Stating findings of the Legislature and supporting the settlement agreement entered into on June 30, 2015, between participating members of the Surface Water Coalition and participating members of the Idaho Ground Water Appropriators, Inc.

The purpose of this resolution is to express legislative support for the June 30, 2015 Settlement Agreement between participating surface water members of the Surface Water Coalition and participating members of the Idaho Ground Water Appropriators, Inc. This settlement will resolve the multiple water delivery calls that have led to protracted litigation and economic uncertainty for all water users in the Upper Snake River Basin. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, ground water users diverting from the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer have committed to reduce their consumptive use in order to "stabilize and ultimately reverse the trend of declining ground water levels and return ground water levels to a level equal to the average of the aquifer levels from 1991-2001" by April 2026. "No ground water user participating in this settlement will be subject to a delivery call by the [Surface Water Coalition] members as long as the provisions of the Settlement Agreement are being implemented." This resolution recognizes that the State supports the goal of the Settlement Agreement to stabilize and reverse the trend of declining ESPA water levels.