Idaho’s Aquifer Recharge Efforts

AIC Water Summit

Brian Patton, PE, Executive Officer, Water Resource Board January 22, 2018 Background - Water Rights

•Water is property of State of Idaho •Water user (individual or organization) holds right to use water from defined source for defined purpose •Prior Appropriation doctrine – “1st in time is 1st in right”

•Conjunctive Administration – hydrologically connected surface water and ground water administered together in priority

Junior priority wells pumping from same aquifer Hypothetical conjunctive Spring supplying administration example senior water rights Background – Aquifer Recharge Terms

•Managed Recharge – intentional placement of water into an aquifer •Incidental Recharge – placement of water into an aquifer as a byproduct of another operation (leaky irrigation canal) •Natural Recharge – precipitation occurring over an aquifer and infiltrating into the aquifer

•Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) - A specific water user storing surface water in an aquifer with the expectation of later recovery of the same amount (NOT AN AQUIFER MANAGEMENT TOOL) Mile Post 31 recharge site – Milner Gooding Canal Nov. 8, 2017 Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer

✓Fractured basalt aquifer ✓About 10,000 square miles ✓World-class aquifer

Spring discharge to American Falls

Spring discharge to Thousand Springs Volume Change of Water Stored Within the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer and Thousand Springs Total Discharge

Aquifer Storage

Thousand Springs Discharge

1912 – 1952 Change +17,000,000 AF

1952 – 2015 Change -13,000,000 AF

Average annual 1952-2015 loss of aquifer storage is about 215,000 AF

Aquifer storage and flows from the Thousand Springs are directly correlated

Total Thousand Springs Flows Spring Flows in Blackfoot to Minidoka Reach

Approximate 500,000 AF/yr annual reduction between 1980 and 2014 Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Background

ESPA discharge to at American ESPA discharge to Falls Snake River at Thousand Springs

Thousand Springs Area Delivery Surface Water Calls x 11 Coalition Delivery Call Cumulative Change in Aquiver Volume vs. ESPA Delivery Calls

20 feet) - 18 D.C.* Conj. Mgt. Rules 16 SWC D.C.

14 A&B D.C.

12 2nd Rangen D.C.

10 B. Wood/L. Wood D.C.

8 1st Rangen D.C. D.C.** 6

4

*2005: Billingsley Creek Ranch, Blue Lakes, Clear Springs (x2), John Jones 2

**2012: Jones, Lee, Lyncliff Farms, and Seapac of Idaho ESPA Cumulative Aquifer Storage Change (million Change (million acre Storage Aquifer Cumulative ESPA ‘81 ‘84 ‘87 ‘90 ‘93 ‘96 ‘99 ‘02 ‘05 ‘08 ‘11 ‘14 Years ESPA Stabilization and Swan Falls Agreement

State responsibility to ensure minimum flows at Murphy Gage just below of:

✓3,900 cfs (4/1 through 10/31) and ✓5,600 cfs (11/1 through 3/31)

However, 180 miles Upstream at •Water planning, policy, and practice provides for full development of Snake River above Milner Dam •At times this reduces Snake River flow at Milner Dam to zero Swan Falls Minimum Flows 3,900 cfs/5,600 cfs

Thousand Springs Discharge from ESPA

Milner Zero Flow

When flow is zero at Milner, flow at Swan Falls Dam is made up almost entirely of spring flows from the ESPA Snake River Near Murphy Gage - Swan Falls Dam - 2015

