MUNICIPAL water rights

Idaho cities provide water for residential, commercial, industrial, irrigation of parks and open spaces, and other related purposes. Idaho Code § 42-202B(6). In addition to current needs, cities must have an eye toward the future in an effort to plan not only for future growth, but also proactively plan for drought, while at the same time ensuring that water rights are not lost due to forfeiture or administrative curtailment. Our firm has taken a leading role in defending municipal water rights against curtailment on the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) by assisting Idaho cities in the filing of mitigation plans before the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) and the Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA) District Court. 

We specialize in assisting individual Idaho cities and municipal organizations in protecting current municipal water rights, planning for future development, protecting water rights from curtailment, and planning for drought. With more and more Idaho citizens now living in cities, ensuring a secure municipal water supply is key to any city’s future.