement’s suc-
cess.
The coalition’s seven se-
nior surface-water users fi led a
water call in 2005 alleging ju-
nior groundwater pumping has
depleted Snake River reach
gains from American Falls
Reservoir to Milner Dam. The
8
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
Well Index, 1981-2014
After reduction and recharge plan
Well Index target (average, 1991-2001)
-6
-8
-10
1981
1990
2000
2010 2014
2020
2026
*After 240,000 acre-feet of consumptive use reduction and 250,000 acre-feet of
recharge. The Well Index represents an integration of water level data from several wells
mutually agreed upon by both parties.
Source: Idaho Dept. of Water Resources
parties began working on a set-
tlement when it became clear
in May that the groundwater
users would fall short of meet-
Capital Press graphic
ing mitigation obligations un-
der the existing methodology
order governing the call.
As a condition of the settle-
ment, the well users agreed to
reduce consumptive use into
the future by 240,000 acre-
feet — or roughly 11 percent
per user. The parties have also
agreed to support the state in
its commitment to recharge
the aquifer with 250,000 acre-
feet of surface water per year,
intentionally injected through
wells, unlined canals or spill
areas.
By 2026, the department’s
groundwater model estimates
the settlement will lead to 200
to 250 cubic feet per second
of additional water fl ow in the
Snake River near Swan Falls.
For the fi rst time, the state
failed to meet minimum fl ows
near Swan Falls this season
under an agreement with Idaho
Power, falling short by about
40 cfs for several days, IDWR
Planning Bureau Manager Bri-
an Patton said.
The settlement would also
eventually lead to 25 cfs of
increased fl ows into Billings-
ley Creek, which supplies the
Rangen Inc. trout farm and
other parties that have made
water calls. Groundwater users
recently built a pipeline deliv-
ering 7 cfs of spring water to
mitigate for Rangen’s short-
fall.
“Although the term sheet
was focused on the Surface
Water Coalition delivery call,
the implementation of those
practices will have positive ef-
fects on all of the hot spots,”
said IDWR Deputy Director
Mat Weaver.
Patton said recharge will
also be a key component of
reversing aquifer declines that
have averaged 214,000 acre-
feet per year. Patton said the
state’s plan is to hit 200,000
acre-feet of recharge by 2019
and to reach the full 250,000
acre-feet by 2025, but it will
cost $30 million to build the
infrastructure, and up to $3
million will be needed annu-
ally for operations and main-
tenance.
The state has allocated
$5.5 million per year in cig-
arette tax revenue toward
aquifer stabilization, but ciga-
rette taxes have declined from
nearly $48 million in fi scal
year 2007 to about $36 mil-
lion in FY 2014. Bedke also
intimated there may also be
additional demands forthcom-
ing on cigarette tax funds.
“I think it’s high time we
take some steps to shift this
to a dedicated funding source
in the general fund and take it
off of the cigarette funds. That
was a Band-Aid we put in,”
Bedke said. “If we’re serious
about this, and I think we are,
it’s time to address that issue
here within the funding struc-
ture.”
USDA report reduces Ag advocate will not seek re-election
ag revenue record
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
Capital Press
MOSCOW, Idaho — Ida-
ho set an agricultural revenue
record in 2014, but not by the
wide margin that University of
Idaho economists previously
estimated, according to new
agency reports.
On Oct. 26, USDA’s Na-
tional Agricultural Statistics
Service estimated the value of
the state’s agricultural produc-
tion at $8.8 billion, representing
an 8 percent increase above ad-
justed 2013 estimates, That re-
port followed the agency’s late
August estimate placing cash
receipts from Idaho agriculture
at $8.66 billion.
Both estimates fell well
short of UI’s report, issued late
last December, estimating the
state’s 2014 farm gate receipts
at a whopping $9.7 billion.
The UI and USDA esti-
mates have never been so far
apart, said UI area agricultural
economist Ben Eborn.
“My guess is (USDA will)
eventually revise their num-
bers up closer to what ours is.
I don’t believe we’re that far
off of what actually happened,”
said Eborn, who’s uncertain
about the possible cause of the
discrepancy.
UI agricultural economist
Garth Taylor said the university
makes its forecast in December
to give a more timely economic
picture to the state Legislature,
which would otherwise have
to wait several months for their
fi rst numbers from USDA.
Regardless of what hap-
pened in 2014, Taylor expects
no production records will be
set in 2015 or 2016.
“In my estimation, we’re
going back into that longterm
grind of mediocre prices for
agriculture,” Taylor said. “The
bloom is off the ethanol market,
and our export demand is way
off.”
According to USDA’s Oct.
26 report, milk was Idaho’s top
commodity in 2014, with pro-
duction value increasing more
than 24 percent from $2.579 bil-
lion to $3.2 billion.
