Restructuring the contract: The Nez Perce and Strawman proposals & modeling Snake River socioeconomic tradeoffs Richard Slaughter, Richard Slaughter Associates Don Reading, Ben Johnson Associates Idaho Climate and Water Resource Forecasts for the 2005 Water Year; October 26, 2004 The Idaho Water Center Sponsored by: The Climate Impacts Group (CIG) at the University of Washington (UW), the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR), and Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
UPPER SNAKE MODEL
20 Counties
EXAMPLE OF GOODING COUNTY
Class 1 soils have slight limitations that restrict their use. Class 2 soils have moderate limitations that reduce the choice of plants or require moderate conservation practices. Class 3 soils have severe limitations that reduce the choice of plants or require special conservation practices, or both. Class 4 soils have very severe limitations that restrict the choice of plants or require very careful management, or both. Class 5 soils have little or no hazard of erosion but have other limitations, impractical to remove, that limit their use mainly to pasture, range, forestland, or wildlife food and cover. Class 8 soils and miscellaneous areas have limitations that preclude their use for commercial plant production and limit their use to recreation, wildlife, or water supply or for esthetic purposes.
Use By SourceUse By Disposition Commerical, Domestic Domestic Livestock 1.44 million AF Gooding County Water Sources and Uses Consumptive Use Loss Return Flow Surface Ground Irrigation Livestock [Dairy/Trout] Irrigation Commerical, Domestic Livestock [Dairy/Trout] Irrigation
Two agreements on the table Nez Perce State Strawman for ESPA (Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer)
What brought state to this point Failure to manage ground and surface water together (aquifer drawdown) Over allocation of use dependent rights based flood irrigation (technological efficiencies reduced recharge of aquifer) Needs of fish Tribal law suits Environmental law suits Four years of drought
Nez Perce Agreement