Idaho Junior and Senior Water Users Reach Deal to Temporarily Suspend Curtailment on Big and Little Lost Basins
Why It Matters
For farming families across Butte County and the broader eastern Idaho region, water is the difference between a productive growing season and financial ruin. A curtailment order cutting off irrigation water — even temporarily — threatens crops, livelihoods, and the rural communities that depend on agriculture as their economic backbone.
A newly reached agreement between junior and senior water users offers those families critical relief, suspending curtailment on the Big and Little Lost Basins for the next two weeks while a formal review process moves forward.
What Happened
Idaho Ground Water Appropriators, Inc. (IGWA) announced on April 17 that junior and senior water users had reached a cooperative deal to temporarily suspend curtailment on the Big and Little Lost Basins. The suspension will remain in place for two weeks while a technical working group reviews data needed to formally add three groundwater districts into the 2024 Stipulated Mitigation Plan.
The agreement came after Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Mathew Weaver issued an order keeping curtailment in place while that technical working group evaluates a proposed First Addendum to the existing mitigation plan. IGWA and the Surface Water Coalition (SWC) worked together to finalize the deal, and a joint motion has been filed with IDWR for approval.
Curtailment had been triggered following Idaho’s statewide drought emergency declaration on April 13, which came in response to record-low snowpack conditions across much of the state. Under the longstanding Surface Water Coalition delivery call, water users not enrolled in an approved mitigation plan are subject to curtailment. The Big Lost and Little Lost basins had already taken the required steps to join the 2024 plan and are awaiting a final consideration hearing scheduled for May 4.
Once formally approved, the basins would receive the same curtailment protections afforded to users already enrolled in the 2024 plan. A previous curtailment order had been temporarily lifted for most Butte County farmers, but subsequent developments kept the question of water access in flux for many growers in the region.
By the Numbers
- April 13, 2026: Idaho’s statewide drought emergency was declared following record-low snowpack levels.
- 2 weeks: Duration of the temporary curtailment suspension under the new agreement.
- 3 groundwater districts proposed for addition to the 2024 Stipulated Mitigation Plan via the First Addendum.
- May 4: Scheduled hearing date for final consideration of the Big and Little Lost basins’ inclusion in the mitigation plan.
- 1 joint motion filed with IDWR by IGWA and the Surface Water Coalition to formalize the agreement.
In Their Own Words
Little Lost River Ground Water District Chairman Kirk Nickerson expressed relief at the outcome, noting that the districts had done what was required of them. “We have taken the right steps to join a mitigation plan and avoid curtailment, so we were disappointed when that relief did not come yesterday,” Nickerson said. “We are deeply grateful to farmers on all sides who moved quickly to come together and find a solution that helps keep water on, protects crops, and supports the livelihoods of families across this basin.”
Butte County Commissioner Blake Van Etten called the deal a practical win for local families and businesses. “This agreement is a strong example of what can happen when people stay at the table and work toward a practical solution,” Van Etten said. “This step helps protect farm families, local businesses, and the broader community while the technical review continues.”
IGWA President Stephanie Mickelsen emphasized the broader significance of the cooperation between groundwater and surface water users. “That willingness to act quickly, solve problems, and protect Idaho agriculture is exactly what makes partnership between groundwater and surface water users so important,” Mickelsen said.
Zoom Out
Idaho is not alone in facing acute water pressure this spring. Record-low snowpack is straining water supplies across the Mountain West, putting agricultural communities in multiple states on edge heading into the irrigation season. Idaho’s prior appropriation water law system — where senior rights holders can call on junior users during shortages — makes these negotiations especially consequential when drought conditions tighten supply.
The Surface Water Coalition and Groundwater Districts had previously sought an emergency stay on the Butte County curtailment order, reflecting the high stakes and urgency that have characterized this dispute from the beginning. The new agreement sidesteps a prolonged legal standoff, at least temporarily, by returning control of the process to the water users themselves.
What’s Next
The technical working group will spend the next two weeks reviewing data to determine whether the three groundwater districts can be mutually accepted into the 2024 Stipulated Mitigation Plan. The formal hearing on the First Addendum is scheduled for May 4. If the addendum is approved, the Big and Little Lost basin users would gain the same long-term curtailment protections held by other districts in the plan, providing more stable footing heading into the heart of the growing season.
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