Near minimum flows

Flow Near minimum flows augmentation Flow augmentation

Fell below minimum flows for the first time ever in 2015! Combined System

Idaho Power Hells Canyon Complex Thousand Springs-fed minimum flows pass through IPCO hydropower system ESPA discharge to Snake River at American Falls ESPA discharge to Snake River at Thousand Springs Swan Falls Dam – Minimum Flow of American Falls-area 3,900 cfs/5,600 cfs springs partly supply river flows that feed Thousand Springs Surface Water Area Delivery Calls Surface Water Coalition canals Coalition Delivery Milner Dam – Milner Call Zero Flow Implications of Aquifer Situation ✓ESPA can no longer meet all the uses that have been assigned to it – delivery calls determine what water uses come off the system ✓ESPA must be managed to sustain spring flows sufficient to meet the Swan Falls minimum flows ✓If economic damage is to be minimized, ESPA must be managed to sustain spring flows sufficient to reduce need for conjunctive water delivery calls ✓Current situation is due partly to “deferred maintenance” of the ESPA ✓Need to “re-build” ESPA Surface Water Coalition Delivery Call • Delivery Call Filed in 01/14/2005 • Final Order 09/05/2008 • Second Amended Methodology Order 06/23/2010 • Third Amended Methodology Order 04/16/2015 • Delivery Call Injury Based on Water Supply for Current Year • Injury: (1) in-season; and (2) “reasonable carryover” • Shorthand – if SWC’s natural flow and reservoir supplies are short in a give year, junior GW pumpers must make up the balance. • Because the Water Supply changes from year to year, so does the injury obligation • Uncertainty is the great frustration of the Junior…and the Senior AFRD2 – 62,361 acres

NSCC – 154,067 acres 544,135 TFCC – 183,589 acres acres Minidoka – 70,144 acres A&B – 15,924 acres Burley – 44,715 acres Milner – 13,335 acres

Surface Water Coalition What Changed with the Third Amendment? • No finality for the Junior until the “time of need” – “mid-season adjustment” can be up or down • Full obligation from the Area of Common Ground Water Supply • New Prediction Models Tied to Aquifer Levels • New Crop Distribution Data • No “phased curtailment” of injury to “reasonable carryover” • New Baseline Years, based on hotter and drier years

• New Methodology provides more certainty to the Seniors • New Methodology determines larger injuries • Shifts risk to the junior water right holders Under the New Methodology the April 2015 Injury Determination was 89,000 acre-feet

Approximately 1982 Priority Date

Approximately 86,000 acres

But for the Stipulation leading to the Settlement, there would have been significant curtailment in 2015! Negotiations • Parties entered into negotiations chaired by Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke • IDWR ran several scenarios applying 3rd Amendment to various historical water years – Mitigation obligations in most years going forward – Very real scenarios where obligation is large (200,000 – 500,000 AF) • Changed goal of negotiations from 1-year deal to permanent settlement IGWA: Member GWDs Jefferson Clark GWD

Madison GWD

Bonneville Jefferson GWD Carey Valley GWD Bingham GWD

Aberdeen American Falls GWD

Magic Valley GWD Gages: • HF nr Ashton North Snake GWD • HF nr Rexburg • SR nr Heise • SR nr Shelley • SR nr Blackfoot • SR at Neeley Raft River GWD • SR nr Minidoka

-- beginning in 2016

Recharge Goal: Stabilize & Rebuild ESPA

✓HB 547 passed by 2014 Legislature allocates $5 million annually from cigarette tax to Water Resource Board for “statewide aquifer stabilization” ✓ESPA is first priority ✓2016 legislature firmed up funds for long-term and established goals

Milepost 31 recharge basin along Milner-Gooding Canal Winter Recharge 2014-2015 •Took recharge from “pilot scale” to “full scale” – proof of concept •Use existing canals to extent possible to deliver recharge water •Water Board adopted incentivized payment schedules for canals – MAKE RECHARGE A PARTNERSHIP!