Rick Naerebout, director of
operations with Idaho Dairy-
man’s Association, said 2014
brought record prices, above
$22 per hundredweight, com-
bined with record production.
Naerebout said prices have fall-
en to slightly below production
costs this season — between
$15 and $16 per hundredweight
— as the strong market led to
production increases. The high
value of the U.S. dollar and eco-
nomic woes in China have also
hurt U.S. milk exports, he said.
Simplot, universities to
develop GMO spud for Asia
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
BOISE — J.R. Simplot Co.,
in cooperation with two Mid-
west universities, is developing
a new line of genetically mod-
ifi ed potato varieties intended
to help fi ght hunger in Bangla-
desh and Indonesia.
The U.S. Agency for In-
ternational
Development
announced Oct. 26 that it’s
awarded a $5.8 million grant
to Michigan State University to
partner with University of Min-
nesota and Simplot in develop-
ing biotech Asian spud varieties
with genes introduced to resist
late blight.
Simplot has taken a lead
in commercializing biotech
spuds. The Idaho-based compa-
ny’s growers recently harvested
their fi rst commercial crop of
Innate potatoes, engineered to
be less susceptible to bruising
and black spots and to fry with
lower levels of acrylamide, a
chemical investigated as a pos-
sible carcinogen formed during
baking or frying.
The initial Innate spuds will
be sold in the fresh market.
The second Innate gen-
eration, which possesses the
original traits plus resistance to
common U.S. late blight strains
and lower sugars, has already
been deregulated by USDA and
is awaiting review by FDA and
EPA.
Simplot spokesman Doug
Cole said potatoes are a food
staple in Bangladesh and Indo-
nesia, but in such hot, humid cli-
mates, growers must spray for
blight daily and still experience
sharp yield losses. In addition to
helping the countries improve
their food security with fewer
WILDER, Idaho — Rep.
Gayle Batt remembers that as
a high school sophomore she
wrote a paper that said her goal
was to “bridge the gap between
the farmer and the rancher and
the government that over-reg-
ulates them.”
As her time in the Idaho
Legislature nears an end, the
Wilder Republican says she
hopes she has helped accom-
plish that.
“Hopefully, I was able to
serve those folks in that ca-
pacity in the legislature,” said
Batt, who has announced she
will not seek re-election after
the 2016 legislative session.
Batt said she appreciates
“the support that I’ve received
from the agricultural commu-
nity and the opportunity to
represent them. They are do-
ing a great job — they truly
are stewards of the land and
the environment — and I con-
sider it a privilege that I got to
be a voice for them.”
Caldwell farmer Matt Dors-
ey said Batt’s farming knowl-
edge and close involvement
with the industry made her an
important voice for farmers
and ranchers when it came to
legislation that impacted them.
“It’s going to be dang hard
if not impossible to fi nd some-
one with her dedication, mor-
al character and knowledge
about agriculture to replace
her,” he said. “She gets ag.”
chemical inputs, Cole said the
USAID grant research should
further Simplot’s efforts to de-
velop third-generation Innate
lines for U.S. production with
even stronger blight resistance.
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
Rep. Gayle Batt, R-Wilder, stands in front of her family’s farm Oct. 6 as corn is harvested. Batt, who
has been involved in several important bills involving farming, has announced she will not seek
re-election.
Batt, who grew up on her
family farm, received a bach-
elor’s degree in agricultural
business management from
Oregon State University and
serves on the House Agricul-
tural Affairs Committee.
She worked closely with
several farm groups and was
named a “Friend of the Idaho
Grain Producers Association”
and received Idaho Food Pro-
ducers’ Ag All-Star Award
every year she served in the
legislature.
Batt was appointed by Gov.
Butch Otter to serve the re-
mainder of the late Pat Taka-
sugi’s term in Idaho’s House
of Representatives. She was
re-elected twice and her cur-
rent term expires in November
2016.
During her time in the leg-
islature, Batt led an effort that
convinced the Idaho Depart-
ment of Environmental Quali-
ty to change its rules to ensure
farmers and ranchers cannot
be fi ned for creating dust.
She also successfully
worked with crop dusters to
pass legislation ensuring they
are alerted to the presence of
wind towers and helped get a
bill passed that gives farmers
a greater say on how money
from Idaho’s commodity and
seed indemnity funds is spent.
She helped broker an
agreement solving a dispute
between Pioneer Irrigation
District and the city of Cald-
well over the use of eminent
domain, preventing the need
for legislation.
She also said she has no
apologies for being the House
sponsor of the Agricultural
Security Act, which made it
illegal to secretly fi lm farming
operations but was recently
overturned by a district court
judge.
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