Recharge at MP31 recharge basin/Milner-Gooding Canal – Jan 16, 2015 Winter Recharge 2014-2015

•Total ESPA recharge: 75,234 AF •Amount below Minidoka: 61,068 AF •Amount above American Falls: 14,166 AF •Total spill past Milner Oct - Mar: ~ 300,000 AF

Recharge operations in Aberdeen-Springfield Canal & Hilton Spill February 26, 2015 Winter Recharge 2015-2016

•Total ESPA recharge: 66,536 AF •Amount below Minidoka: 66,536 AF •Amount above American Falls: 0 AF •Total spill past Milner Oct - Mar: ~ 111,300 AF

Recharge operations in Milner-Gooding Canal November 30, 2015 Total IWRB Managed Recharge Rates During 2016 - 2017 Season Total Volume of Recharge = 317,714 af (October 25, 2016 toJuly 7, 2017 )

4400 4400 Recharge below Oct 25 - May 17 4000 Jun 9 - July 2 4000 Recharge above Minidoka Big Wood Dam Feb 28 - May 17 Recharge Feb 22 - Jensen Grove Maximum Flow 3600 Jun 9 - July 2 past Milner Jun 23 3600 FFIC 4/14 = 21,300 cfs ECC Upper 3200 Valley 3200 FMID GFCC 2800 2800 Big/Little

(cfs) BWCC Wood NSCC 2400 2400 AFRD2 Lower SWID Valley 2000 2000 TFCC

Recharge Flow Recharge Available Flow 1600 1600 Total Water Available for Recharge Snake Rivers 1200 1200

800 800

400 400

0 0

Preliminary Data Dates of Recharge Building to Increase Recharge Capacity

Milner-Gooding Canal – rehabilitating concrete channel near Shoshone so winter flows can be delivered to Shoshone Recharge Site November 11, 2016

Milner-Gooding Canal – Concrete flume rehab completed March 10, 2016 Building to Increase Recharge Capacity

Milner-Gooding Canal – Mile 31 Recharge Site Expansion – Nov 29, 2016 – recharge basin in background

Milner-Gooding Canal – expanded Mile 31 recharge facilities in use -- April 24, 2017 Building to Increase Recharge Capacity

New canal under construction to the Egin Bench Recharge Site November 24, 2015

Completed recharge canal to Egin Bench March 28, 2016 2016 Legislative Actions •Senate Concurrent Resolution 136 – Supports Surface Water Coalition Delivery Call Settlement •Senate Concurrent Resolution 137 – Directs Water Board and IDWR to address declining aquifers state- wide •Senate Concurrent Resolution 138 – Directs Water Board to develop capability to accomplish average of 250,000 AF of managed recharge annually by 2024 •Senate Bill 1402 – firmed up funding for managed recharge

Approximate 660,000 AF Increase ESPA Volume of Water and Thousand Springs Discharge 20,000,000

18,000,000 6,900

16,000,000

6,400

14,000,000

feet) -

12,000,000

5,900

10,000,000 Discharge (cfs) 8,000,000 5,400

CumulativeStorage (acreChange 6,000,000

4,000,000 4,900

2,000,000

0 4,400

1952 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Calculated Thousand Springs Discharge IDWR Water Level Volume Change Mass Measurement USGS Water Budget Volume Change Settlement Agreement Milestones and Benchmarks

Settlement Agreement Signed Aquifer Management in Other Aquifers •Treasure Valley – ground water model in development •Wood River Valley – completed ground water model •Mountain Home Aquifer ✓ Working with Air Force to develop reliable Snake River supply for Mountain Home AFB and remove AFB’s use from declining aquifer ✓ Partnered with Elmore County to evaluate range of aquifer management and water supply options • Lewiston – evaluation of deep regional aquifer as long term water supply due to restrictions on use of shallow aquifer at Lewiston Plateau • Palouse Basin – partnered with Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee on water supply options due to declining aquifer • Rathdrum Prairie – Future demand study from aquifer Temporary Water Use for Recharge •Previously temporary water use was for very small uses in remote areas of temporary nature •2017 legislature added aquifer recharge and prevention of flood damage – removed 5 AF cap for these uses – Idaho Code 42-202A •Use shall not exceed one year – does not create a water right •Shall not injure any established water rights •13 were issued in spring of 2017 to canals and others for aquifer recharge to offset ground water user reductions under the Settlement Agreement •1 issued to State Water Board - state recharge program •1 in Mt. Home area for aquifer enhancement •Useful only in very high flow conditions General Observations

•Cities must follow water law like any other water user – presents some unique challenges in face of constrained or declining water supplies •Cities also have some unique abilities to address this challenge. General Observations •While droughts can be challenging, declining aquifers and the resultant impact to stream flows (and senior water rights) are more challenging and can have greater, longer lasting impacts to water supplies and economic activity •Unlike some western states, we are fixing this!

Shoshone Recharge Basin Milner-Gooding Canal March 5, 2015 We need your help & support to get this done!

Measuring recharge flow in Milner- Gooding Canal January 27, 2016 Back-up slides Water Resource Board

ESPA Annual Water Budget “Goes-ins” •Canal seepage 2.9 MAF •Leakage from surface water-irrigated lands 2.4 MAF •Non-Snake River seepage 0.6 MAF •Tributary basin underflow 1.1 MAF •Non-irrigated lands recharge 0.7 MAF

“Goes-outs” •Crop consumptive use on GW-irrigated lands 2.2 MAF •Offsite/exchange/Mud Lake pumping 0.2 MAF •Wetlands ET 0.1 MAF •Urban pumping 0.1 MAF •Net reach gains/losses upstream from Minidoka1.0 MAF •Spring flows below Milner 4.4 MAF

NET CHANGE IN AQUIFER STORAGE (0.3 MAF) Building to Increase Recharge Capacity

Pipeline under constriction to SWID injection well system -- November 1, 2016

Completed pumps and piping to SWID injection well system June 20, 2017 Building to Increase Recharge Capacity

Milner-Gooding Canal – Mile 28 hydro plant bypass under construction November 9, 2015

Milner-Gooding Canal – Mp 28 hydro plant bypass completed & operational November 30, 2015 Building to Increase Recharge Capacity Recharge capacity increase at the Great Feeder Canal February 16, 2016

Water Board members reviewing completed Great Feeder project April 13, 2016 Recharge Capacity Improvements

Egin Bench recharge capacity increase under construction

Butte-Market Lake Area of intermittent recharge capacity natural flow for recharge increase in planning Milner-Gooding Canal capacity increase under Big Wood Canal construction capacity increase Great Feeder recharge under construction capacity increase under construction

New Sweden I.D. recharge capacity increase in planning Northside Canal capacity increase under construction

Southwest I.D. pipeline capacity Area of firm natural increase under construction flow for recharge How Does the Methodology Work IN-SEASON INJURY • April – forecast the SWC’s water supply • April - forecast the SWC’s demand (i.e. crop need) • April – if demand > supply, in-season injury to the SWC exists and Juniors must mitigate or curtail • July - repeat water supply/demand/injury analysis • Aug/Sep - repeat water supply/demand/injury analysis at the “time of need” CARRYOVER INJURY • November - determine injury, if any, to SWC’s “reasonable carryover” (up to 125,000 acre-feet) • If injury to “reasonable carryover” exists, Juniors must mitigate or curtail ESPA Recharge – Monitoring Program • QA/QC Program • Recharge Flow Measurements • Cooperative Effort with: –Water District 01 –Canal Companies – IDWR and NSCC staff measuring flows at the inlet to Wilson Lake on March 11t, 2014 –IDWR Staff • Water Level Monitoring • Dye Testing

LSRARD and Idaho Power assisting IDWR staff • Water Quality Monitoring with borehole camera Milner Reservoir test well. ESPA Recharge for Aquifer Stabilization and Recovery – Costs & Timeline

•200,000 AF/year average in 2019 (+/-) •250,000 AF/year average full build-out in 2024 (+/-) •$40M capital cost •$3M/year ongoing, for operations, maintenance, and replacements